I'm not interested in the Fediverse

My thoughts on Social Media

Some of you might be aware that I do not like social media. Although I do use it to some extent (YouTube is a social media, and I'd argue Discord is as well, even though it generally isn't thought of as one).

I'm not gonna get into the reasons why I don't like social media as there are quite a lot of reasons, and a lot of it is stuff you've already heard before (privacy, mental health, procrastination, degeneracy). This article is about why I personally don't use Mastodon, Pleroma etc.

What is the Fediverse?

The Fediverse is a term that refers to social media platforms that are decentralised and "federated" by nature. Examples of which include Lemmy, PixelFed, and Mastodon, although I'm primarily addressing Mastodon as it is the most popular and well-known.

Unlike normie platforms such as Twitter/X and Instagram where all the servers are run by one company, Fediverse platforms work by having a piece of FOSS software that can be deployed on a web server, and those servers can interact with other servers running that software. So just like Email and the Internet itself, the Fediverse doesn't lie in the exclusive control of one entity.

I like the idea of decentralisation and federation. It's why I endorse using the Matrix and XMPP protocols for instant messaging instead of services like WhatsApp, so my concern with the Fediverse isn't with the technology behind it.

"Drop-in" replacements

Whether intentional or not, Fediverse platforms tend to replicate other platforms. Mastodon is often compared to Twitter, PixelFed is often compared to Instagram, and Lemmy is often compared to Reddit. This explains why many people were expecting Mastodon to be the next big thing following the storm that erupted after Elon Musk purchased Twitter.

However, with the exception of decentralisation and better privacy (which most normal people don't care about or even understand), these platforms don't provide anything new and have a much smaller userbase than the mainstream tools. From my observation, platforms like Mastodon are largely dominated by niche communities (e.g., tech and politics).

It's still social media

In the same way that EVs don't solve all the problems with cars (e.g., traffic). The Fediverse doesn't solve all the problems with social media. They may help with problems that are a result of the technology/companies behind social media (e.g., censorship, privacy, the algorithm), but you'll find that's not why most ordinary people quit social media.

• If you feel you waste too much time on social media, the Fediverse isn't the solution.
• If you don't like social media because of toxicity/negativity, the Fediverse isn't the solution.
• If you feel social media has a negative impact on your mental health, the Fediverse isn't the solution.

What is the solution?

Host your own website

Concerned about censorship? Hate how bloated modern websites are? If you host your own website, you can say what you like in the way that you like!

Hosting a website has never been easier, and you can even host one for free thanks to platforms like Netlify.

RSS

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a technology that allows you to "subscribe" to feeds, and get updates about stuff you're interested in without signing up, and without any junk you don't need! You can also view RSS feeds in a number of ways (e.g., on the terminal using newsboat).

Some news sites like the BBC run RSS feeds, but many personal websites run by YouTubers (e.g., denshi.org, ericmurphy.xyz, and lukesmith.xyz) have RSS feeds, and you can even subscribe to YouTube Channels and subreddits with RSS if you want.

Nothing

Maybe you don't need something to replace social media.