I just want to say, look at Google.

Google came into the browser scene with a far better track record for the common good and better intentions than meta.

Something like 96% of browsers are now downstream from Google’s code. Recently, Firefox got a lot of flak from companies for having a “pop-out” that let’s you do PIP with any video. The standard (guess who it’s written by) makes the feature optional, but there’s a “disable PIP” flag part of it that Firefox chose to ignore.

Suddenly, I need a plugin to spoof the user-agent, because sites are blocking Firefox. Even with that, things like Google maps have stopped working completely in Firefox. I’m ride or die on this issue so I’m not switching, but my family members I convinced to switch have abandoned ff.

The fediverse should be able to handle corporate involvement - but we said the same about the web. I’m not eager to test it.

If they get any fraction of the market, they’ll dictate extensions to the standard, then split us as groups are split between good suggestions, and those realizing we’re losing control. Meta will try to take over and monetize the network - that’s what a corporation is. Even if right now every single person there is doing it for the right reason, sooner rather than later it will start looking for where the money is

The fediverse is way too young and vulnerable right now… There’s going to be efforts to kill or control it, there’s no need to invite them in

Now this is defederation I can get behind.

The last thing I personally want is reintroducing Silicon Valley cancer back into the Fediverse. Let’s keep them away. No ads, no algos, no bullshit.

I like the sound of this, Meta is a cancer on the Internet.

I’ll play devil’s advocate here – I hate Meta, but Meta apps supporting activitypub would be a huge benefit for adding users to the platform.

Like other small social platforms, the fediverse has a fundamental choice to make between quantity and quality. The quality of Reddit took a nosedive in the last 5-6 years as the platform grew. I’m not saying it was always great in “the old days”, but recently all of the big subs were just page after page of the same memes, stupid arguments (“it’s called soccer! It’s called football!”) that have been had a million times, and the same jokes.

So the question is – how much does the fediverse want to grow? The thing keeping me from deleting my Reddit account right now is some of the sports communities there, and things like a local urbanism group from my hometown.

Having Meta apps support activitypub could help establish that kind of userbase. At the same time, the influx of users could drastically reduce the quality of the platform. It’s a balance that has to be struck by the community.

The cool thing about the fediverse compared to other platforms is that the structure allows this kind of thing to be decided fairly democratically – each instance can “vote” by deciding whether to federate or not, and if we all agree we don’t want them, everyone can defederate. If we’re 50/50 they’ll federate with half of the community.

Broadly, I have no issue with this.

In the first place, it’s just a part of the nature of the fediverse that admins are free to manage their instances as they prefer and users are free to choose instances as they prefer, so it’s no more significant in that sense than a restaurant not including some particular thing on its menu. It’s their choice, and I’m entirely free to order something else or go to a different restaurant.

Specifically, to the degree that it matters (which is likely not at all), this is the decision I’d make too, just because even in a culture increasingly defined by corporate shitweasels, Meta stands out for being especially shitweaselish.

All that said, I keep wondering if it’s going to be an issue anyway. The fediverse is a sort of technically and conceptually complex place, and uncharitably, Meta’s customer base leans toward the lazy and stupid end of the spectrum.

I can definitely see some likelihood that a lot (most?) of the people who might end up following a link to a Meta-owned instance are just going to get confused and frustrated, then scurry back to Facebook.

We’ll see…

This Mastodon thread by @lrhodes is a very good read on this subject: https://merveilles.town/@lrhodes/110577852462358211

Good

The biggest problem with openness is that anyone can come through the door.

Not very surprising to see that the popular instances with a good chuck of users have not signed this pact.

I already see where this is ending up.

I won’t claim to defend Meta, but wouldn’t at least give them the benefit of the doubt until there’s details of the project a saner approach? We literally know nothing about it except it’s in the works.