Every day I’m more convinced that the Fediverse’s slow mainstream adoption isn’t really about usability.

People say it’s because it’s hard to join, the terms are confusing, or the apps aren’t polished enough. Maybe a little. But honestly… look at the platforms people already use.

Finding anything on LinkedIn is painful.
Trying to locate the original video on TikTok is a scavenger hunt.
Facebook is still full of weird bugs and odd UI choices.
Instagram hides posts behind algorithms.
Twitter/X constantly changes the rules of engagement.

None of these platforms are exactly “easy.”

People stay because their friends are there. Because the big creators are there. Because that’s where the conversation already lives.

And, if we’re honest, because these platforms are engineered around a very effective reward loop: notifications, likes, infinite scroll. A dopamine machine. You learn the confusing terms and awkward interfaces because there’s a constant reward for doing so.

So yes, making the Fediverse easier to join absolutely helps.

But what would help even more is something simpler:
more mainstream, recognizable, official accounts showing up here.

That’s how networks grow.
People follow people not platforms.

#Fediverse #ActivityPub #Mastodon

@mapache That's true.

Even me, deleting my 'mainstream' social media took a lot of effort, mentally speaking.

It's a big decision.

It's like leaving a party alone while everybody is still having fun.

Every day I’m more convinced that the Fediverse’s slow mainstream adoption isn’t really about usability.

People say it’s because it’s hard to join, the terms are confusing, or the apps aren’t polished enough. Maybe a little. But honestly… look at the platforms people already use.

Finding anything on LinkedIn is painful.
Trying to locate the original video on TikTok is a scavenger hunt.
Facebook is still full of weird bugs and odd UI choices.
Instagram hides posts behind algorithms.
Twitter/X constantly changes the rules of engagement.

None of these platforms are exactly “easy.”

People stay because their friends are there. Because the big creators are there. Because that’s where the conversation already lives.

And, if we’re honest, because these platforms are engineered around a very effective reward loop: notifications, likes, infinite scroll. A dopamine machine. You learn the confusing terms and awkward interfaces because there’s a constant reward for doing so.

So yes, making the Fediverse easier to join absolutely helps.

But what would help even more is something simpler:
more mainstream, recognizable, official accounts showing up here.

That’s how networks grow.
People follow people not platforms.

#Fediverse #ActivityPub #Mastodon

@mapache Mainstream social media is easy for your mom to join and find what she wants. Fediverse isn't local enough.

@frank @mapache It helps to remember that virtually everybody's fun is shooting up dopamine while shouting at each other.

@mapache see also, the "But I don't know how to use linux!!" from people who have NO GODDAMNED IDEA how to use... windows.

The real question is, do we really want that type of growth, motivated by personality cults? It brought nothing but toxicity to past DTBO socmedia platforms.

Food for thought.

@faraiwe I agree, I don't want personality cults here, but I wish I could reach out to more of my real-life friends here, tbh, even if just photos of people I care. And people follow people.

@mapache have you invited them?

I get it, most see CHOOSING a server is a daunting high peak to overcome, but a nudge and suggestion to prod them over that life-altering (...) decision will land them at the common "enter a login and a password here" part of the process.

FWIW, AYBABTU, etc, What I has been happening is, most folks are burnt out from DTBO socmedia platforms, and consider fediverse to be Yet Another.

Curiously, the same people ends up at blewski. Because cult of personality.

Every day I’m more convinced that the Fediverse’s slow mainstream adoption isn’t really about usability.

People say it’s because it’s hard to join, the terms are confusing, or the apps aren’t polished enough. Maybe a little. But honestly… look at the platforms people already use.

Finding anything on LinkedIn is painful.
Trying to locate the original video on TikTok is a scavenger hunt.
Facebook is still full of weird bugs and odd UI choices.
Instagram hides posts behind algorithms.
Twitter/X constantly changes the rules of engagement.

None of these platforms are exactly “easy.”

People stay because their friends are there. Because the big creators are there. Because that’s where the conversation already lives.

And, if we’re honest, because these platforms are engineered around a very effective reward loop: notifications, likes, infinite scroll. A dopamine machine. You learn the confusing terms and awkward interfaces because there’s a constant reward for doing so.

So yes, making the Fediverse easier to join absolutely helps.

But what would help even more is something simpler:
more mainstream, recognizable, official accounts showing up here.

That’s how networks grow.
People follow people not platforms.

#Fediverse #ActivityPub #Mastodon

@mapache my own hot take is that the slow adoption is because there is a weird anti social streak going on here, a significant amount of the starter user base despised the preexisting social networks so they avoid engaging other user which is great to avoid the noise and the rage but not so much if you make things and hope to build a community

1/2

Every day I’m more convinced that the Fediverse’s slow mainstream adoption isn’t really about usability.

People say it’s because it’s hard to join, the terms are confusing, or the apps aren’t polished enough. Maybe a little. But honestly… look at the platforms people already use.

Finding anything on LinkedIn is painful.
Trying to locate the original video on TikTok is a scavenger hunt.
Facebook is still full of weird bugs and odd UI choices.
Instagram hides posts behind algorithms.
Twitter/X constantly changes the rules of engagement.

None of these platforms are exactly “easy.”

People stay because their friends are there. Because the big creators are there. Because that’s where the conversation already lives.

And, if we’re honest, because these platforms are engineered around a very effective reward loop: notifications, likes, infinite scroll. A dopamine machine. You learn the confusing terms and awkward interfaces because there’s a constant reward for doing so.

So yes, making the Fediverse easier to join absolutely helps.

But what would help even more is something simpler:
more mainstream, recognizable, official accounts showing up here.

That’s how networks grow.
People follow people not platforms.

#Fediverse #ActivityPub #Mastodon

@CrabbyIT but I think it should be.

Every day I’m more convinced that the Fediverse’s slow mainstream adoption isn’t really about usability.

People say it’s because it’s hard to join, the terms are confusing, or the apps aren’t polished enough. Maybe a little. But honestly… look at the platforms people already use.

Finding anything on LinkedIn is painful.
Trying to locate the original video on TikTok is a scavenger hunt.
Facebook is still full of weird bugs and odd UI choices.
Instagram hides posts behind algorithms.
Twitter/X constantly changes the rules of engagement.

None of these platforms are exactly “easy.”

People stay because their friends are there. Because the big creators are there. Because that’s where the conversation already lives.

And, if we’re honest, because these platforms are engineered around a very effective reward loop: notifications, likes, infinite scroll. A dopamine machine. You learn the confusing terms and awkward interfaces because there’s a constant reward for doing so.

So yes, making the Fediverse easier to join absolutely helps.

But what would help even more is something simpler:
more mainstream, recognizable, official accounts showing up here.

That’s how networks grow.
People follow people not platforms.

#Fediverse #ActivityPub #Mastodon

@mapache the obvious elephant in the room: massive marketing.