Reminder: if you mainly post retro or nostalgia-based content, consider joining our #Mastodon server https://Retro-Gaiden.com. It’s tailored for retro enthusiasts & has a unique visual flair! Check it out 🕹️ 
#RetroGaming #Retro #SocialMedia #Nostalgia #80s #90s
‘#OpenSource And #Ethical’ #TikTok, #WhatsApp And #Instagram Alternatives Could Transform #SocialMedia
from #Forbes
ByEsat Dedezade, Contributor.
Esat Dedezade is U.K.-based journalist who covers Big Tech for Forbes
Jan 25, 2025, 12:23pm EST
[a very well-written article with a favorable yet realistic angle on the #Fediverse]
"At the heart of these alternative apps lies the Fediverse platform — a portmanteau of "federated" and "universe" that represents a radical reimagining of how social media can work. Unlike traditional platforms where users are locked into isolated ecosystems, the Fediverse operates as an interconnected network of independent servers that communicate with each other through a standard protocol called #ActivityPub."
#Pixelfed #PeerTube #Mastodon #Loops #Sup #FreeSoftware #SocialWeb #technology #news #press
Join the Fedizens! Isn't it time to leave legacy social media and start afresh? 👉 @fedizen https://Fedizen.EU
#NoAds, #NoManipulation 🚫 Big Tech shapes opinions through targeted ads and polarizing content: #Opensource #socialmedia empowers #communities with transparent #moderation.
#Better #MentalHealth 🧠 Research shows that algorithm-driven feeds fuel anxiety and addiction: #ActivityPub platforms, like #Mastodon, avoid manipulative engagement tactics. (1/2)
🆕 Out now: our study on #academic staff engagement on #Mastodon
🔗 Summary
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15582839
💡 While Mastodon is valued for its ethical positioning, continued engagement hinges more on social and institutional dynamics than on technical features alone
➡️Ethical concerns drive adoption
➡️Peer presence matters more for staying than joining
➡️Academic institutions could be game-changers by leading adoption instead of waiting for grassroots growth
Listen! #Knowledge coming from #museums:
"#ActivityPub is plumbing. It is plumbing built on top of the web, which coordinates the ability for independently operated services, for example a collection of federated social media services, to exchange messages with each other in a decentralized manner.
So #SFOMuseum has built its own ActivityPub server for publishing #socialmedia style messages.
In doing so, it means that we can(& have)created social media accounts for 60,000 objects in our collection including this roll of #HelloKitty toilet paper from #EvaAirlines."
@thisisaaronland
https://www.aaronland.info/weblog/2025/02/13/gummy/#fact2025
Fediverse is still the most lively social network I have ever used, since MySpace in 2003. It is better than Twitter or any commercial social media platform ever was. Absolutely love being here.
The most profound thing about it is the international coverage. After the first wave of enshittification in 2010, algorithms took over, and suddenly as a polyglot I was labeled as Finnish. No more visible international posts, people only saw the Finnish ones.
I've noticed the same effect in commercial AI. It ignores the fact that I use English online 99% of the time and still replies to me in Finnish despite all instructions. Algorithms and AI label you. They assign you a language, a status, a certain type of person. There's no changing that.
The Fediverse and Mastodon are delightfully mine, yours, and truly open source - respecting privacy. Nobody's machine can tell you, "You are this, and this is why we do that."
Fuck labelers and the fog machines. Let me be me. Here, on my own server, I can embrace my weirdness and post however I want, how often I want, whenever I want, in whatever language I choose - without constantly worrying about how my identity will be perceived by a machine.
President Trump delays TikTok ban for third time, giving 90 days for a deal to be struck with American owner. @AssociatedPress reports:
If you're looking for the latest tech news, or for inspiration on building your own Surf feed, check out Tech Wave in the Surf Shop.
Just learned some frankly disconcerting stuff, accounts on #private #SocialMedia #platforms that have more than 10,000 followers actually get paid.
This makes me sad.
But also glad that I am dedicated to the #fediverse, #mastodon in particular.
I don’t say shit for clicks nor $$$$.
I am dedicated to the desimination of true factual #information.
I see the #FarRight #Nazi #propaganda #disinformation campaign for what it is, & I hope to be a rock in the road on the way to their #tyranny.
🤷🏼♀️
I’ve begun my journey to reduce my reliance on US tech, so it’s time for an update on how it’s all going.
No surprise, some services are far more easy to replace than others. Email and streaming are low-hanging fruit; maps and messaging can be more difficult. But we should still make the effort.
https://www.disconnect.blog/p/getting-off-us-tech-is-no-easy-task
The harms arising from chatbots are escalating, and not nearly enough is being done to address them before they become a big problem.
On #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke with @nitashatiku to discuss how chatbots are speedrunning the social media harm cycle.
Listen to the full episode: https://techwontsave.us/episode/282_chatbots_are_repeating_social_medias_harms_w_nitasha_tiku
#tech #socialmedia #chatgpt #characterai #openai #ai #artificialintelligence #genai #chatbots
This week's net.wars, "Revival", ponders the purported death of Bluesky and the company town potential of large companies exploring stablecoins: https://netwars.pelicancrossing.net/2025/06/27/revival/ #NetWars #SocialMedia #Crypto
Uhhhhh so I just went on a really long rant on my blog about why I don't like Meta platforms. 😆
It's called "8 reasons why I think Meta platforms are pointless".
#Meta #SocialMedia #blog #writing
https://bookswithnoelle.wordpress.com/2025/06/27/8-reasons-why-meta-platforms-are-pointless-imho/
Some people talk about minimizing social media time and the associated doomscrolling, but every day Mastodon reminds me of how many kind, caring people there are. And how many I'm privileged to know on here. (And how many have adorable cats. Or dogs. Or goats.) People who appreciate the beauty around us; people who want to save the environment; people who want a good life for everyone.
It lifts me up, even when the news is horrific. Thank you all.
