I was walking the dog this morning and I was reflecting on how the things we build on the digital world seem to mirror what we build on the physical one. Big social media platforms are the metropolis: dense, busy, chaotic. They’re the place that never sleeps and there’s always something new going on. Something new to see, something new to do. You’l... See more

And yet: as much as the Fediverse is different (the governing structures, the incentives, the moderation, the absence of ads and engagement tricks), so much of it is also unsettlingly familiar—the same small boxes, the same few buttons, the same mechanics of following and being followed. The same babbling, tumbling, rushing stream of thoughts. I ca... See more

Say you subscribe to a YouTube channel with very niche videos about the inner workings of ball bearings (or something equally niche). You, the viewer, have a high chance of not seeing any new videos from this channel - even though you subscribe to it - because the content just isn't suited to the YouTube algorithm. Equally, the creator of videos ab... See more