Initial response to @pluralistic regarding #FreeOurFeeds
Want to thank Cory Doctorow for answering questions about his support for Free Our Feeds here:
pluralistic.net/2025/01/14/con…
What follows is a response in the form of a list of concerns about FOF.
Cory rightly took exception to the "scolding" tone of some of the discussion so far. It is hoped that here, at least, we can keep it focused on the substance of this issue.
So, here goes...
1/n
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Mastodon Migration
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •1. Primary goal seems to be to build a second relay for Bluesky so people can exit the corporate site if it becomes enshittified. Necessarily this will involve building undemonstrated technology effectively for Bluesky that they should have done more than promise will work. So it becomes public funding of corporate owned technology.
2/n
#FreeOurFeeds
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Mastodon Migration
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •1. (cont.) There is no guarantee that it will work. It depends on cooperation of Bluesky. Even once implemented there is no guarantee it will fulfill it's function as the company will certainly retain a myriad ways of hobbling the interface should they desire to do so. Bottom line, is it an escape hatch to nowhere?
3/n
#FreeOurFeeds
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Mastodon Migration
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •2. The technology itself. If you read Christine Lemmer-Webber's analysis of the AT Protocol it seems like the protocol itself is incompatible with the FOF purpose of independent decentralization of nodes. Certainly not low cost decentralization.
4/n
#FreeOurFeeds
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Mastodon Migration
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •2. (cont) Understand BSky pushes back on this, but the fact that they have not demonstrated this capability and the prospective FOF cost of millions of dollars to make a second relay makes it seem like Christine is right. In any case, why should the public do this before the company first demonstrates the capability?
5/n
#FreeOurFeeds
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Mastodon Migration
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •3. FOF Personnel is tech and AI heavy, and with the exception of you, does not include clear advocates for open truly public systems. The recent direction of the Mozilla Foundation and their top line involvement is cause for concern.
6/n
#FreeOurFeeds
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Mastodon Migration
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •4. Have not been able to locate any documentation on this foundation other than the splashy, but thin, website. What is the legal structure? Who are the officers? Any financials? Is there any specific mission statement? Implementation plan? Where does the money donated go? Who/what is it spent on? Etc.
7/n
#FreeOurFeeds
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Mastodon Migration
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •5. Bluesky corporate structure. Bluesky represents itself as owned by Jay Graber and the employees, when it reality it is owned by a who's who of Silicon Valley VC's and crypto entities like Blockchain Capital. They are about to close a new funding round led by Bain Capital expected to value the company at $700M. What about all of this makes this the place to invest public money to escape billionaires?
8/n
#FreeOurFeeds
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Mastodon Migration
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •6. Sucking money and attention from public social media. We are at a critical moment. As a result of the election, the public has become aware of the power of billionaires to shape opinion. We have a moment in time to help move people onto public platforms which are truly defensible. Bluesky is another corporate trap, where people are not safe from the same thing that has happened in previous cycles of enshittification.
9/n
#FreeOurFeeds
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Mastodon Migration
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •6. (cont) It is not clear FOF can provide that safety for reasons stated above. So, the fear is funding this multiyear, super expensive effort with public money actually detracts, distracts and takes funding away from the absolutely necessary goal of actually building public social media, effectively becoming a poison pill.
#FreeOurFeeds
10/10
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Stu
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •on this one, I would raise the counter point that Mastodon is in no way ready for the heavy lift of a significant migration. We've a long way to go in terms of trust and safety. It's far too easy to abuse people here.
More generally, we could do with a more inviting culture, too. At least that's something non technical we can all work on.
Erotic Mythology (hire me) 💘
in reply to Stu • • •Sensitive content
@tehstu If Mastodon / ActivityPub had $30 million, I'm pretty sure that migration wouldn't be a concern.
But yes, we can all work on a more inviting culture 🙂
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chx
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •exactly. This is just an grift from some hustlers. They are currently in AI because that's where the big money is currently. Pocketing 30 mil over a few years sounds like a splendid idea to such people if you need to do, well, jack shit for it.
Edit: 7 out of 9 are AI: New_ Public: rockefellerfoundation.org/gran… Mozilla, linkedin.com/in/sherifea/detai… and two has AI in their company name.
New_Public 2024
The Rockefeller FoundationMastodon Migration
Unknown parent • • •Hadn't thought of that, but it would be good if they did. Suspect that just kicking the can is working for them, so why change?
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Unknown parent • • •@GhostOnTheHalfShell
Not that much money has been raised yet. The GoFundMe lusts $39,000. So they have a way to go.
Still, $39,000 would be enough for several Fedi instances to operate for a year.
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Unknown parent • • •@inquiline @GhostOnTheHalfShell
What is interesting is the website has no links to any backup documentation about the foundation.
Have not been able to find out anything about its directorship, structure, financials etc. beyond very general information on the website.
Also, the donate button takes you to a GoFundMe page, not any kind of secure Free Our Feeds transaction processing page.
So, agree it was hashed together quickly, and there may be less there than they are trying to project.
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Unknown parent • • •Usually this type of org is used to 'sponsor' a group that is not legally allowed to raise donations because they do not have an entity with non-profit status.
Again, it looks like Feed Our Feeds is not really set up yet. Expect that the use of the first money will be to create a non-profit entity that can take donations directly.
This is all supposition.
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Unknown parent • • •Mastodon Migration
Unknown parent • • •@UlrikeHahn @inquiline @GhostOnTheHalfShell
Could be. Not sure why they would be connected, but it does seem like a lot of Silicon Valley types circling around. Maybe there is some grand plan. 🤷
Ulrike Hahn
Unknown parent • • •Alx 🐈
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •Ulrike Hahn
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william.maggos
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •to me, the structural problem is obvious. the relays mean there's a middleman while the fedi works like the open web. if one of these structures is to win the future of social media and truly dominate, how could anyone want anybody (as cool as they might be) to have that much power when it's totally unnecessary. to be between govts and media orgs and the public.
look at @mondoweiss. how much pressure would come down on that relay to censor reporting on #Gaza?
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in reply to william.maggos • • •@wjmaggos @mondoweiss
Really interesting point.
william.maggos
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •@mondoweiss
so I think I now get what Cory and friends are planning here. it's an attack that they don't want to be too obvious about. maybe I shouldn't write this up. they're trying to kill BS but save the people first before it goes down. maybe.
liberal.city/@wjmaggos/1138330…
william.maggos
2025-01-15 15:11:13
Mastodon Migration
in reply to Ulrike Hahn • • •@UlrikeHahn @inquiline @GhostOnTheHalfShell
Very interesting thought.