We don’t want to be ruled by kings like Zuckerberg and Musk. So let’s create fiefdoms ruled by mini-Zuckerbergs and mini-Musks instead.
Gosh darnit something tells me there’s a better solution to this but I’ll be damned if I can put my finger on it…
@aral Everyone could run their own Fediverse-capable server, which would solve this, but that’s a barrier too high for many, who don’t want the cost (time, money, knowledge, etc.) it takes to run one. The best option is probably a mix of both, with better tools to help users move and take their accounts with them when they move.
@ramsey Also, y’know, wait for it… https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is-the-small-web/ ;)
@aral Well, yes. I knew that’s what you were angling for.
I still think the cost bit is important, whether that’s time, money, resources, etc. Taking part in the small web requires some amount of dedication, which has a cost associated with it. Signing up for a fiefdom is almost zero cost, but we need to make it almost zero cost to move.
Building tools for the small web that make it nearly zero cost to run services from your own domain would be ideal.
@aral I think I remember Opera browser once shipped with an experimental built in web server. Maybe around 2011? I should look into the history more but I think about it sometimes in terms of making it easy for everyone to run their own instance of *something*. But this is tech stuff. The problems aren’t really tech problems
@aral it was called Opera Unite and it was 2009 https://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1396499
Everyone has their own home that they share with friends and family of their own choosing. When they feel like it, they visit the houses of others who are happy to have them come visit.