Beyond technical features: why we need to talk about the values of the Fediverse (part 1)

The Fediverse is considered to be “ethical social media” but this description has rarely been followed up by an explanation of how and why.

In his book “ Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now ” ( 2018 ) technologist Jaron Lanier calls Silicon Valley’s social platforms “behavior modification empires” What sort of behavior do Big Tech platforms encourage in their users? Being seen, being liked, commanding positive attention is the ultimate status symbol.

In the Fediverse there is no emphasis on numbers and popularity - just the ability to connect with people that are interesting to you.

Threads feels like a text-based version of TikTok , with an unpredictable, slot machine-like algorithm that may make one’s post go viral.

The platform understands the dopamine hits it serves with this promise of sudden virality.

In defense of privacy & consent I feel that the people of the Fediverse put premium value on privacy and consent.

With few exceptions, it's exceedingly rare for me to see photos of minors (someone’s child) show up in my Mastodon , Friendica or Pixelfed feeds.