It seems that the time for a facebook replacement is now, just based on the sense I have gotten. A lot of my friends, who would previously have clung onto facebook through all the terrible things it did over the years, are now looking for alternatives. The current consensus for most is joining Bluesky. I would love to be able to recommend them to the fediverse equivalent, Friendica, but it is nowhere close to ready for primetime.
So my question is this. How can we work to make friendica more user friendly and develop it’s features to a point that it can be a true facebook alternative? Or, do we need to come up with a new platform entirely, possibly one that is forked from Friendica, that has the required features. Specifically, these are the things I think need work:
- Simplify user sign up. No one cares about servers, and I think this is one of the biggest thorns in the side of the fediverse in general. Make a single landing page, where you type in your location and will be auto assigned to a server based on the closest one to you. If one does not exist within a certain radius, a server is instantly created (details of this mechanism tbd), and a member of a dedicated team of admins will be assigned as a moderator of that server. This is just an idea, but we need to greatly simply the user sign up process and make scaling easier.
- EDIT: Nevermind, it was an issue with the wrong version I downloaded. I did find a couple apps, but both were still in somewhat early development: Raccoon - https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/index/apk/com.livefast.eattrash.raccoonforfriendica Relatica - https://gitlab.com/mysocialportal/relatica
A working mobile app. There is only one app I know of that is not even in beta, and I couldn’t get it work at all. Most people will not use a site if it doesn’t have an app. - Clean up of basic functionalities. Default to the most intuitive and user friendly options (no delete box enabled on posts/comments that aren’t yours, infinite feed on by default, prominent option dropdown to turn on darkmode or different styles, etc). I should not be taken to someone’s page when I click the “follow” button. Following should also be a two way street, and require consent. You cannot see someone’s content on facebook unless they approve your friend request. This is how it should be on friendica. Improve groups. I see they exist, but for the life of me I cannot figure out how to browse or search for them. Stop notifying me after I make a post. I know I made the post, I don’t need to be notified. Develop more appealing UI/UX overall that is easy for a layman to understand and use. Allow editing to show updates without needing to refresh the page. Etc, etc, etc.
- Add expected functionalities. Tagging users, live videos, gifs, reaction emojis, marketplace, public events, unshare, reshare with commentary, recommend friends from contacts, etc.
I know this is a lot, but this is my honest assessment of the situation. This is why I mentioned potentially creating a new platform. What do people think? Are these changes doable within the friendica framework, or should we start from scratch? What are the thoughts on a facebook alternative in general? I definitely think there is value in enabling people to have a page on the internet that is “them”, that people can add and keep up with their life. That is the value that facebook provides, but the existing fediverse doesn’t really have such capabilities right now. How can we change that?
So let me get this straight. Are you really saying “we the developers are going to build this however we see fit, and you the user can go fuck yourself, or else learn how to code and build it yourself”? Is that really the dynamic you’re trying to cultivate here? Seems very welcoming and productive.
I’m not complaining as much as I am giving constructive feedback. Don’t like the feedback? Great, feel free to ignore it, or tell me why I’m wrong. Nothing I am proposing will impact how you use the fediverse. I’m not saying we need to cater to everyone or be exactly like big social media sites, but I am saying that a lot of people are dissatisfied with mainstream social media and are looking for alternatives. This alternative has existed for a long time, but still has a fraction of the users as other alternatives out there. Aren’t you at least curious as to why that is? Should we really be satisfied to be relegated to some niche technology that no one really uses, when there is the potential for it to become something more? For me, I just want a platform not controlled by corporations hell bent on monetizing every click and view, where I can keep up with my family and friends and enable people to make content for others to enjoy. Not sure why that is such a repulsive concept to some people.
I would argue that the fediverse is doing just fine enshitifying itself. From apps that have started to integrate ads, to platforms that are still barely functional a decade and a half after they started development, to the stubborn refusal to cater the overall experience to anyone but tech minded users. We need to do better. I do plan to get involved, but even if I didn’t I think my points would still be valid.
Nope.
People will volunteer their time how they want, and you don’t get to tell them how to, unless you pay and also say please.
Your choice, when faced with devs spending their free time not helping your particular goals, is between
None of this should be surprising, given the fediverse is very largely supported by great people donating a lot of time. And remember, they’re not doing it for you specifically, and they’re usually doing it for their own interest or goals.
You’re going to have to spend some time or money making your particular goals happen; or else suffer someone else’s goals, or be the product they sell, or both.
I hope you realize it’s not someone denying you stuff; that it’s someone doing what they want with their free time, and it’s only accidental that it impacts you badly.
Make it better.
I’m not telling anyone how to do anything. Again, people are free to ignore my input if they don’t like it. I understand how limited time and resources work. Not sure why you think this is going to be some sort of amazing revelation. This is just how I see it, and what I think should be focused on. If people agree (which many clearly do), then they can help make my ideas a reality, and I will do what I can to help as well. I don’t know why there is such a rush to accuse people of not contributing the second you see an idea you disagree with. Seems like a pretty shitty and condescending way to engage with the conversation, and doesn’t really address the underlying points being made.