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Fragmentation around the Fediverse. (beehaw.org)

submitted 1 year ago by themobyone@beehaw.org to c/chat@beehaw.org

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I'm a fairly new users, but I feel that navigating around the fediverse is a bit cumbersome, maybe the wrong word for it. But there is a lack of overview in a way. I enjoy being on this server, but I also like to follow other communities. Lots of different topics, everything from cars to Linux to architecture.

Right now there are 10 (that I could find on browse.feddit.de) instances named Linux on different server. So the small number of Linux users using some fediverse instance is spread around over many servers. Coming from reddit, things were far from perfect over there, but there is only r/Linux. It's a shame users are spread so thin all over the place.

I used Linux as an example, I've seen the same "problem" for other topics as well. Anyways, just my perspective as a new users. Hope this wasn't too much of a rant, maybe we can look at this as an issue where the fediverse can improve.

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[–] Mac@mander.xyz 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

If all the linux users subscribe to all the Linux communities it won't be a problem, right?

[–] justanotherjo@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

yes it will because it means they each need to monitor 20 linux subs to keep up on all the conversation. Decentralizatin is a good idea, but it is not very user friendly, and it only works well for those who are computer savvy. for the other 90% of internet users, it is extremely complex and confusing.

[–] themobyone@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes this is true. I guess there's also nothing in the way to subscribe to all 10. Except for a bloated personal subscription list.

[–] IlliteratiDomine@infosec.pub 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's worth remembering that this is a bit of a goldrush scenario on creating new communities. I strongly suspect communities will to start to consolidate over time.

[–] youronlyone@readit.buzz 1 points 1 year ago

Hopefully that doesn't happen.

For some topics, there are already existing, very active, communities before the subreddits with the same topic migrated over. Who should merge with whom? The existing large communities with subreddit migrators? Or, the subreddit migrators merging with th existing large communities … and conforming to the rules and culture in those existing large communities?
As mentioned, there are different cultures and rules that develops per community. There is no such thing as one-size-fits-all.
Even if communities “consolidate over time”, it will still split up no matter what. That's how it has always been sincee the beginning of online communities.
IF communities indeed consolidate over time, if that server/instance goes down, the entire consolidated communities will be gone overnight, and all the content they collected together. We've already seen this happen just this year, forget about the previous years.

In short, don't expect it. In fact, it should be supported to ensure that:
a. we don't return to a centralise system
b. we don't put all our eggs in one basket
c. we build redundancy, continuation, and resiliency.

^_^