https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/07/exploring-the-world-of-foss-android-can-a-smartphone-be-open-source/
The great Ars experiment—free and open source software on a smartphone?! | Ars Technica / @ronamadeo

"(...) All-FOSS Android is possible, but you're going to make a lot of tradeoffs (...)"

I came across that near-decade-old, only 'Further reading' link from this Wikipedia page on F-Droid: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-Droid

So... where do we stand today? What's the best free-as-in-speech software stack for an #Android phone?

#foss #FreeSoftware #OpenSource #FDroid

‼️‼️ this new primal scream of an essay from @catvalente tumbles out faster than the words can come and is increasingly inspiring the entire way through. it’s about ai art vs the human imperative to know and to be known, and it’s an absolute must-read. thank you cat for catching this as it tumbled out of your brilliant brain, and for sharing it with us 🖤🖤

https://catvalente.substack.com/p/the-great-replacement-not-that-one

someone over on that site built a shiny button and it's kinda blowing my mind 😅

demo: https://shiny-button.vercel.app/

source: https://t.co/2GBqQE8N6i

I'm creating some Friendica groups thanks to @atomicpoet's using one for FediverseNews.

Native Mastodon groups will be nice, but Friendica seems to serve the purpose quite well until then. Thank you Chris for the idea!

Great work by @davidslifka!

He's written an exhaustive post on how to scale the Fediverse.

And he's using Friendica groups to help this along.

I'm going to talk more about this in a few hours because this is ambitious.

https://medium.com/@davidslifka_86286/cb845f30cfe8

@fediversenews

"(...) But with Musk now at the helm of Twitter, it’s not clear if or how the two projects may remain intertwined. (...)"

Not sure what is being implied there, but how can that be good?

I can't back this up, but I get the feeling that Dorsey is doing this because he can, rather than because he has a vision that adds value for the public.

4/4

What we want (right?) is federated decentralisation, not fragmentation.

And how open is that new protocol? Does and will Jack Dorsey's new entity control its availability?

Looks like BlueSky will be using algorithmic recommendations - at least to recommend people to follow.

I have no doubt that algorithmic filtering will come to the fediverse as well - in a big way. But it will likely be optional and adjustable.

3/4

Some people who are used to using Twitter may perceive the onboarding and UI of BlueSky as more intuitive than that of, for example, #Mastodon.

(Well, surely BlueSky's UI could be emulated by some #ActivityPub application? But a lot if it is about branding and marketing.)

One can argue that, in general, competition can accelerate innovation. But in this case, introducing a competing protocol seems like launching a competing Internet Protocol or an alternative to water.

2/4

https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/28/jack-dorsey-backed-twitter-alternative-bluesky-hits-the-app-store-as-an-invite-only-app/

What value does this add to what we already have with the #fediverse and its W3C-endorsed #ActivityPub protocol?

#BlueSky and #AT are more American and less European than much of the development that is happening on the fediverse.

Because of Jack Dorsey, there is more of a connection with #Twitter and with Silicon Valley's VC ecosystem and ways of doing business.

#PublicValues

1/4

@Techmeme Neat, but why would we need this when we already have Mastodon, a more full featured, established version of what sounds like a very similar concept?

If you want to de-stabliize an entire nation, just buy Facebook ads.

Meta: the oligarch's preferred choice!

https://www.euronews.com/2023/02/28/facebook-used-in-operation-to-destabilise-moldova-government

📰 NEWS 📰

@Flipboard is joining the Fediverse.

Not only are they starting their own Mastodon server, not only are they adding Mastodon functionality...

The service itself is integrating with ActivityPub.

Engadget speculates that Flipboard, itself, could be centred around ActivityPub.

https://www.engadget.com/flipboard-is-leaning-into-mastodon-and-away-from-twitter-160036103.html

@fediversenews

"(...) wonder whether the much-touted divide between online and IRL social life might be a lot thinner without algorithmic distortions (...)"

@Teri_Kanefield What I call "disagreement porn." There is a sprinkling on Mastodon, but it needs to be thrust in people's faces to give it legs, and that depends on algorithmic distribution tuned for engagement. On Mastodon abrasive posts just fade away quickly, as is normal in conversations.

Which makes me wonder whether the much-touted divide between online and IRL social life might be a lot thinner without algorithmic distortions.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_web_app

I've been asked what Mastodon client I use on my Android phone. It's the web app's mobile view in Firefox.

When I have the choice, I ALWAYS prefer the mobile-web version even if an app has more functionality. Most apps spy on their users, and my mobile browser is pretty well locked down to prevent that.

https://masthead.social/@josschuurmans/109938464589482038

#MastheadSocial ?

@editor @hawaii What happened with masthead.social over the past day or two? Couldn't be reached... No SSL...

Is #enshittification ( @pluralistic 's spelling) the new Godwin's Law?

#enshitification #godwin #GodwinsLaw

@atomicpoet @mammoth @Gargron I can imagine this being copied by other providers.

Might one say that they are then adding friction earlier in the process?

Now, new users need to consider if they want to sign up through a process where they have to choose an instance, or take a route where the instance is decided for them.

And if there are going to be more providers like Mammoth, new users who take that route will also need to choose between them.