Notices by Opalium (opalium@mastodon.opalium.net)

#Threads by #Meta forcing itself into the #Fediverse is bad and will harm the Fediverse as a whole if not straight up kill it.

I am baffled to see claims such as "we should give them a chance!" or "this could help the Fediverse grow!", as if we're not talking about one of the probably most immoral, unethical, and predatory businesses in this day and age.

Meta isn't coming to play fair. They're coming to use us for profit.

"Embrace, extend, extinguish."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend,_and_extinguish

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#thread

#XMPP. Chrome's Blink. ActiveX. The <font> tag. Even the file types your spreadsheet software uses. These are examples of open protocols (or parts of) that were taken over by a tech giant.

Because it doesn't matter how open the protocol is, if one player simply outshines the rest.

When #Google implemented XMPP into Google Talk, they slowly pulled things their way. Different implementations, protocol changes, etc. Others had no choice but to follow, or lose the biggest share of users.

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#Meta is well known for how it removes its competitors from its way. If they can't easily crush them with their size, they buy them young - #whatsapp and #instagram come to mind. Meta has money, and they don't want anyone in their way. Buyouts are the easiest solution.

But the Fediverse cannot be bought. No one controls it. It's a collection of servers, each with its own operators and principles. There is nothing central that Meta can control here...

...except for one: the #protocol.

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When you're big enough and the vast majority of users are in your "instance", you effectively have control. If you stop playing by the rules, all other players have to either adapt to your new rules to keep federating with you, or split off and lose the vast majority of users, and have your own users move because "there's where everyone is".

And once the "big" player sucks the rest of the network dry, they can just bail and leave its hollowed victim to struggle.

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But as it grows, #Threads will stop playing by the rules. At first just slightly, with different implementations that the Fediverse will have to adapt to. Then bigger changes - perhaps a new "moral" way to monetize content. Mastodon admins will gladly take the help in paying the costs.

And since Threads has all the users, servers will have to either play along and stay federated, or break off and lose most users, plus risk their own migrating to where the action is.

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Meta's plan for the Fediverse and ActivityPub is likely no different. At first they will play nice and lure in #Mastodon servers and users. Mastodon will see a meteoric rise in activity - but most of it will be from #Threads.

Meta needs Mastodon to seed activity in Threads. By federating, they can show how "active and flourishing" their app already is, with activity from servers showing in their app.

It's much easier to kickstart a platform when you have years worth of content already.

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#Meta isn't here to play fair. They're not here to help grow the Fediverse. They want to use it as a kickstart for their own #Threads walled garden, and they will suck the life out of the Fediverse if we won't resist their reach.

They're a cold, heartless, profit-driven #mega #corporation. Not an ally.

We must not fall into this trap. We must not tag along. Meta can't take over if we won't give them the initial footing.

Don't trust them. Don't federate with them.

#DefederateFromMeta

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Eventually #Meta will have the final say when it comes to #ActivityPub. Like how all word processors must support .docx, and all websites are built with Chromium compatibility in mind.

This is how you take over an open protocol.

"Embrace, extend, extinguish."

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