Chris Trottier
People are asking, "How do we use #Mastodon for different social media goals?"
Unfortunately, Mastodon is not "a one size fits all solution". Its effectiveness is limited by its core function (microblogging).
I believe a better question is, "How do we make purpose-built Fediverse apps that address specific social media goals? How can Mastodon then further these goals"
Specialized goals require specialized apps. ?
Chris Trottier
We wouldn't want vendor lock-in with something as critical as ermergency response.
Therefore, is the Fediverse itself based on any standards? Yes!
The ActivityPub protocol is a W3C-recommended web standard.
For those unfamiliar with web development, the W3C is the same body that develops web standards such as HTML and CSS. https://www.w3.org/TR/activitypub/
Chris Trottier
With the Fediverse, an emergency response app developer no longer has to ask the question, "Will people use this app?"
Even in the worst case scenario, if no one installs the app, updates will be sent through ActivityPub.
Thereafter, these updates will reach different instances -- and people will know what's happening.
The best case scenario? People will use this hypothetical emergency response app as a method to send updates to the Fediverse.
Chris Trottier
You might be asking, "Why build a custom Fediverse app for emergency response?"
For the following reasons:
1. Protocols like ActivityPub are open and free to use
2. The Fediverse gives emergency response access to a network effect without having to build it from scratch
3. Because Fediverse apps talk to each other, when emergency response sends updates, all apps and instances on the Fediverse receive updates
Chris Trottier
As a potential user of an emergency response Fediverse app, there's data I -- personally -- want to have.
1. Immediacy of updates
2. Map of where the crisis is happening
3. Charts and graphs that helps me understand current status
4. Ability to send updates to authorities
5. Ability to notify loved ones about how I'm doing
This is how I'd interact with the app, but devs will have to model out other potentialities and build!
Chris Trottier
Let's look at how a specialized emergency response app could work on the Fediverse.
If I use an emergency response Fediverse app, I want to know the following:
1. What's happening?
2. Why is it happening?
3. What should I do?
4. What's the severity?
5. Where is it?
We need to model out the events that happen with the app.
Thereafter, we need to build out how users interact with each event as it occurs.
Chris Trottier
Social media goals for which Mastodon would not be an effective tool:
1. Calendaring
2. Events
3. Social gaming
4. Teleconferencing
5. Emergency response
Should we be trying to make those functions a core aspect of Mastodon? No.
Can Mastodon greatly assist in a limited degree with those functions? Yes.
Nevertheless, these goals require specialized Fediverse apps.
Chris Trottier
Why is Mastodon not effective for all potential social media uses?
For the same reason Twitter can't be Instagram. Or why Facebook can't be TikTok. Or why YouTube can't be Reddit.
Mastodon is excellent for microblogging, but the moment we try to shoehorn other purposes into Mastodon, Mastodon becomes less effective at microblogging.
If you want a real world scenario for why this is, just look at Instagram when Meta moves it away from its core function.
Chris Trottier
Now some of you, especially the newbies, might be thinking, "Huh?! I thought Mastodon *was* the Fediverse?"
No, Mastodon is a Fediverse app, thus part of the Fediverse -- it is not the entirety of the Fediverse.
Mastodon cannot be all things to all people who use the Fediverse.
What even is the Fediverse? I've written this handy thread to catch you up to speed: https://mastodon.social/@atomicpoet/109354761662214688
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