furthermore, we should stop conflating protocols and programs. that's been a disservice that has made exploitation easier even when back when people had choices but just didn't realize they existed. we should value and cherish the fact that there's an underlying protocol that many different programs can interoperate with. we don't want mastodon (or anyone) to be another microsoft, another google, any other entity that gains power over people by dictating under what terms they can communicate with others, and that can enshittify services to its own advantage whenever it sees fit. that's harder for mastodon to do because it's free software, but the centralization of power that mislabeling it all as mastodon sets things up for such bad outcomes. please don't do that.

CC: @Jirikiha@raphus.social @macacator@mastodon.social @MyWoolyMastadon@toot.community @oblomov@sociale.network @john@vyrse.social @engel@mastodon.social @everton137@vivaldi.net