the problem of this sort of monoculture is not about one server controlling another, but of the software provider that dominates the network to have control over servers and users

when mastodon unilaterally broke compatibility with the protocol with which the Fediverse was born, to cut GNU social off before it caught up with ActivityPub, mastodon servers that upgraded stopped being able to talk to GNU social survivors

GNU social users had already endured the transition of identi.ca, then the central node of the Fediverse, from the Status.Net protocol to pump.io.

both moves created very significant disruption in the Fediverse, and broke connections between servers and, more importantly, between people.

both of them followed from centralization of power, in one case around a server instance, in another case around server software. both have been traumatic, but also value lessons to learn about things to avoid in a decent(ralized) network.

but I wouldn't say that I wish to impose standards. I'd be happy with voluntary adhesion. I welcome diversity, including the bridges and the other incompatible protocols that make up the broad Fediverse. but I disapprove of jerk, anti-competitive and anti-interoperation moves that sabotaged and cut off significant chunks of the Fediverse. may that be a lesson that we learn, remember, and don't forget, so that it doesn't happen again.

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