Notices by Tim Chambers (tchambers@indieweb.social)

@james @dave @johnspurlock Thanks so much!

Bet @pixelfed servers see some traffic today. #TiktokBan

@james @dave @johnspurlock

This is from 2023 so not sure if still accurate but seems to describe how Apple and Spotify charts methodlogies work: https://www.cohostpodcasting.com/resources/podcast-rankings

Not wrong:

“I think, not just politically, but societally, it may be the biggest problem of our time, and we’re going to be contending with it for our entire lifetimes. …We’ve never had more information coming at us and yet, never in my lifetime have we been less informed about what’s going on…. Not even from a national standpoint, but a species standpoint—probably the biggest thing we’ve got to deal with in our lifetimes.”

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/01/16/pete-buttigieg-infrastructure-politics-elon-musk-qa-00198175

@tekdrudge We are not having this issue on our server and you are welcome here.

1/

More on Fediverse Labelers —

Here is how text-labels from multiple Fediverse Labelers could appear in an application on a person's profile.

...

In this example, the application pulled in 7 labels from 4 different Fediverse Labelers.

#ActivityPub #ActivityStreams #ActivityPubProfile #DeSo #FediDev #FediDevs #Fediverse #FediverseLabeler #FediverseLabelers #FediverseLabels #JSONLD #OpenWeb #OpenSocial #SocialWeb

@james @dave @johnspurlock Thanks so much! Interesting that Apple is just “trending and not consumption” is that documented anywhere? And will dig into the others you referenced!

@james @dave @johnspurlock or others in the #podcast space: am looking for a resource, toolset or data source for research into top 50 podcast shows weekly in US over last 6 months. Any recommendations?

@jeff @politico @videos-politico True, that.

Call this a "shadenforecast"... #dc

Fediverse Labeler update:

I have been working on site that anyone can use to see Fediverse Labelers in action.

I am hoping to get it done soon. (Maybe by the weekend or next week.)

#ActivityPub #ActivityStreams #ActivityPubProfile #DeSo #FediDev #FediDevs #Fediverse #FediverseLabeler #FediverseLabelers #FediverseLabels #JSONLD #OpenWeb #OpenSocial #SocialWeb

Researchers, please, please, please create RSS feeds for your blogs. We desperately need alternatives to social media to get your work out there.

People often ask, “How do you monetize the Fediverse?” as if it hasn’t already been monetized.

But the truth is, the Fediverse has been monetized for as long as it has existed. In fact, I’d argue that ActivityPub-enabled social media services have a better chance of survival because many have monetized before platforms like Bluesky.

Here, I’ll explain how the Fediverse is currently monetized and discuss some untapped opportunities for enterprising individuals to explore.

Selling hardware is one of the simplest ways to monetize the Fediverse. Many people buy devices like Raspberry Pi, install Fediverse software (e.g., Mastodon or WordPress), and sell pre-configured systems. This has been happening for years. It’s a one-time cost for the buyer: they purchase a Raspberry Pi with Mastodon pre-installed, plug it in, and they’re good to go.

Hosting is another major revenue stream. There are two approaches here:

• General Hosting: Use platforms like AWS, DigitalOcean, or similar services to host instances.
• Managed Hosting Services: Companies like Masto.host and SpaceHost provide fully managed Fediverse hosting. A significant portion of the Fediverse relies on these services, with customers often paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month to keep their instances running.

Some companies operate Fediverse servers to enhance their core offerings.

• Examples:
  • Vivaldi.net (run by the makers of the Vivaldi browser)
  • Flipboard (integrating the Fediverse to improve their app experience)

By running a Fediverse server, these companies increase the value of their primary services.

Server moderation is another monetization avenue. Some operators charge for maintaining blocklists, enforcing rules, and handling moderation tasks. For instance, CloudIsland.nz sustains its operations by offering such services.

Some servers function as cooperatives, where users pay to become member-owners. Examples include social.coop and coocial.ca. These contributions give users a say in server governance while funding operations.

Donations are the most common form of monetization on the Fediverse. This is how instances like mastodon.social and mastodon.online operate, under the Mastodon nonprofit.
Nonprofits can be effective monetization strategies. Mozilla operates this way, and OpenAI, one of the largest tech startups, began as a nonprofit.

Offering customization for Mastodon servers—such as unique designs, added functionality, or advanced settings configurations—is a promising market. Even basic expertise in tweaking server settings could be a valuable service.

There’s significant potential in selling extensions and plugins, much like how WordPress operates. WordPress is now part of the Fediverse, showing the demand for such features.

Organizations (governments, businesses, or nonprofits) need guidance on how to set up and operate their own Fediverse presence. Providing strategy and technical implementation services could be lucrative.
Example pitch: “Own your social media presence—here’s how the Fediverse can work for you.”

The Fediverse can support specialized marketplaces. One example is Flowmarkt, a Craigslist-style service that recently launched. Similar opportunities exist for listing goods and services, such as freelance work or physical products.

The Fediverse allows for two-way communication, unlike traditional static websites. This creates direct-to-consumer opportunities:

• Artists: Sell your art directly by hosting your own server and bypassing algorithms like Instagram’s.
• Service Providers: Offer services like lawn care or freelancing directly to your audience.

The Fediverse offers immense potential, comparable to the early days of the web. It provides something unique: direct, two-way communication without reliance on algorithms or centralized platforms. This enables creators, businesses, and service providers to connect with audiences directly through ActivityPub.

The bottom line: The Fediverse is already monetized, and plenty of people are making a living from it. However, the untapped opportunities are vast, and it’s up to enterprising individuals to seize them.

@atomicpoet i know pixelfed supports activitypub but... it's so hard to tell if i can use my existing fediverse account with pixelfed apps or how the cross-app compatibility works?

@anildash I'm a little cynical about announcements of fundraising *targets* but still, the important take-away is that a lot of people have noticed that social networking as a commercial product really doesn’t have an interesting future, it’s time to build out alternatives.

@filmfreak75 @js @ivory @MonaApp @IceCubesApp Agree with that list...

So, go get yourself a Pixelfed account. You can get it on the main pixelfed.social (https://pixelfed.social/) or better get it on one of the other Pixelfed servers, like pixey.org (https://pixey.org/) administered by @stux of mstdn.social fame. Or pick from this list:

https://fedidb.org/software/pixelfed

Just do it. It's fun. 🙂

And play around. Post some pictures. See if you can follow your Pixelfed account from your Mastodon account. What else can you do? Explore. Follow people. Enjoy.

more...

We make good use of Mastodon’s interoperability with WordPress. When we recently moved our Vivaldi Tips (@tips) blog from vivaldi.net to vivaldi.com to start translating the tips, we noticed that things were a little off on the Mastodon side. Luckily we have the amazing @thomasp in our team, who ironed out every single issue we found.

One of the problems we had was the ActivityPub plugin not detecting the language tags our translation plugin (WPML) added to the posts on WordPress. Language tags allow people on Mastodon to subscribe to posts only in the languages they can read and use the translation feature, so this was an important issue for us to solve. Read about the solution Thomas came up with in his blog: https://thomasp.vivaldi.net/2025/01/14/combining-wpml-activitypub/.

#Vivaldi #VivaldiSocial #VivaldiTips #ActivityPub #WordPress #Mastodon

👀https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-community-notes-facebook-instagram/737229/

Overall, it's an opportunity for me to regain some work-life balance, and for Mastodon as an organization to unlock its full potential and avoid some ego- and trademark-related pitfalls that other large open-source projects have recently experienced.