Notices by Stefan Bohacek (stefan@stefanbohacek.online), page 4

Is it alright to join #BandcampFriday if all your music is free to download and you *specifically* don't want people to send you money and rather support those who really need it?

Well, here you go anyway, hope you'll enjoy!

https://stefanbohacek.bandcamp.com

#music #bandcamp

"“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” dropped on Sept. 29, 1999, becoming an instant hit that not only introduced skateboarding to an audience of millions, but also exposed a new generation to punk music through the game’s now-iconic soundtrack."

25 years ago!

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2024-09-26/tony-hawk-pro-skater-video-game-music-punk-goldfinger-1999-project

#TonyHawk #TonyHawksProSkater #THPS #videogames #gaming #music #history #anniversary

@evan Right, let me rephrase.

None of Meta's actions listed in Erin's article were deal breakers preventing Meta from joining SWF. Perhaps it's because the technical expertise of the engineers who are directly involved is more important than decisions taken by the company's leadership, who are not. Maybe they even stood up against the leadership, unsuccessfully.

Fair.

@evan What if, to use an absurd example to make a point, what if Meta starts to allow CSAM on Threads? Would they be kicked off SWF?

I just wonder, going back to my example with the Olympics, why not accept contributions from trustworthy individuals without *seemingly* condoning actions of their employer?

@evan Fair enough.

And sorry to put you on the spot like this, but let me ask you, is there anything Meta, or their leadership could do that would warrant their expulsion from SWF?

@evan Sorry if I'm misunderstanding, but are you suggesting that not allowing Meta to be part of SWF or being allowed to influence the ActivityPub spec, and other parts of the fediverse, might result in them either giving up on integrating AP in Threads, or not federating with certain servers in retaliation?

If so, that would be a fair point, but then that also suggests that they're free to do whatever they want, with our community not standing up.

Then they already won.

@evan @wendinoakland Now, having Meta influence the direction of the fediverse, that's something that will affect all of us. And I am, personally, not willing to take a chance with that.

But like I said, any impact of that level would likely take a while to materialize, so we just have to wait and see.

(And, well, continue to oppose it.)

@evan @wendinoakland Just to clarify, I see "should we federate with Threads" and "should Meta have a direct influence on the fediverse" as two separate questions.

Given the ongoing issues of harassment mainly towards Black people, women, and independent creators, I am actually willing to consider starting to federate with Threads, if that's where enough folks end up. (If they enable federation, that is.)

That's a personal choice that will only affect me, as I run my own server.

@evan @wendinoakland Right. And that means that you didn't feel that this behavior should exclude a company or an organization from participating in SWF?

To me, doing so would be on the same level as excluding a country from the Olympics, while allowing that country's athletes to compete as "neutrals".

I understand wanting everyone to have their say, but this looks like condoning their actions.

@evan @wendinoakland I highly recommend reading this article, if you haven't yet. After putting everything in context, I just could not justify being anywhere near that company.

https://erinkissane.com/untangling-threads

And just to add, --

"great that companies have to engage with the Fediverse"

Absolutely, this probably feels like a huge validation of your work, and those of everyone involved.

I just want it done on our community's terms.

@evan @wendinoakland But for me, the bottom line is, welcoming Meta is a huge mistake given their impact on the world, and disrespectful to all those who want the fediverse to succeed.

When Threads were announced, I was on the fence about whether to federate with them. I understood the benefits. With memories of their deeds slowly fading, I was willing to "see and wait".

@evan @wendinoakland Thank you, I appreciate you saying that. And that you're engaging with critics, as far as I can tell, in good faith.

Nothing is set in stone yet, and conversations like these are crucial, even if they're difficult, and can easily get emotional. I'm sure you understand that everyone speaking up does it out of love and care for something you've helped create.

@evan @wendinoakland SWF has its problems covered in other threads discussing it, and to be honest, I'm less concerned about those.

My problem is specifically with Meta being welcome to directly influence the fediverse.

@evan @wendinoakland I fully expect to see ad support on a protocol level, at some point, and perhaps that's even fine, depending on the implementation. If done right, this can help some servers keep up with the costs.

My concern is that that will not be where Meta's influence will end, and that's something that will take more than a year to fully reveal itself.

@evan @wendinoakland

"disagree that Meta can be a part of this network without influencing it"

Right, to a certain degree, sure.

But, at least from my perspective, I can't help but wonder, how are the other companies and organizations comfortable with their logos and names appearing right next to Meta's, given their history.

@evan @wendinoakland But that's all I have to say on this topic. I've said on a few occasions that my single-user server is the last social media website I'll sign up for, and I'll stand by that.

Meta trying to co-opt it and subvert it was to be expected. I still believe we as a community can resist that. It's just disappointing to see so many not willing to even try.

@wendinoakland @evan "honestly concerned"

We shouldn't be.

When Threads was announced and people started to panic about Meta taking over, I wasn't too concerned. I thought, they're scared, they see the future, and they're not in it, so they must act.

I did start to get concerned after this new effort was announced and Meta was listed as a partner. It's one thing to have Meta start using technology that's free for everyone. It's a whole other story when they attempt to influence it.

@wendinoakland @evan

But really, we don't know yet what this new group will be able to do and achieve. ActivityPub is still overseen by W3C, as far as I know.

And when they can infiltrate that?

Well, the fediverse is vast. There'll always be servers and platforms free from the influence of corporate social media companies. We'll keep moving to stay ahead of it.

We'll be fine.

Meta, which recently joined the newly founded #SocialWebFoundation, "cut 21,000 jobs, including in trust and safety and customer service, over multiple rounds of layoffs", leading state and local officials "puzzled by what to expect from Facebook" around voting misinformation.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/meta-misinformation-problem-local-election-officials-worried-rcna172842

#news #TechNews #SocialMedia #meta #facebook 

CEO of Meta, which recently joined the newly founded #SocialWebFoundation, suggests that there is "no causal connection" between social media and teen mental health.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/25/24254044/mark-zuckerberg-meta-social-media-teen-mental-health

#news #TechNews #SocialMedia #MentalHealth #meta #facebook #threads #zuckerberg