Let’s do a brief breakdown of the core structural problems of centralized platforms and how they warp social interaction. This ties directly into the #geekproblem, #4opens, and the broader issues of #dotcons and digital feudalism. Key Takeaways:
- Centralization breeds #feudalism. One big virtual server means a few people have all the power while the rest are serfs.
- “Ease of use” is often a lie. It just means the real costs are hidden—either pushed onto users (moderation, unpaid labour) or externalized (data exploitation, environmental costs).
- Advertising poisons everything. It’s a moral hazard because platforms optimize for ad revenue, not user well-being, leading to manipulation and surveillance.
- Moderation cannot be outsourced. Centralized platforms fail at moderation because they have to apply feudal control instead of organic, community-led governance.
- The algorithm is not your friend. It reinforces biases, kills discovery, and turns users into dopamine addicts, making them less able to engage meaningfully.
- Buying influence kills real communities. When orgs and brands dominate a space, the authentic social fabric collapses.
The #openweb Alternative? The #4opens and #OMN offer a radically different path, where: trust replaces control, decentralized, transparent networks let communities govern themselves. Organic discovery beats algorithms, instead of being trapped in echo chambers, people explore through human curation and paths. In the end, it’s about composting corporate social media, we need alternative spaces that aren’t tied to feudal overlords.
The Fediverse is a step, but it’s still struggling with #geekproblem governance issues. The real challenge is breaking out of the #postmodernist loop and building solid, trust-based, grassroots media and social spaces to shape the change challenge we need.
The #dotcons #mainstreaming internet is designed to pacify and extract, we need to build for resistance and renewal #KISS
