this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2023
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Fediverse

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A community dedicated to fediverse news and discussion.

Fediverse is a portmanteau of "federation" and "universe".

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/3932795

I thought about this already for a while and with Lemmy and Mastodon the opensource community has a place to really try itself out and coordinate. Then even things like open-source planning-systems (like at Amazon) and AIs are possible.

At least in Germany there is currently no really political movement that could be described as left-libertarian at least seriously. Maybe the Fediverse could be the root for something like that.

Or will the Fediverse will become more like the new landscape of the internet, which encompasses everything and in which every party will need to move and have a certain stance to somehow?

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[–] Jummit@lemmy.one 36 points 1 year ago

I find this question a little weird, because open source software (which includes the Fediverse) was already a very political movement from the beginning.

As for organizing, since there is no main authority or philosophy beyond make software open, it's up to you and like-minded individuals to use the space as you seem fit.

[–] poVoq@slrpnk.net 18 points 1 year ago (3 children)

As others have alluded to here... the idea of internet activism as a political movement kinda burned itself out with the rise and fall of the Pirate Party; at least for most of western Europe.

Lots of interesting lessons learned can be drawn from that if such a thing were to be ever attempted again, but at least for now the Fediverse remains solidly in the "infrapolitics" space. We have a community about this here: https://slrpnk.net/c/infrapolitics

[–] CommunityLinkFixer@lemmings.world 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hi there! Looks like you linked to a Lemmy community using a URL instead of its name, which doesn't work well for people on different instances. Try fixing it like this: !infrapolitics@slrpnk.net

[–] MrSpArkle@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This community link doesn’t work for me (Memmy user).

[–] poVoq@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

These links only work if someone from your instance has previously subscribed to that community. With small communities on small instance that is often not the case.

[–] blue_berry@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Thanks for the link, looks interesting

[–] blue_berry@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think its really a pity that the pirate party lost its steam, because it was left and also really anti-authoritarian (at least I think). However, I think the Fediverse could become political or at least societal really relevant, because I think there is a strong interrelation between how our social networks are build, therefore how we act in them and from that how we act as social beings in general. I think federated social networks could have a positive effect here and also maybe give the pirate party some steam again.

[–] poVoq@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 year ago

The Fediverse is political, it just isn't directly represented by a political party or similar movement with political ambitions.

In a way that is good, because it allows us to slowly shift the Overton window etc instead of becoming a target of polarization and political manipulation like the PP did.

[–] Durotar@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 year ago

Fediverse is diverse. We're not a united group with the same political preference. I don't see that happening.

[–] brainschaden@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago
[–] DogMuffins@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

No.

Developers of opensource software have been coordinating around complex problems for decades. I don't think lemmy or mastodon can contribute much to that.

I don't see why the fediverse needs to be co-opted into any particular political ideology. All political interests are free to create their own instances and / or use the fediverse as they wish. I don't think it's any more suited to left-libertarian than any other ideology.

I also don't see the fediverse being a "new landscape". The majority of people will always gravitate towards well funded corporate platforms. I would be really happy with the fediverse staying as it is now, I mean of course everyone is free to join but if it became the new normal then I'd have to find somewhere else to spend my time.

[–] poVoq@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 year ago

All decentralized networks and ways of organizing efforts (such as FOSS) are structurally left-libertarian as that is an politician ideology that describes such as the proposed way of organizing our society. It is literally the same.

Sure, the results of our combined structural and decentralized efforts can be temporarily abused by people not in favour of such means, but as long as they are using them it means we are ultimately winning.

[–] nieceandtows@programming.dev 9 points 1 year ago

God I hope not

[–] Ziggurat@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 year ago

Proprietary software and free software are both highly political choice, not sure whether the fediverse will change something. Unfortunately, many left wing politician still choose to use twitter/facebook and so on

[–] poVoq@slrpnk.net 7 points 1 year ago

Meta comment: Interesting difference in tone of the replies here and on lemmy.world... makes if clear again that attempts to "merge" Lemmy communities on superficial names like "fediverse" are mis-guided at best.

[–] angelsomething@lemmy.one 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Wasn’t there a pirate party some time ago?

[–] DmMacniel@feddit.de 6 points 1 year ago
[–] Valmond@lemmy.mindoki.com 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Can you describe left libertarian?

[–] poVoq@slrpnk.net 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Anarchism (look it up). Same as the original meaning of just "libertarian", before the far-right in the US successfully took over the term for their version of laissez faire capitalism.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.mindoki.com 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I mean okay why not but why not call a cat a cat? Especially when the term have been hijacked by USA fachos?

[–] explodicle@local106.com 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Wouldn't that make people think we're supporting fachos and not cats?

[–] Valmond@lemmy.mindoki.com 2 points 1 year ago

I meant: call yourselves anarchists.

There's not much debate to what it means IMO, or if it is, there can be a healthy debate/explanation about it.

"Liberal" not so much.

[–] socsa@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

Democratic socialism is also considered left libertarian as well.

[–] jlh@lemmy.jlh.name 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Libertarian has another meaning outside of the American Libertarian Party.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.mindoki.com -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yep, so tell me the definition if you'd please?

Seems like "libertarian" means asshole for most people, which is probably not what you mean.

[–] TheWoozy@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago
[–] frippa@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I can't see lemmygrad uniting with lemmy.world, not in a million decades. Not in traditional political stuff at least, they both support FOSS at least. (except one of them censors piracy instances but oh well)

[–] Womble@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

defederation isnt censorship. Can we please not ape the right in crying censorship every time someone chooses not to boost someone elses message

[–] original_ish_name@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

We already have it, it is called the Free Software Movement. It was started with the GNU project many decades ago

https://fsf.org

[–] Goudewup@feddit.nl 2 points 1 year ago

No I don't think so. It will probably stay a small niche platform for enthousiasts.

[–] nicktron@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

Absolutely not.