It’s the network effect. It’s always the network effect.
Your current platform enshittified. Where do you go? Well, the majority of people are going to Bluesky, and it’s familiar in terms of UI, so you go there. Sure, you could convince someone like that to try something like Mastodon, but Mastodon is comparably much smaller than Bluesky, so its intrinsic value to people is substantially lower, not to mention the fact that without an algorithm, most of these users have no clue how to curate a feed, since every platform has an algorithm now. A lot of these people will have never used an algorithm-less platform in their entire life.
The same goes for Reddit vs. Lemmy. Reddit has much more users than Lemmy, more niche communities, higher engagement, etc. Why move somewhere that’s identical in function if it’s smaller? Your current platform works well enough.
I think it’s easy to underestimate how much censorship and enshittification people are willing to put up with. People will put up with a lot before they switch platforms. Reddit not letting people publish a person’s manifesto isn’t gonna convince many people to abandon their entire accounts and communities and to switch to Lemmy.
It literally took Twitter being rebranded into oblivion, and turned into an explicit safe haven for fascists and far-right freaks, with an algorithm deboosting non paid-for content multiple times over before people really started flocking out in large numbers.
I think it’s easy to underestimate how much censorship and enshittification people are willing to put up with. People will put up with a lot before they switch platforms.
Why do people still use reddit? why do people still use twitter? why are people using bluesky thinking it’ll be different??
It’s the network effect. It’s always the network effect.
Your current platform enshittified. Where do you go? Well, the majority of people are going to Bluesky, and it’s familiar in terms of UI, so you go there. Sure, you could convince someone like that to try something like Mastodon, but Mastodon is comparably much smaller than Bluesky, so its intrinsic value to people is substantially lower, not to mention the fact that without an algorithm, most of these users have no clue how to curate a feed, since every platform has an algorithm now. A lot of these people will have never used an algorithm-less platform in their entire life.
The same goes for Reddit vs. Lemmy. Reddit has much more users than Lemmy, more niche communities, higher engagement, etc. Why move somewhere that’s identical in function if it’s smaller? Your current platform works well enough.
I think it’s easy to underestimate how much censorship and enshittification people are willing to put up with. People will put up with a lot before they switch platforms. Reddit not letting people publish a person’s manifesto isn’t gonna convince many people to abandon their entire accounts and communities and to switch to Lemmy.
It literally took Twitter being rebranded into oblivion, and turned into an explicit safe haven for fascists and far-right freaks, with an algorithm deboosting non paid-for content multiple times over before people really started flocking out in large numbers.
People use the Internet without an adblocker
Blue sky is different. No elon
And while we’re at it, why the fuck is the water wet?