45
submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by gi1242@lemmy.world to c/fediverse@lemmy.world

his post on mastodon is here:

https://mastodon.social/@pixelfed/113849098386232034

Dear Mark, I hope this finds you well. I noticed something interesting today - it seems Instagram is blocking links to my little open-source project. You know, the one that lets people share photos without harvesting their personal data or forcing algorithmic feeds on them. I have to admit, I'm flattered. Who would've thought a small team of volunteers could build something that would catch your attention? We're just trying to give people a choice in how they share their memories online. No VCs, no surveillance capitalism, just code and community. Remember when Facebook started? It was about connecting people, not maximizing engagement metrics. Our project might be tiny compared to Instagram, but we're staying true to that original spirit of social media - giving people control over their online presence without turning them into products. You could've ignored us. Instead, by blocking our links, you've given us the best endorsement we could ask for. You've confirmed what we've been saying all along - that big tech is more interested in protecting their walled gardens than fostering genuine innovation. Every time you block a link to our platform, you remind people why we built it in the first place. Your action tells them there are alternatives worth exploring, ones that respect their privacy and agency. So thank you, Mark. You've turned our little project into a symbol of resistance against digital monopolies.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] heavydust@sh.itjust.works 6 points 6 months ago

Remember when Facebook started? It was about connecting people

I remember that it was about abusing the private information of all the "dumb fucks" who created an account.

The letter is good though, but zucky will still be a billionaire whether he will read it or not.

[-] oce@jlai.lu 3 points 6 months ago

Wasn't it about ranking female students by attractiveness or something?

[-] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 1 points 6 months ago

I dont think it was ranking, no.

But it was for getting their PII. Like photos, location, relationship status, and phone number. Helped a lot of college kids get laid, myself included.

Does pixelfed work for this too?

[-] zephorah@lemm.ee 1 points 6 months ago

That’s just it. Zuck could sell off and close shop and live large for the rest of his life. And yet he chooses to fuck around with people instead.

It’s weird.

There’s creating. And then there’s harvesting content and creations of others. The former is the only one that makes you interesting.

[-] SupraMario@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago

It was first provided to college/edu addresses. It wasn't what it is today at all.

[-] drspod@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 months ago
[-] Clinicallydepressedpoochie@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

As evil as it's sounds, he's not wrong.

[-] ikidd@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago

I deleted my account when that came out, so I've been Facebook free since something like 2006.

[-] sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 6 months ago

I didn't even join until then. I thought that info came out way later?

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] ristoril_zip@lemmy.zip 4 points 6 months ago

for clarity he built Facebook to rate how hot women at his college were...

[-] loudWaterEnjoyer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 6 months ago

This letter reads like if Zuck was an ideologically driven tech-anarchist that wanted to connect people that became old and fell for the money but that's not really true lol

[-] stoly@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

To be clearer he stole the whole thing because he was always an entitled sack of poo. He never created a thing, just like Elon.

[-] ad_on_is@lemm.ee 3 points 6 months ago

While I really wish for PixelFed to take off, like Mastodon and Lenmy did, the current situation, IMHO, is just confusing to say the least.

So, here are two pixelfed mobile apps, an older one which is just a wrapper of the web version, and a newer polished one.

I've the new "polished" one installed for a few months now, and it seemes as if it's development has stalled. The app just feels unfinished at this point.

Now, I get it, it's a volunteer project, and there are probably just a handful of people working on it. And this is totally fine, I'm not expecting them to deliver an Instagram clone anytime soon.

However, a few months ago, they announced "Loops", with pre-signups and some marketing yada yada... All this, while there's still an unfinished app for their core product. But, I went ahead and signed up, just to find out, it was just crickets for a few months.

Then, recently I logged in again (on the web), and saw an they have an App for Loops which seems to be in the works, and upon testing it, I came to the same conclusion, it's just an unfinished barebones TikTok.

Again, I'm not ranting about PixelFed, but IMHO, if they want to get serious, they should focus on one thing, until time and resources allow them to explore other things.

I would love to see it succeed as an alternative.

[-] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago

The dream: releasing a scathingly cordial open letter to an oligarch that has a real chance of ruining their day.

[-] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

It would probably work on Musk. I'll bet you his ego is that fragile.

[-] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Nah, musks to much of a manly man to be bothered by it.

Adrian Dittman might lose his goddamn mind, however.

load more comments (8 replies)
[-] tamlyn@lemmy.zip 3 points 6 months ago

Connecting Threads in a stupid way to the fediverse but blocking a fediverse website at the same time. I don't need to understand that right?

[-] BedSharkPal@lemmy.ca 1 points 6 months ago

But guise we should let them federate!

[-] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago

Yeah, I argued against that at the beginning and I got downvoted into the dirt. Curious.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

Never heard of them until this Streisand created issue.

[-] Agent641@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

"Oh hi Mark..."

[-] MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 months ago

They wrote that to the guy with People just submitted it. I don't know why. They "trust me". Dumb fucks.?

[-] Steve@communick.news 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Smart enough to realize it, but not smart enough to not say it.
Rather than write a public letter pointing it out, he could have just let it happen.

When your enemy is helping you, don't tell them.
It might encourage them to stop.

[-] randompasta@lemmy.today 1 points 6 months ago

And here we are talking about the letter. In this instance, no news is bad news.

[-] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 1 points 6 months ago

The letter will get published by the media. This was a good idea.

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] madjo@feddit.nl 1 points 6 months ago

The only Meta product I'm kinda forced to have is Whatsapp, as my work and my family use that to communicate, and I have tried to explain Signal to my mom, but to no avail.

[-] gi1242@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

lol. so I told my mom im deleting Whatsapp. if she wants to keep in touch with me she can install signal, or pay for international texts and calls.

she installed signal 😃

[-] brrt@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 months ago

Seriously. There is no need to be patient with moms or anyone not „understanding“ Signal. It’s the same thing as WhatsApp just with a different coat of paint when it comes to using it.

I did exactly what you did. And lo and behold my mom is now using Signal to message me.

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] M33@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 6 months ago

Having just joined pixelfed, struggling a bit to discover it, I find this letter greatly motivating 😎

[-] thbb@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago

Now I understand why I didn't care closing my Facebook account years ago: it was for cross posting this sort of information.

Even if my Facebook feed is a sad desert, I hope I can be censored by the guy who rejects fact checkers

[-] JudahBenHur@lemm.ee 0 points 6 months ago

I'm all for pixelfed. I have a pixelfed account. This is a fun way to talk about the project.

I was pretty surprised at how the app is essentially a complete clone of IG. like the styling and layout of every button is pixel for pixel the exact same as IG. Innovation is one thing but copying everything about a program and calling it your own I'm not so sure about.

[-] GoofSchmoofer@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago

well the the learning curve for new users is flat and adoption of the app will be more acceptable to more people.

I think it's a smart idea - they can always make changes to the UI in time as the platform gets more people.

[-] JudahBenHur@lemm.ee 1 points 6 months ago

You believe that making the learning curve "flat" means that you have to copy the exact shape, size and style of the icons?

[-] GoofSchmoofer@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Yes I do.

If app A has an icon that when touched does a specific thing, and app B has the exact same icon that does the exact same thing there is nothing new to learn. The learning curve is flat.

If you are arguing about the ethical and legal aspect of one app using the exact same UI as another that is a different conversation and a good one to have.

[-] JudahBenHur@lemm.ee 1 points 6 months ago

I guess I am talking ethics. I guess I have a vague sense of hypocrisy with the 'open letter' taking a vague moral/ethical high ground while it's author has ripped off the design of a different piece of software (at least the UI) pixel for pixel

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] Taleya@aussie.zone 0 points 6 months ago

Why are you trying to appeal to the better nature of a bad faith actor....

[-] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

Because this is free advertising as well

[-] Chozo@fedia.io 0 points 6 months ago
[-] foggy@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

Your underestimate the fragility of a lonely billionaires ego.

[-] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago

That's not how FaceBook started, if it were then Mark Zuckerberg would have been using it.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›
this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2025
45 points (95.9% liked)

Fediverse

35878 readers
74 users here now

A community to talk about the Fediverse and all it's related services using ActivityPub (Mastodon, Lemmy, KBin, etc).

If you wanted to get help with moderating your own community then head over to !moderators@lemmy.world!

Rules

Learn more at these websites: Join The Fediverse Wiki, Fediverse.info, Wikipedia Page, The Federation Info (Stats), FediDB (Stats), Sub Rehab (Reddit Migration)

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS