@cwebber@social.coop: Data centers represent a centralization of power. We should be doing the complete opposite, this is what we're working on at the Spritely Institute

Q: how should we grow the fediverse?

A: we should worry less about growth, and more about empowerment of the end user

@cwebber@social.coop "I am pro fediverse but I am more pro empowerment... The majority of people on the fediverse were somewhere else first. Then something bad happened."

@paige@masto.canadiancivil.com on Canadian Civil and the fediverse!

A breakdown into how content creation is funded.

(The secret funding source is Patreon btw)

@paige@masto.canadiancivil.com discussing how Canadian Civil is using Ghost to build their own Patreon alternative.

@paige@masto.canadiancivil.com making it clear that @johnonolan@mastodon.xyz has an opportunity here to take a chunk of Patreon.

Back from lunch I regret to inform that I am not able to provide a good commentary on @catouma@qlub.social's presentation as I only barely passed Grade 9 French. 🥲

Next up, @saskia@backend.newsmast.org talking about building community on the social web!

Fun fact, this was also the original title of my talk, but Saskia beat me to it!

"[Gen Z] moving towards smaller, more meaningful societies"

Yes! Bring it on!

@saskia@backend.newsmast.org about to lay on some hard truths about what normies think of the fediverse

"What is the fediverse"?

Oh boy. The language we use matters.

@saskia@backend.newsmast.org going through many of the apps they've built for projects, institutions, papers, etc.

They all share a common thread, none of them talk about the fediverse, ActivityPub, Mastodon, Bonfire, etc.

They all also have split DMs away from the public feed. Heh

After travel delays, @evan@cosocial.ca has made it to FediMTL!

Wait, this presentation isn't about the fête d'hiver?

How corporate social media uses algorithmic feeds to make you stay on-platform

Huh. Food for thought.

(The China flag later flips to an American flag)

@evan@cosocial.ca asks for a show of hands of people who have quit a social network and later gone back.

More than a few hands go up.

"And this is in a room of people who are really good at quitting social networks... and making their own"

@julian thanks for the coverage!!!

Oh hey look!

Evan reporting 43k+ independent servers operating as of today.

These open source projects get those larger organizations on to the fediverse.

Oh here's a hot take.

"To a large extent, media still thinks corporate social media matters, even if they were kicked off of X or Facebook" (paraphrased)

@evan@cosocial.ca being asked what types of fediverse apps he's excited about, considering that there is a lot of "this is xyz but federated"

Shoutouts to @bonfire@bonfire.cafe @fedify@hollo.social @benpate@mastodon.social (Emissary!)

Forums and threadiverse apps got shoutouts ad well.