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submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks 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.

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[-] heavydust@sh.itjust.works 314 points 2 weeks 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 110 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 11 points 2 weeks 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?

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[-] kautau@lemmy.world 60 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Yeah also facebook started as an evolution of men rating women on his campus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Facebook#Facemash It should be no surprise that zuck has recently started proclaiming that he wants a more masculine corporate identity, it's been that way from the beginning

"The Kirkland Facebook (referring to the Kirkland House intranet) is open on my computer desktop, and some of these people have pretty horrendous Facebook pictures. I almost want to put some of these faces next to pictures of farm animals and have people vote on which is more attractive." - Zuck, 2003

[-] zephorah@lemm.ee 52 points 2 weeks 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 23 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] drspod@lemmy.ml 82 points 2 weeks ago
[-] ikidd@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago

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

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[-] ristoril_zip@lemmy.zip 147 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] loudWaterEnjoyer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 69 points 2 weeks 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 27 points 2 weeks 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.

[-] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 113 points 2 weeks 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 76 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 42 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

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

Adrian Dittman might lose his goddamn mind, however.

[-] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 18 points 2 weeks ago

You should look up a picture of that dweeb sometime, or listen to any of the bitchly things he says. It'll cure you of that notion in about a third of a second.

[-] Nythos@sh.itjust.works 18 points 2 weeks ago

Adrian Dittman is Musk’s alt account on Twitter.

[-] pythonoob@programming.dev 15 points 2 weeks ago

Reread his comment. It was pretty clever.

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[-] tamlyn@lemmy.zip 86 points 2 weeks 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 47 points 2 weeks ago

But guise we should let them federate!

[-] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 28 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago

the overwhelming bulk of the internet is made up of idiots, who seethe and hiss at anyone that has two functional neurons to produce a spark of intelligent thought with.

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[-] onlinepersona@programming.dev 10 points 2 weeks ago

Does threads finally support reading responses from the fediverse? Or seeing posts from the fediverse? Because if it does, trying to get pixelfed and other alternatives trending might be a way to get some attention.

Anti Commercial-AI license

[-] madjo@feddit.nl 42 points 2 weeks 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.

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[-] Agent641@lemmy.world 39 points 2 weeks ago

"Oh hi Mark..."

[-] Taleya@aussie.zone 30 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 42 points 2 weeks ago

Because this is free advertising as well

[-] M33@lemmy.sdf.org 26 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] JudahBenHur@lemm.ee 21 points 2 weeks 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.

[-] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 21 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I mean zuckerberg stole the whole idea of Facebook from the winkleboss twins in the first place. Bought Instagram because he doesn’t gave the ability to create new good products. Then he copied Snapchat’s short form video into Instagram. So I’ve zero sympathy for him or Meta as they just copy shit and all their own ideas are shit (ex. now introducing legs). But if it were my project I’d make sure its different enough so won’t lose it if it’s sued for that

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[-] GoofSchmoofer@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks 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.

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[-] Chozo@fedia.io 15 points 2 weeks ago

I'm sure he'll read it.

[-] onlinepersona@programming.dev 14 points 2 weeks ago

Will @zuck@threads.net ever read this though? Does he even use that account?

Anti Commercial-AI license

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[-] Steve@communick.news 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 1 week 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.

[-] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 18 points 2 weeks ago

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

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[-] CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 2 weeks ago

Everyone with their own domain should set up a 307 Temporary Redirect with some short URI and start publishing it for people to use instead.

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[-] ad_on_is@lemm.ee 11 points 1 week 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.

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this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2025
1588 points (100.0% liked)

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