Can Reddit Federate? Should It? (lemmyunchained.net)

submitted 1 year ago by LachlanUnchained@lemmyunchained.net to c/lemmyworld@lemmy.world

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Hey all,

I was just listening to the Lex Fridman podcast where Mark Zuckerberg mentioned Meta’s plans for a federated platform. It got me wondering: Could Reddit follow that path too?

Are there technical or financial obstacles that might prevent this? More importantly, should Reddit even consider this move? Would it be a win or a loss for us, the users, and for internet culture in general? Keen to hear your thoughts on this!

(I’m a recent Reddit refugee, fed up with the situation over there. Found Lemmy searching for info on homelab during the blackout. Found all the main things I need here. And the community is great. Like Reddit used to be. Can’t see myself going back)

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[-] LachlanUnchained@lemmyunchained.net 1 points 1 year ago

Interesting points, and I get where you’re coming from. I’m 100% on your side. But playing devils advocate, consider this:

The idea of Reddit federating isn’t about spez or any individual, it’s about a larger structural shift that could happen over time.

Regarding your corn analogy, I’d argue that the corn already has feet. Users migrate to other platforms when they are unhappy, as we are seeing this right now. It’s less about stopping the corn from running away, and more about providing it with a field it doesn’t want to leave.

Your point on subreddits going private and concerns about increased censorship are valid. But remember, Reddit users already have the power to move. Federating just makes that more accessible and one could argue less likely to occur.

Your second ‘NO’ is about preserving the purity of the Fediverse from corporate influence, which I totally respect. However, isn’t it possible for Reddit to federate while respecting the core values of the Fediverse? (Is say there would need to be significant leadership change for that to occur)

If Reddit, or any other corporate platform, could federate while maintaining user privacy, autonomy, and freedom, wouldn’t that be a step in the right direction? And if they fail to respect those values, the beauty of the Fediverse is that we can defederate in a heartbeat.

I was just quite surprised when Zuckerberg was talking about integrating similar values and principles.