I hear people are doing a surprise-pikachu about Discord's new ad push?
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/discord-heightens-ad-focus-by-introducing-video-ads-to-mobile-apps-in-june/

Truly surprising that a *checks notes* proprietary, centralized, VC-funded platform started enshittifying the moment it gained enough market share to make it very difficult for people to flow elsewhere.

Nobody saw that coming!

I joined a discussion group involved in open source intelligence. [1] Because I often see links to walled gardens like X and the like in those discussions, I asked what is considered an **open source** write-up for this community?

First answer from an active member, "Anything that any normal person could access is what we call open source.

So a tweet is open source because anyone can make a twitter account in 20 seconds."

I'm afraid I got excited with some journalistic work of the group too early.

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_intelligence

Let’s knock down social media’s walled gardens, by Tim Berners-Lee (@timbl)
https://archive.is/2025.03.16-120407/https://www.ft.com/content/79d2d19a-08df-48fc-9a6f-a9dbef58f642#:~:text=Changing%20the%20algorithm,regulation%20around%20this

1/3

Os ambientes centralizados em monopólios tecnológicos não são sustentáveis no longo prazo para uma comunicação emancipadora. De fato.

https://comuna.tech/conectados-e-aprisionados-a-luta-da-organizacao-popular-em-um-mundo-digital-controlado/

TikTok’s Close Call, or Why the #WalledGardens Should Fall

"A potential #TikTok ban would barely matter if #socialmedia users had the ownership they deserve over their networks and identities"

by #JosephGordonLevitt
Feb 20, 2025
https://journal.hitrecord.org/p/tiktoks-close-call-or-why-the-walled?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Good morning #HiveMind Any good recent pieces on #Enshittification and/or dodgy #DataPrivacy at #LinkedIn that I should know about?

Context: yesterday I was at a talk by a Chief Scientist at a large government Department who said several times that they wanted to hear from the community and the best way was LinkedIn. No second best way was offered.

Discharging governance responsibilities exclusively via #WalledGardens seems deeply problematic to me on many levels.

I'm trying, world, I really am. I love my little Lenovo Linux laptop. I'd spend 99% of my time on it.

If I could talk to iMessages.

The messaging platform my entire family uses.

But other than a sort of remote desktop model or setting up my mac to be available via a proxy, there doesn't seem to be an option.

Wail. Woe. Whine.

Those big, convenient platforms with easy access and shiny interfaces aren't as nice as you may think.

Not only do they trap you inside, they also actively stifle your urge to explore; you get used to sitting back and having "relevant content" handed to you on a silver platter.

These walled gardens are poison!

https://www.joanwestenberg.com/the-internet-is-shrinking/

Who owns your social media accounts? If you're on X, Elon Musk argues that it's the platform. In an objection filed on Monday, lawyers argued that its terms of service (TOS) prevent former Infowars owner Alex Jones' accounts from being sold off without X's approval. Jones' assets are being liquidated to pay the families of Sandy Hook victims after they won a defamation case against him. Satirical site The Onion purchased Infowars with social media accounts forming part of the deal. X's team wrote in Monday's objection: “The Trustee now seeks to contravene X Corp.’s TOS by improperly selling or otherwise transferring the X Accounts (which neither Jones nor his bankruptcy estate own) to a third party." Here's more from @TheHill.

https://flip.it/vgrWfz

Our podcast about the fediverse, Dot Social, is one today! It’s been such an honor to host the builders of the social web on this show and to learn from them. We have one more episode coming up in 2024 (read the blogpost to find out who @mike will be chatting with) then rest, then back at it in 2025.

https://about.flipboard.com/fediverse/dot-social-podcast-about-the-fediverse/

We love hearing your lightbulb moments when it comes to the #fediverse! In our new short video series, we want the unconverted* to see its tremendous power through your stories. (*Which is why we’re posting these clips to “walled gardens” like TikTok.)

https://www.tiktok.com/@fedi.curious