I started out looking at alternatives to Facebook thinking it might be a clarifying process. Instead, I'm overwhelmed by what I've discovered on the #alt2fb journey, albeit with an inspired and excited kind of exhaustion, in these post-Cambridge Analytica-gate times.
It seems the outrage felt by social media users is now giving way to cynicism and curiosity. They now know that they are the used, certainly by the corporate, centralised platforms and that there's no such thing as "free". There are no free lunches; those particular plates of food photographed and posted, being the ultimate, ironic example.
The great thing about this rude awakening about privacy and ownership has been the vacuum created in its wake. Naysayers and futurists who've been banging on about the inevitability of the big data disaster have opened minds to talk into with their dreams of decentralised, secure, private and even monetized social sharing.
Interesting alternatives have the 'talking stick' and I'm knee-deep in them. Migration and critical mass remain the big issues, but I'm certain we have reached a watershed moment, one I'm identifying as the shift from Web2.0 to 3.0
Here are the platforms I've looked at so far in some depth, alphabetically:
Diaspora - https://steemit.com/diaspora/@carlmunson/thank-you-diaspora-all-is-forgiven-diaspora-reviewed
onG Social - https://steemit.com/alt2fb/@carlmunson/ong-social-review
The Full Circle Project - https://steemit.com/fullcircleproject/@carlmunson/worrier-to-warrior-alternatives-to-facebook-and-the-new-social-media-the-full-circle-project-reviewed
All are voiced as podcasts here too: Listen to "Radio for a World that Works" on Spreaker. where you'll also find a brief discussion about Patreon and my predictions about the future of Facebook, for what it's worth.
In the research process, I've also thrown this eco-system diagram together:
[(C) Munny Munson - Quick 'n' Dirty Social Media Eco-system]
The diagram has a passing resemblance to a world map and there are 'continents' beneath the multitudinous, but by no means exhaustive, splattering of platforms. These are the categories that I'm finding useful when considering what one might need from a network whilst also considering what might be possible. They are:
- Blasts
- Networks
- Messaging
- Decentralised, Peer-to-Peer (Blockchain)
- Rewards (monetisation)
- Special Interest
- Events
Looking at the 'eco-system' (as quick and dirty as it is) you'll see why I'm overwhelmed! As soon as I think I've settled upon a fairly comprehensive and useful list of research suspects, more candidates emerge. These are very exciting times, but they are not for the faint-hearted or anyone looking for a quick fix. I don't think any single platform will be the order of the days to come.
Right here, disruptor Steemit may be disrupted by Yours; disruptor Patreon may get disrupted by Vanywhere; and now that disruptor Whatsapp is owned by Facebook, Telegram might be the new go to messaging service. And as I write each of these has a pretender to its throne starting up and happy to "fail fast".
You may well know of these, but within the last few hours, Primas, the Content Neutrality Network and NewsDog have turned up for consideration. It's relentless!
So...
My BIG conclusion (for the moment):
I think the provider winners here will be the platforms that:
- Are tumblweed-free zones
- Ease migration
- Allow syndicated posting
- Are easy to find and log in to
- Aggregate and combine, rather than seek to dominate or kill
I think smart users will:
- Be curious, promiscuous and experimental
- Have a good password system!
- Have a sense of humour and adventure
- Seek reward for contribution/curation
- Not take anything personally!
I will continue to search, sign-up and report back, alongside my own community building mission at OurNet - www.ournet.news
There, we're creating a network to support, empower and enrich communities with a familiar set of tools, but a new take on the context for communication and connection. Sign up here if you want to be kept in our 'world that works' loop: http://about.ournet.news/#!/up
Please note: Features and opinions are subject to change. Reviews written in good faith and intent. Comments are welcome. Relevant adjustments and edits will be gladly made.
And if you're wondering what happened to Friends Reunited, MySpace and Bebo, try: https://steemit.com/socialmedia/@carlmunson/what-was-your-first-social-network-and-where-are-they-now