Somebody got #venture money in the #fediverse ! Openvibe got $800k from some VCs and Automattic, the company behind WordPress and Tumblr.

TechCrunch

Automattic and others back Openvibe, an app that's unifying the open social web | TechCrunch

Openvibe's clever app that integrates multiple open social networks, including Bluesky, Mastodon, Nostr, and Threads, just got a boost toward ...

“Tech billionaires want to ‘overthrow democracy’ with social media, Spain PM Sánchez says” A politician is understanding what’s going on here. Help, what now? PS: what an opportunity for the #fediverse. How do we best go about this?

Tech billionaires want to ‘overthrow democracy’ with social media, Spain PM Sánchez says – POLITICO

Are there people using the #fediverse in countries in which speech is tightly controlled? Like Russia, China, … If so, how do they do it? Use VPNs to servers outside the country? Or …?

'I wish it need not have happened in my time,' said Frodo. 
'So do I,' said Gandalf, 'and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'

"The Great Decentralization". Discusses some of the real pros and cons of decentralization.

NOEMA

The Great Social Media Diaspora | NOEMA

What happens when sprawling online communities fracture into politically homogenous, self-governing communities?

So #bluesky is raising more money, according to Business Insider. They say valuation is around $700m, which at, say, 10m MAU values them at $70/user. Which is about in the commercial social media platform ballpark. It also means that every one of you/us with a Bluesky account is expected to make at least $70 in profit for the company.

Business Insider

X competitor Bluesky is being valued at around $700 million in a new funding round after explosive growth in the wake of Trump's victory

Bluesky is raising new funding led by Bain Capital Ventures that would value the social media company at around $700 million, according to sources.

Hi @npub1kdrs...rhwh, I’m looking for an example setup that deploys something like mastodon via your tech stack to some suitable server. I can’t find any pointers on your site (of course I might be blind). Can you point me in the right direction? Ty.

Umberto Eco’s 14 criteria for fascism.

Open Culture

Umberto Eco’s List of the 14 Common Features of Fascism

Creative Commons image by Rob Bogaerts, via the National Archives in Holland One of the key questions facing both journalists and loyal oppositi...

What @Mike McCue and team at @Flipboard are doing with

Surf

Surf – Join the Surf Beta Waitlist

is really interesting. I'm checking out their beta and it's intriguing. It's social media, for sure, but IMHO different and better: it goes far beyond the monotony of the linear feed into far more focused experiences. It's like merging Twitter, RSS Readers, and Google News into something that looks and feel prettier than any of them. And might very well be more useful. There's a long waiting list but may be worth it.

“Ninety-two percent of retailers plan to invest more in social commerce this holiday season” Is there any social commerce in the #fediverse? https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/14/business/tiktok-shop-ban/index.html