My work at #SWF and W3C is about making this network open to everyone, and encouraging implementers. I'm going to continue doing this.

Anyway, my answer: network.

I don't like the tendency of some people to brigade projects or people they think are a threat to the culture. It's an ugly process. I was disappointed to see some of the replies to the #SiliconBeest post on Reddit, here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/fediverse/comments/1v2mt69/i_built_a_full_fediverse_service_that_runs_100_on/

I understand people's concerns with protecting the culture, and I'm fine with people using the tools at hand to protect it -- like blocklists and defederation. If you think some software or some community is bad for the culture, you should use the tools available to protect it.

I use "Fediverse" for both a network and a culture. I also use "ActivityPub network" or "Open social web" for the network itself. I think it's very important to make the network as open, permissionless, and connected as possible. Everyone on the planet has a right to be on that network.

If you think of the Fediverse as an open, permissionless network, then a lot of the shibboleths go away. Anyone can join the network -- and anyone else can choose whether or not to communicate with them.

If you think of the Fediverse as a set of principles -- decentralization, open standards, open source, anti-capitalism -- then questions about who can participate depends on if they accept and represent most, or all, of those principles.

If you think of the Fediverse as a culture, or a group of people, then questions about who can join are really important. Who has access to our time and attention? Who do we want to hang out with, and have among us?

Thanks to everyone who replied.

I think this is an important topic, because the different definitions result in different policy decisions.

@nieuemma first thought, best thought

@dermoth no

@sodiboo so, what did you choose?

@buage life is about hard choices

@smallcircles that's interesting!

@Bodling nice

@GoblinKing_f not an option. Life is about making hard choices!

@Forbo thank you so much for taking the question seriously and thinking it through. It means a lot to me!

@udob

https://cosocial.ca/@evan/116975291520813728

@shawnhooper you should make that poll, then. Let me know when you do; I'll boost it!

This is single choice for a reason. Yes, it's hard to choose.

What does "the Fediverse" mean?

#EvanPoll #poll #Fediverse