We hate you

If the US government wanted to actually take the high road on this instead of hoping to be able to keep public discourse under the thumb of their own oligarchs, they would push in this direction instead imo

Yes.
Any government actually.
\ By funding foss projects and living the example.
It's not like it's not happening, but it's alloys at such a smol scale.
\ And not really on social media part (a few govs use Mastodon iirc, but that is about it that I can think of).
100%, they could even keep their surveillance program in house, just spin up public fediverse servers and share the news to citizens about the “official US” open social media platforms. But they can’t stop licking the oligarchy’s boots

Maybe next year™

2026: the year of the foss social media platforms
- I'm sad how I'll just believe this.
  \ (And then be even more sad about it)
- Linux Desktop foss social media platforms

Is there a f/loss alternative to tiktok?

Loops appears to be the one for that space but from what I understand they still have a lot of development to do before it's ready for general users.
- No app is the big killer.
  
  I'm using the app right now. It's in beta.
  
  Really? Is it for android?
  
  yes, it's for android and there is an "iOS Testflight" whatever that means: https://loops.video/
  
  Thanks, I'll check it out!
  
  IIRC there is an app, but it's only on iPhone.
  
  No, I have it on Android https://loops.video/
  
  I can't see where that site has an Android app? It only has stuff about iOS.
  
  it's still in beta. to get the app, you have to register, then wait for the mail with beta invite and then you get the app link.
- Is it good for bullshitting for 10 minutes at a time?
  
  yes https://loops.video/
  
  Thanks, I made an account. Let's see how it goes.
It's weird that so many people here aren't aware of Loops. I've never had any interest in tiktok or anything like it, so I have never sought it out, and I see it mentioned both here on Lemmy and other places several times a week. Do people really just use only lemmy for anything fed and only view communities they subscribe to? That's the only thing I can think of that would make them so shut off from everything.
- So I am aware of loops by virtue of Lemmy posts often linking to videos on there.
  However I never thought about what it was— I kind of assumed it was closer to YouTube or a free-er video-focused Imgur.
  I’ll be honest I have no idea what the appeal is of tiktok and have never used it apart from a few times when links have been sent to me by friends.
  So much like twitter to mastodon… I know it exists but I don’t quite understand why someone would want that.

I’ve used TikTok since 2021 and really enjoyed the content that it showed me. I learned a lot about fixing things up around the house, things that were going on in other parts of the world, FROM those that live there, and even some of the funniest skits I’ve ever seen off of YouTube. It was a great place.

On every video I’ve seen, for the last two weeks, I have been plugging the Fediverse, Loops especially, for any who care. Some of the content creators did see and like my comments, but I have yet to see a video about anyone talking about it, which is sad.

I unfortunately think a lot of them were just not wanting the money train to disappear, and I can understand that, but to provide only corpo owned media to their fans really disappointed me. Sometimes, money is really not worth selling out. Or, I suppose I must be crazy and insane, because that’s how I feel about it anyway.

I'm not equating this to you personally but here is my experience (I have never used TokTik myself):
\ my coworker in her just about 50s said the same thing you did - "just how much life hacks" she has learned and immediately proceeded to explain if I knew that if I buy some seeds and put them in some water or moist soil it just "starts to grow" and you can then proceed to plant those "things" in pots and it will eventually grow you "fruits" and you only need to water it "like a (house) plant".
I still have not recovered from this and it's has been a year. It really shook me to my core.
\ I'm still speechless about it, I don't even know how to comment it, where to ever start thinking about it.
\ Just so much wow.
Oh, but I agree with you abut money-train issue, foss communities are still learning how to donate to devs/creators. But it's a process, a cultural movement & development which I am sure will lead us to a better society.
- As stupid as it is, at least she learned something, yeah? You can't fault her for her education program she attended failing her. That was stuff we learned in elementary school, but I also grew up on a small farm, so maybe I just had real life experience to imprint the memory.
  I understand a lot of you, who have never even tried to give TikTok a chance mind you, don't fully understand that once YOU curate YOUR algorithm, it becomes 90% only what YOU want to see. Trust me, I used to be one of you. I thought it was the dumbest thing to get on an app to watch people do dumb things, or to dance.
  I had a partner at the time who would send me TikToks, and one day they sent me something that really impressed me. It was a very well done explanation of an animal, I can't recall which right now. I was VERY impressed by his explanation of this animal I had never even heard of. So, I made one and followed this person.
  I got LOADS of dumb shit thrown my way at first, but I told the algorithm I didn't want to see these videos, and then... I get 90% of videos targeted towards things I like such as: activism, home improvement tips and tricks, tech related (videos about networking, good alternatives to programs that are ran by shitty people, etc.), skits that I find funny, and others who feel the same way I feel about this world and the way it is currently running. I had always felt like I was one of very very few people who care about these things, but TikTok showed me others who felt the same. People sharing their woes, people actually raising valid points like the Hong Kong protests and even getting millions of views. There is so much more out there than I can type out.
  So, while I understand your face palm moment with this person, it is quite funny to always see these arguments of "TikTok bad" when you haven't even tried to use it, and are only going off of the dumb people who use it and show/like dumb things. Dumb people post on YouTube, but no one talks about how stupid that is. God forbid an app I've never used do that too!
  No hate, as like I said, I was once someone like you. There's dumb shit on every platform, even here. You could've found out that there were plenty of videos that you would enjoy if you had given it a chance.
  And to those who automatically get all patriotic about data and shit, the American social medias are not only worse, but use YOUR data in worse ways than a foreign country can. Not once did TikTok ask me for my location, and only the first time upon opening the app did it request permission for the camera and mic, which I denied, and it never asked again. As far as I know, Facebook/Messenger/Snapchat/Instagram CONSTANTLY want you to give them permissions even if you denied them before.
  I don't expect anyone here to care, because "TikTok bad", but it is what it is.
  
  You can't fault her for her education program she attended failing her. That was stuff we learned in elementary school
  I absolutely can, we have excellent schools, and there is like a very big chance she had to plant and describe the growth of a seed.
  YOUR algorithm, it becomes 90% only what YOU want to see
  I fully understand that (it's not a difficult concept) and it's precisely what I don't want.
  And ofc any platform can have good content, nobody is objecting that.
  \ "TikTok bad" is bcs its not open and federated, thats all there is to it from my pov.
  Dumb people post on YouTube, but no one talks about how stupid that is.
  I can't believe you have never heard it before, but YouTube is stupid - not as a core idea of having videos on a site, but who owns it and what they are doing with it.
  No hate, as like I said, I was once someone like you.
  I feel like we have very different reasons.
  \ I'm not saying TikTok & co (Twatter, Insta, YT, BlueTwatter, etc) don't work or don't offer interesting content, I just don't wanna support such shitty industries on moral grounds.