So, is it getting quieter here in the #Fediverse; is it even dying?
So, is it getting quieter here in the #Fediverse; is it even dying?
That I don't know, but I can add some data: At least for @heiseonline it seems to be the opposite; the number of comments and likes keeps on growing.
I think we need to ask this question separately for the microblogging fediverse and the "threadiverse" (i.e. Lemmy-compatible communities).
The microblogging fediverse isn't dying, I scroll through it every day, it's one of my main sources of news (some of which I then post on Lemmy). I wouldn't be able to keep up with much more than what I currently get into my feed there.
The threadiverse meanwhile could definitely use much more activity. I hope it eventually becomes a place to discuss even the most niche topics imaginable, like web forums in their era...
!fedigrow@lemmy.zip tries to assess the activity levels of regular posters, and it's a bit quiet lately sometimes indeed
What we can probably expect is some consolidation of inactive or barely active communities to get more activity in one place
The threadiverse feels as active as usual imho. We still can't really attract non-early adopters (i.e. privacy and FOSS enthusiasts), but the next reddit exodus is inevitable at some point.
I dunno, look at all that the Musk does to X (or better yet, don't) but then people remain stuck on that platform, held hostage by the network effect or whatever other reason. Enshittification has progressed far enough that Lemmy is not well regarded on Reddit, a fact enhanced by posts talking about it being removed. People may be cutting back on Reddit, but they do not seem to be bringing those discussions here. Perhaps people are discoursing more IRL rather than social media.
It might be more like users are consolidating.
For the past few years, one of the only ways for most people to join different parts of the fediverse was to create multiple accounts for multiple instances. I had to do that over the past couple of years in order to join whatever instance using whatever platform that I happened to be on. On top of that, at the start, I wasn't sure what the platform I was on was like or whether or not I wanted to stay with it, so I created a burner account. So when I started heavily using the fediverse two or three years ago, I had a ton of accounts, most of which were just short lived accounts because I didn't know I wanted to stay with any one instance or platform.
Mbin ... Kbin ... was a famous example ... it started out as a promising alternative to a reddit like system and I started a couple of accounts there, only for the whole thing to die off and become Kbin .. Mbin ... EDIT: I got Kbin and Mbin mixed up - thanks @Blaze@piefed.zip
So for the longest time, I've always been cautious and just started temporary or burner accounts everywhere because I wasn't sure it would last. Now everything is maturing and I'm feeling more and more confident every day and now I spend almost all my time on the fediverse. Which means I'm using fewer accounts and the accounts I'm using are becoming permanent
Nice comment
Mbin was a famous example … it started out as a promising alternative to a reddit like system and I started a couple of accounts there, only for the whole thing to die off and become Kbin.
just FYI, it's the other way around
Oh nice ... I screwed up ... sorry about that ... in addition to missing out on Kbin, I was so discouraged by them dying out that it took me a while to get back to them as they became Mbin
Will correct my original comment ... thanks
@mho @heiseonline @fediverse well, my fediverse timeline isn’t dying for sure! 😀
And I always enjoy reading your stuff here and also just recently discovered some more of your colleagues here thanks to that author feature!
There seems to be a January effect of sorts, being the highest peak of both years. Is journalism more interesting in January, are people bored in winter after Christmas, is it random, or is something else going on? Could be interesting to know. I'd love to see whether this happens again in 2026.
My interpretation of usage trends is that the novelty is wearing off, and the people left using these sites are largely just using them normally. Less and less content is meta-discussions about being here and not being elsewhere. Of course some users leave as the novelty wears off, but enough seem to have stayed that I'm pretty optimistic it won't go back to being a dusty corner reserved for only the biggest open source fanatics.
Oh, and here's the graph of comments over time, as only the first picture federated to where I'm reading from:
@rimu@piefed.social - I'm assuming this is a known bug :)
I wonder if it’s New Year’s resolutions to quit Reddit?
Either way, I like it here.
As this is a graph of comments and likes to posts by @heiseonline@social.heise.de - who don't post to Lemmy/Piefed - it's probably not related to Reddit. But quitting X is also a good new years resolution I guess. :)
I always thought, that there's no month, where less people are on vacation, and that's why so many are reading the news.
For us as a tech magazine, it's also CES which is in January.
Auch auf unserer Instanz ist die Aktivität weiterhin hoch und steigt seit Monaten.
@mho @heiseonline @fediverse Auch hier bei uns ist ein leichter, aber stetiger Anstieg messbar.