Lemmy Shitpost @lemmy.world PixelPilgrim @lemmings.world 2w ago

Loops by pixelfied Is Doomed to Fail Because Daniel Supernault Doesn’t Want to Develop It

TL;DR: Loops is doomed because Daniel Supernault doesn’t actually want to develop it or release the source code properly.

I’ll try to provide evidence where I can, but a lot of evidence was destroyed via bans from the Discord, so I can’t retrieve my messages, and All I have are files I saved on my hard drive and mastodon links.

How I Got Involved I got into Loops because of the TikTok ban scare and wanted to help develop a non-corporate fediverse alternative to TikTok and YouTube Shorts. I signed up, made two accounts (wasn’t sure why I couldn’t log in), and got approved after two days.

Once I had an account, I downloaded the Android APK and joined the Discord. I introduced myself as someone who wanted to help and mentioned that I had tried (and failed) to make a Fediverse app before. I was interested in seeing where Loops would go. For about 12 days, I made videos for Loops, making sure there was consistent content so the platform didn’t go 10 minutes without something new. I also helped in Discord, answering questions about account activations and discussing how Loops could become a major part of the Fediverse (which, as of 2/16/2025, it still isn’t). I thought if Loops could launch before the next TikTok scare, it had a real shot.

I Start Asking Questions After 12 days of making content and being active in Discord, I was getting bored. I wanted to figure out why there weren’t any real developments. I knew Daniel had promised on Discord that Loops would be open-source “by the weekend” (this was 12 days ago). To me, that meant publishing the source code. So, I made a video calling him out (archived here: dalek.zone/w/jUUYe11xDvjz15ZRAxQuy7) and posted it on Discord. A few minutes later, Daniel deleted the link and removed the video from Loops. His only response was, “Misinformation is not appreciated”—with no further context.

To me, this reaction was suspicious. He didn’t explain why he hadn’t released the source code. He didn’t ignore it either, which I interpreted him as being guarded.

Getting Banned from the Discord After Daniel’s reaction, I started wondering if Loops was a waste of my time. Was anything actually happening? I tried decompiling the Android APK to see what was inside but couldn’t get it to recompile. I thought about forking the Loops GitHub with the decompiled source and posting it in GitHub as a fork—but I didn’t even need to. Instead, I asked why Loops wasn’t just a PeerTube instance, since PeerTube already worked on short formed video content with a tik Tok like interface. I even made another video about it: dalek.zone/w/fVW4GbW79bBpiyLrDGJBBa. The last thing that happened before my ban was me asking if anyone was actually doing work on Loops. Instead of answering, they flipped the question back on me. I replied, “Yes, I am decompiling the source code so we can do work.” after, Discord glitched, the Loops server disappeared, and I was locked out. My Loops account was also deleted. This made it clear: Daniel didn’t want me questioning loops or suggesting that PeerTube could do the job better.

Calling Him Out on Mastodon After my ban on discord, I did more research on Daniel and kept calling him out on Mastodon as a warning to others. Eventually, he did publish a “source code” for Loops. Just to spite him, I thanked Michael Downey (mastodon.social/@Cattail/113932221184535082) for pushing him to release it by asking him a question. But two hours later, I pointed out that the APK and the published source code didn’t match: (mastodon.social/@Cattail/113932308245134257).

Conclusion I’m glad I did what I did because it saved me from wasting more time on Loops. Instead, I built a bot that announces when Fediverse streamers go live on Mastodon, which actually helps the community. Daniel is asking for money that would be better spent on PeerTube development or maintaining existing Fediverse instances. Daniel is deceiving people, pretending Loops is making progress when it’s really just a rehash of Pixelfed. His Kickstarter has no deadline and only vague updates. If you still want to support him, that’s on you. I’ve seen enough.

Links & Receipts Official “source code”: github.com/joinloops/loops-app Loops development mention from 2020: mastodon.social/@pixelfed/104618452882003745?utm_source=perplexity Kickstarter: kickstarter.com/projects/pixelfed/pixelfed-foundation-2024-real-ethical-social-networks/comments

Links & Receipts Official “source code”: GitHub Loops development mention from 2020: Mastodon Kickstarter: Pixelfed Foundation 2024

34 comments

Imagine having a random McNobody try to tell you how to do your unpaid project the out of the blue, and they they get mad you don't listen and do what they want when they want
- I can empathize with Dansup, but I don't understand why he freaks out when he gets called out. If I was him I'd just either say "I don't want to" or give some BS reason to get people off my back
  
  Well it sounds like you don't quite empathize with them then. Lmao
  
  On a serious note: Unless you're signing checks, don't tell people how to run their shit. (Unless they ask.) If you don't like it, either put money yon the table or do your own thing.
Wouldn't this post be better suited on !fediverselore@lemmy.ca as a chronicle?

But yeah I assumed as much that Loops isn't going anywhere. No Source, no fediverse integration no federation etc.
- Probably but there's more users here and I interpreted "venting" within the the rules. I'll probably crosspost there. All I can say is loops is a marketing vector for dans fundraiser. Loops is actually successful and engaging with a good size user base
So lemme get this straight.

You joined the server to help out, knowing it was volunteer based.

You were frustrated after 12 days despite development of anything often being on a scale longer than it. Instead of asking questions in a conversation, you made call out videos that got people feeling defensive

You say you were making new videos for 12 days so the platform doesn't go without content but then later you say you're decompiling, without ever making any earlier mention to working on it in that regard? (I'm not watching your videos so if it says that in there then whatever but that should kinda be in the text)

What exactly was your plan to help? Did you ask how you could help? Did they let you know how you could? Did you do what they asked or something else?

He didn't explain it but he didn't ignore it? What?

You failed to produce a viable Fediverse product but are insisting that people run it the way you see fit?

You make ANOTHER call out video and question the entire nature/purpose of the project in a backhanded way that throws shade on Daniel

I dunno anything about the loops situation. Dunno what's going on but I'd totally have banned you too. Looks like you jumped into the server, waited barely any time, started openly criticising the schedule of development while not being a part of that or having knowledge on what was going on, started making call out videos and then passive aggressively insulted the dev team. I mean from everything you've posted, you were not an angel in this at all and I'm inclined to take anything you say with a record breaking grain of salt.
- Actually I reached out to one of the Foss developers of looped that dansup insulted and later dropped because they got offended and called him out befire I joined the loops discord. I sympathied with the developing team and the abuse they received. I shared my story also I thanked her for helping the fediverse
  
  Cool.
  
  Now, what about addressing your own behavior and inconsistencies in this story? Like my entire comment was about?
  
  It's remarkable that you claim Dan was dodging questions when you're doing the same.
That's pretty unfortunate 😔. Thanks for sharing, what's next for you?
- Don't tell anyone but I'm stress testing lenmy from a technical perspective and social engineering perspective. I can share that crosspost Post from a bank user to a comm they're banned on. That definitely the thing that needs to be patched. The rest I'm gonna wait to publish
  
  Just FYI, I just finished editing the comment
  
  That sounds like that's how it should work. The user is banned, not the user's content. It's up to the community to decide whether or not you reposting the banned user's content is valid or not through votes and reports.
  
  For example, say that I'm banned on a specific community that has a sister community on a separate instance. So I post to the sister community on the other instance and then somebody reposts my post to the sister community on the first instance.
  
  There's definitely potential for maliciously using it as a forwarder. But once again if that's what the mods determine you're doing and they tell you they don't like it and you keep doing it. It's their property that they are moderating.
  
  And at that point isn't it easier just to post directly from the sock puppet account and not link to the original?
I already block it. Short form video is cancer.
- That's probably fair. It's super addicting and I'd say it fries my dopamine more than anything

34 comments