@atomicpoet @fediverse @Coolmccool That's what I mean - I think you're missing the point. I don't think anyone is expecting every developer to also be able to explain the usefulness of the fediverse to casual users, but some of us do feel, I think, that there's a lack of fundamental recognition that developer explanations are beside the point as far as most regular people are concerned, which can cause the unwelcoming impression for non-devs that we hear people talk about fairly regularly.
atomicpoet@atomicpoet.org 1 month ago
@jwcph @fediverse @Coolmccool To be blunt, “it’s like email” is probably good enough for 95% of casual users in terms of an explanation for how the Fediverse works.
It’s all just email. Mastodon, Pixelfed, and Lemmy are really all just email.
But the moment you ask, “Well, actually, how does it all work? How is it possible to use Lemmy with Mastodon?”
The answer is: actors.
And maybe that is abstract, but I assure you that’s the practical reason you’re able to do it. Once you understand that the Fediverse is made up of actors/activities, a whole new world of possibilities opens up—even for regular users. It’s why you’re participating on Lemmy right now, even though it still looks like “Mastodon” to you.
Now I’m sorry that you may perceive this as “beside the point,” but people ask how it works and I’m telling you. However, if this is too abstract, remember: it’s all “email”.
jwcph@helvede.net 1 month ago
@atomicpoet @fediverse @Coolmccool That's not what people are asking - they're asking "How does it work *for me*?".
"Like email or phones" again still only explains in the abstract, that you can connect with anyone in the same way as those things. It still doesn't explain how to use it or how it solves the things people would like to solve.
People are asking for a driver's license & you're telling them how a combustion engine turns gasoline into mechanical motion.
atomicpoet@atomicpoet.org 1 month ago
@jwcph @fediverse @Coolmccool I’ve explained how to use it: you submit to a group from Mastodon by tagging. In fact, you’re using it right now. Look at one of the accounts you’re mentioning.
Did you not read the original post?
jwcph@helvede.net 1 month ago
@atomicpoet @fediverse @Coolmccool Yes, I did - did you not read the rest of the thread? At no point did I say "explain it to me" & neither did Cool, your answer to whom I originally responded to - in fact, I said specifically that I don't expect you to explain it to laypeople if you're on the dev side. All I'm asking is for you - and just as importantly, other readers of this thread - to recognize the explanation gap, that we may become a welcoming place for everyone, not just developers.