Should large Fediverse instances and Bluesky encourage, not require, users to opt-in to bridges that connect to Bluesky and other non-fedi social web platforms?

Submitted ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨Twoafros@sh.itjust.works⁩ to ⁨fediverse@lemmy.world⁩

Bridges like Bridgy-Fed and others can connect Fediverse to interact with Bluesky from their Fediverse account. Bridges are an opt-in which I think its a great thing for privacy. But at the same time, I don’t think the majority of Fediverse users who would be interested in using bridges know that they exist.

What I am suggesting is that large Fediverse instances (and Bluesky) encourage and make it easy to use brigdes by having an easy tool to turn on or turn off bridges.

An example situation could be when someone creates an account on mastadon.social, a small pop up shows ups explaining what bridges are in two-three sentences, and has a recommended bridge to use along with a drop down of other options to choose from, and ask it they would like to bridge or not like to bridge.

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Comments

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chromodynamic@piefed.social ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
If a Fedi or BSky instance wants to support connecting to the other side, they should implement both protocols. Bridges are just a duct-tape solution.

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- kingofras@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  This person codes
  
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daniskarma@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I don’t really like bridges, tends to be vert clunky. I recently interacted with a bridged account over mastodon and it was a really pluf experience.

I don’t really like bluesky anyway. I won’t invest in a platform that will be bought and enthisitfy by some fascists as twitter was.

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Cris_Color@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I agree with your perspective that the people who might most be interested in bridges are also the least likely to be aware it’s something they can opt into

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LodeMike@lemmy.today ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Bluesky proper won’t do that because it threatens their network effect.

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Kierunkowy74@piefed.social ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
The platforms should provide inter-protocol bridging natively. Now we have to follow an unrelated (to either) account and hope that it not fails silently*. This should be a switch in the UI.

*at least one can follow bridged accounts from elsewhere without bridging oneself.

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- Twoafros@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  This is a good point. I wonder why this isn’t the default
  
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  - thenexusofprivacy@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    wafm and Hubzilla both do this. But in general, developers of most ActivityPub-based platforms prefer to focus on AP, and already have a lot on their plate; Bluesky wants to focus on AT, and similarly has a lot on their plate; and most users don’t actually care that much … so nobody’s likely to prioritize it.
    
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flamingos@feddit.uk ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
The Bridge should just work based on the account’s discoverable flag, ie if it’s true you’re opted into the Bridge.

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- Cris_Color@lemmy.world ⁨7⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Thats a really interesting and novel idea! You could also give granularity based off of that, so people still have ultimate control, but then it’s only one setting you have to learn about and it’s not following an account, which feels like a hacky UX
  
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gedaliyah@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Aren’t there already fedi platforms that connect to Bluesky like WAFRN for people who want it?

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EtnaAtsume@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
No.

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