We're continuing investigation to the performance issues, you can follow and react here: https://lemmy.world/c/friendicaworld

mastodon - Link to source

I hear people are doing a surprise-pikachu about Discord's new ad push?
arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/0…

Truly surprising that a *checks notes* proprietary, centralized, VC-funded platform started enshittifying the moment it gained enough market share to make it very difficult for people to flow elsewhere. 🤯

Nobody saw that coming! :blobcat0_0:

:blobcatcoffee:

#Discord #WalledGardens

Discord heightens ad focus by introducing video ads to mobile apps in June

Discord looks for more ways to make money ahead of expected IPO.
Scharon Harding (Ars Technica)
#discord #walledgardens
in reply to Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦

mastodon - Link to source

Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦

Any people reading this who rely on Discord: this is your nudge to consider moving elsewhere.

Where? I don't know. What I do know is that whatever alternative I suggest, you will find a myriad of reasons why it just "won't cut it."

But I also know that if resources were spent on making the hard-to-enshittify decentralized platforms better, they would get better, while still remaining hard to enshittify.

So, perhaps it's worth it to trade some short-term convenience for long-term resilience. 🤷‍♀️

in reply to Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦

mastodon - Link to source

Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦

I am not on Discord, and I have no intention of ever setting up an account. I got fooled once or twice by centralized platforms, but I learned my lesson and I am going to avoid being fooled again if at all possible.

And you know what? It is really quite possible. :blobcatcoffee:

If more people made a similar decision, it would be even easier. Every little bit counts.

We really refuse to understand how much power we actually do have as far as saying "no" to abusive technologies is concerned.

This entry was edited (9 months ago)

reshared this

in reply to Gold

mastodon - Link to source

Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦

@Gold
in reply to Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦

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Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦

@unifex somehow people prefer to spend time coming up with reasons why not to switch, than finding ways to make the switch work in the imperfect world we inhabit.

So I am not going to dive into that kind of discussion.

Instead, I am pointing out that Discord is a proprietary, centralized, VC-funded platform that is starting to enshittify – so that people get a nudge to try to find their own solutions. For those that can't be bothered to do that, me offering suggestions would not help either.

@Gold
in reply to Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦

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myrmepropagandist

What is the FOOS software that can best do what discord does? (This question also applies to Facebook Groups) Mainly making it very easy to create chat, file-sharing and posting spaces, to delegate moderation (many content creators use this "honor" masterfully ... but also in a way that makes me give them side eye about the free parasocial fueled labor)

Qualms aside is there any contender for a best replacement?

in reply to myrmepropagandist

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Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦

@myrmepropagandist
in reply to Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦

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Makiki🐑

I mean, the enshittification was going on for a while already, with nitro nagging, quests on desktop client (thankfully easy to disable lul), and quite a few other annoyances - the only surprising part is the relatively slow tempo of this going on.

It would definitely be nice to have something decent enough for larger communities - like I guess there is Matrix but I have heard quite a few horror stories about it. At least for a Reddit and trad forums replacement there is kbin and lemmy which I heard work decently well, and for more public social media there is masto/akko/*key stuff - but for instant messaging things seem to be in major pain, which makes me sad.

Unknown parent

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Juho Mäntysalo

@TheDailyBurble
The point of ads (from large companies) is to create needs. Easiest way to do so is to trigger survival instict: humans are a social animal, so being separated from herd is a death sentence.

If ads don't work on you, it's due to you not being their target segment. They're then easy to ignore. That's why large part of marketing is targeting: that the right people (eg. victims) see the ad.

Ads work. If they didn't, they wouldn't do it. And the cost for society is high.

@Cabbidges
Unknown parent

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Juho Mäntysalo

@TheDailyBurble
We may be speaking past each other. I was talking of products on saturated markets such as cola-drinks or clothes. Also in general international companies are badly in touch with the needs of local populace, so they find it easier to change needs.

I've worked in marketing as well (briefly), but more importantly have two degrees that border the subject.

@Cabbidges
Unknown parent

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Cabbidges

@iju
The fantasy ads are whale-sales, short term impulse buyers. The (far) bigger market is people who are looking for a product that addresses their needs at a reasonable price.

To get from A to B, I'm never going to need a Tesla (simplifying) but a few percent of people think they do, so you can overprice and underdeliver on that. For a short while.

@Juho Mäntysalo
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