Right now, we’re using the Fediverse, the network of decentralized interconnected computers that run continually to provide quality service. Quality service must be provided by users, too.

Unfortunately, quality service is not provided by users.

[If you hate user stories for some reason, scroll down to the replacement.]

It’s not meant to be this way

Let’s see. A Fediverse user, picky about their choice of instance, finally did the choice and created an account for… well, let’s call it Alpha.example.

Immediately, they are instructed to emit their first post - into oblivion, as it happens - then get to know their administrators and moderators and terms and conditions.

Then, the user - let’s call it Average Ivan - establishes their clear identity by adding a display name and an avatar and a bio and all that.

[Yes, Ivan prefers the pronoun they. Not really important here, however.]

Next, Ivan takes a stroll through the menus and panels other than the Write panel.

Inside the Home panel, they’re warmly welcomed with a request for an #introductions post, which Ivan promptly does. However, that wasn’t enough.

Another person remarked that interests are meant to be hashtagged. Some knowledge of buttoned phones, some research into the post UI and five minutes later, the #introductions post was withdrawn for another - and Ivan guessed the hashtags right.

The local timeline was hopefully empty enough. The federated timeline, however, was full of the same #introductions posts! The one by Ivan flopped away into five minutes’ worth of others’.

‘Why are you saying #introductions, JUST WHY?’ was the last post Ivan emitted into the federated space. And then no one ever saw them.

Based on real events

Average Ivan, our persona, happens to appear in the Fediverse a lot. The federated timeline was way too full of radiation, or ‘toxicity’, as they say. So much radiation, that the last message in the situation above was rather a last-minute call for help.

People start to disappear in disgrace. Instances empty out. Survivors use the nature.

That’s not how federation works. People come to the Fediverse to use its social ability, in the fun way, not for exploiting it for profit.

That’s even written in the Alpha.example code of conduct. In the end, a mostly empty instance is a low price to pay for not having to turn up with things normal users don’t do.

But the federated timeline still turns up with things normal users don’t do, and Alpha.example couldn’t help.

Why don’t we throw away federation and rewrite it from scratch? You betcha that’s a thing that would really help.

The replacement

Instances are no longer where you do your chatter with other users. You tell your story.

Instead, instances are ‘call-once-and-forget’ servers that manage creating and connecting accounts.

Hey, hey, call them, goodbye

You probably already know Teletype for Atom. If you don’t, then you only need to know how it works: You connect to the Teletype server, handshake the users you want to teletype with, and then bother the server no longer. Finally, a headless connection!

Well, it’s just the same: When you log in, you connect to your nearest instance with the list of persons you federate with, then the server connects you to whoever is available, and bothers you no longer. Hype!

One thing: if some of the people you federate with are offline, you’re still going to dial the server once in a while. ;)

How do I follow

When you register, your federated timeline is inauspiciously empty. That’s actually a good thing, since you are in full control of what content you use.

To follow someone, you need to get the instance name and access code for the person you want to follow. How to do that? Well, you meet up! In real life, in XMPP, in IRC, even in the classical Fediverse of the present if so you want (but why?).

That’s it

That’s the entirety of what changed from the classical Fediverse of the present. The Fediverse of the future still includes the current posts, favs and even boosts (but they are meant to not be used for #introductions posts 😜).

The expanse of the Fediverse of the future is wide. Come explore the future with me, for I am ^zyabin101@instance.example:asd-klasd-kasdfiowrek-v.