I agree that’s a plausible scenario, and maybe even most likely given the pattern of history. And I understand and appreciate that you’re not hoping or advocating for that outcome, but highlighting its likelihood.
I also agree with your sentiment that the fediverse seems like a game-changer, particularly in the area of free speech.
I don’t necessarily want reddit to die, or even see its user base devolve into dregs. I view competition as a positive. Lemmy and the broader fediverse is competition for reddit and vice versa. Both existing and thriving may make each better over time.
Perhaps one reason we got to this point is that reddit has control over the market on this format, or at least has the dominant network effect. Many seem view this as a zero-sum game, where for one player to advance another must fall away, but I find that perspective short-sighted.
I respect (and share, to a certain extent) the opinions and frustrations of recent defectors, but urge everyone to take a long-term view.
Thank you for pointing this out. I missed the difference and was very confused/concerned.
I ran across programming.dev earlier. Great use case for a specialized instance.
Nothing wrong with a bit of competition
Totally agree
I just joined lemmy.world a few days ago and already subbed to /c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml. This community seems pretty active.
I only mention this because i just came across this post: What are you guys doing when there’s multiple communities for the same thing across instances?
(I’m not sure yet the best or recommened way to link directly to a post.)
This highlights the point in that post. I’m certainly not disuading anyone from joining this new community and hope everyone finds the best one that fits them. I’ll keep my eye on your new community. Good luck!
You’re right that historically there has been one dominant player at a time, and that it is typically in a period of stagnation or complacency when something new comes along to initiate the shift to the next player.
Social networks are great examples of natural monopolies, largely due to the aforementioned network effect. Without a large, diverse user base they tend to become echo chambers.
But you helpfully point out that there are other new players in the market, to the point that a successful reddit may not be necessary to spur competition for the next great thing.