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Welcome to another deep dive. Today, um,

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we're going to be looking at pixel fed, a platform that's been making some noise

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in the social media world. Um, imagine Instagram,

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but without the ads, the algorithms and that feeling that someone's always

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watching everything you do. That's the promise of pixel fed.

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It's a photo sharing platform that wants to give users more control.

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Okay. And hey, big shout out to safe server for making this deep dive happen.

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Yeah. Thanks to them.

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They're the people who can help you get set up with hosting and all that techie

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stuff. If you decide to join pixel fed. Yes, definitely check them out.

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You can find them over at www.safeserver.dd.

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That's right. And you know,

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it's really fascinating how pixel fed is part of this movement towards what's

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called decentralized social media. It's a bit of a mouthful,

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but the idea is pretty simple. Okay. No single company controls the whole network.

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Okay. I'm intrigued. Yeah. But let's back up for a sec.

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We've got pixel feds, GitHub repository and a summary from their website.

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Right. First things first. Okay. What is pixel fed really? Well,

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the pixel fed team says it best on their GitHub photo sharing for

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everyone. Hmm. It seems straightforward. Yeah.

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But there's a lot in that statement for everyone. Yeah. I like the sound of that.

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Right. But what does it actually mean in this context?

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So think of it this way. Okay.

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Traditional social media platforms are like giant shopping malls. Okay.

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They're designed to attract as many people as possible,

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keep them there as long as possible and ultimately sell them stuff. Okay.

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Your data becomes the product. Okay. That analogy makes sense. Yeah.

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So where does pixel fed fit in?

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Well pixel fed is more like a network of independent cafes. Okay.

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Each one has its own vibe, its own rules, its own community.

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You choose which cafe you want to hang out in. Yeah.

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You're not forced to be part of the giant mall ecosystem. Right.

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And importantly, the cafe owners, the people who run the servers. Right.

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Can't just sell your data to the highest bidder.

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I'm starting to see the appeal, but this network of cafes idea sounds

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complicated. Okay. How does it actually work?

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That's where the terms we mentioned earlier come in. Okay. Decentralized.

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Yeah. Activity pub. Right.

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Decentralized means there's no single company calling the shots like those

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giant mall corporations. Yeah.

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And activity pub is like the language these independent cafes use to talk to

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each other.

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So if I post a photo in my favorite pixel fed cafe,

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someone in a completely different cafe,

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maybe even on a totally different platform could still see it.

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Exactly.

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Imagine posting a photo on pixel fed and having it automatically appear on your

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mastodon feed. Wow.

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That's activity pub breaking down those platform silos.

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This whole network of platforms is called the fed verse. Okay.

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It's like a universe of different social media platforms,

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we're all speaking the same language. Okay. Mind officially blown.

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Let's look at how pixel fed is actually built.

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What can we learn from the GitHub repository?

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Well the GitHub repository is like peeking behind the curtain.

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One thing that jumps out is that pixel fed is built using Laravel. Okay.

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Which is a popular framework for websites and applications. Right.

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It's known for being reliable and well structured. Okay.

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So it suggests that the pixel fed team is serious about creating a stable and

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robust platform. And what about the community behind pixel fed? Yeah.

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Is it a bustling hub of activity or a ghost town?

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Looking at the GitHub repo, you see a long list of contributors,

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people who are actively involved in developing and improving pixel fed.

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That's great. This is a great sign.

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It means there's a passionate community behind it constantly working to make it

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better. Right. Plus there are frequent updates and new releases,

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which shows pixel fed is a living, breathing project with a promising future.

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So it's not just some idealistic experiment gathering dust in the corner of

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the internet. Not at all.

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Pixel fed is attracting a vibrant community of developers and users who are

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committed to building a more open and user centric social media experience.

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All right. I'm starting to get the big picture here. Yeah.

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Pixel fed is a photo sharing platform built on the principles of decentralization

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and user control.

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It's part of this Fediverse movement and it's got a passionate community behind

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it. Yeah. But let's be honest. Okay.

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There are always challenges when you're trying to do something different.

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What are some of the hurdles pixel fed faces? Well,

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one of the biggest challenges is simply getting people on board. Okay.

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Traditional social media platforms have billions of users. Right.

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So pixel fed has to work hard to convince people to make the switch. Yeah,

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that makes sense. And let's be real. Yeah.

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Sometimes choosing a pixel fed instance can feel like picking a subreddit. Okay.

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You need to find one that aligns with your interests and community guidelines.

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Yeah. But for someone who's tired of the traditional social media game,

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pixel fed sounds like a breath of fresh air. It definitely is.

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It's about shifting the balance of power,

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giving users more control over their data and their online experience.

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I'm definitely eager to learn more. Great.

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But before we dive into how pixel fed actually works,

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let's take a quick pause. Sounds good. When we come back,

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we'll explore some of the unique features and functionalities that set pixel fed

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apart from the mainstream platforms. Looking forward to it. Stay tuned.

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All right. Welcome back to our deep dive into pixel fed.

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So before the break,

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we were talking about the challenges pixel fed faces like getting people to

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switch from those platforms with billions of users. Right.

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So let's say I'm ready to give pixel fed a shot. Okay. What happens next? Right.

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What can I actually do on this platform? Well, at its core,

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pixel fed is all about sharing photos, just like Instagram. Okay.

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You can post your photos, add captions, use hashtags,

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even include alt text descriptions for people who use screen readers. Okay.

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So that sounds pretty familiar. Yeah.

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But you mentioned before that choosing a pixel fed instance is like picking a

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subreddit. Can you explain that a little more? Sure. So think of it this way.

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When you join Instagram,

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you're basically joining one giant global community. Right.

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But with pixel fed, you choose a specific community to join,

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which is called an instance. Okay.

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Each instance is like a self contained network with its own vibe and rules

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posted on a separate server.

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So it's not just one giant pixel fed platform. Right.

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It's more like a bunch of smaller pixel fit communities all connected.

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Exactly.

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You can find instances focused on specific interests like photography art or

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even cat pictures. Some instances might be more family friendly,

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while others might allow more edgy content. Gotcha.

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It's all about finding the right fit for you. That's really cool.

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Gives you more control over your online experience. Right.

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You're not just thrown into this massive pool of everyone on the planet.

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And because each instance is run independently,

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the admins have more control over moderation and setting the tone for their

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community. That makes a lot of sense. Yeah.

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So let's say I've found an instance that looks interesting. Okay.

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What kind of things can I actually do once I'm in? Well, as I mentioned,

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you can post photos,

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you can follow other users both on your instance and on other instances in the

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FedEverse. Okay. You can like comment and even repost photos. Oh,

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so kind of like retweeting on Twitter. Yeah, exactly.

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So far it sounds pretty similar to Instagram in terms of functionality.

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What about the look and feel of the platform? Is it user friendly?

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Honestly, the interface might feel a bit different from what you're used to on

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Instagram. It might not be as polished or sleek, but it's functional.

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It gets the job done.

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The focus is on giving you control and respecting your privacy rather than

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dazzling you with flashy features.

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So it's more about substance over style.

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Exactly. And remember, this is an open source project,

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meaning it's constantly evolving and improving thanks to the contributions of a

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dedicated community of developers.

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That's awesome. It sounds like Pixel Fed is more than just a platform.

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It's a movement.

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That's a great way to put it.

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It's about reclaiming ownership of your online experience,

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connecting with like-minded people and supporting a more decentralized and

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ethical approach to social media.

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Okay. I have to ask, what about videos?

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Can you post videos on Pixel Fed?

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Well, right now, Pixel Fed is mainly focused on photos.

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But the cool thing about an open source platform is that it can change and

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adapt based on what the community wants.

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So who knows? Maybe video sharing will be added in the future.

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That makes sense. But for now,

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if someone's looking for a decentralized alternative to Instagram for their

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photos, Pixel Fed is worth checking out.

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Absolutely. And remember, even if you're not a photographer,

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Pixel Fed is part of a larger movement towards a more open and interconnected

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online experience. By supporting platforms like Pixel Fed,

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you're helping to create a more diverse and user centric internet.

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Well said.

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Before we move on to the final part of our deep dive,

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where we'll explore the wider implications of Pixel Fed and the Fediverse.

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I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

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What stands out to you as the most exciting aspect of this platform?

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For me, it's the sense of community ownership and the emphasis on user control.

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It's refreshing to see a platform that prioritizes those values over profit and

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data collection.

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I agree. It's about putting the power back in the hands of the people who

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use the platform.

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Exactly.

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So as we wrap up part two, we want to encourage our listeners to think about

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what kind of online world they want to be a part of.

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Yeah. A good question.

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Do you value privacy control and community ownership?

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If so, Pixel Fed might be worth exploring.

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We'll be back in a moment to delve deeper into the potential implications of

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this exciting movement.

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And we're back for the final part of our Pixel Fed deep dive.

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We've covered what it is, how it works, the challenges,

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but now I want to like zoom out. Okay. Right. Look at the bigger picture.

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The big picture. Yeah.

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What does Pixel Fed's emergence say about the future of social media?

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Are we on the verge of some major shift?

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I think we might be.

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There's definitely a growing awareness of the downsides of centralized social

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media. Right. Like what kinds of things, you know, the data collection,

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the algorithms that decide what we see the potential for manipulation.

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Pixel Fed and the whole Fediverse movement are pushing back against that.

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So it's like people realizing they have a choice. Right.

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They don't have to accept the status quo. Exactly. For years,

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we've been told this is just how social media is. You join a platform,

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you agree to their terms and you're stuck in their ecosystem.

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But Pixel Fed and these other decentralized platforms are saying no. Okay.

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There's a different way. A way where users have more control. Yeah.

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Communities make their own rules. Right. And data isn't just a product. Exactly.

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It's a more ethical, more democratic approach. I like that. Yeah.

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But let's be realistic. Can a platform like Pixel Fed really

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compete with the giants like Instagram, Facebook?

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Yeah. Those platforms have billions of users and so much money. Right.

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It's like David versus Goliath. It is, but remember. Yeah.

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Goliath lost in the end. That's true.

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I think Pixel Fed's success depends on two things. Okay. What are those?

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Awareness and adoption. So people need to know about it. Yes.

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And then they need to actually start using it. Exactly.

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That's where conversations like this deep dive are so important. Okay. Yeah.

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The more we talk about these alternatives,

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the more people realize they have choices. Right.

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And if enough people make those choices, well, that's when real change happens.

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I love that idea that our choices online can actually change things.

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It's a powerful idea. And it's not just about individuals. Okay.

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It's about communities coming together and demanding something different. Yeah.

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A social media experience that matches their values. Speaking of communities,

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I'm curious about how this might change things. Okay.

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If these platforms become more popular. Yeah.

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Will we see a shift away from these huge centralized

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platforms towards smaller, more focused communities?

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That's a great question. We might see a kind of fragmentation. Okay.

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Where people choose specific groups that align with their interests or values.

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This could mean more meaningful interactions, a stronger sense of belonging.

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But it could also create echo chambers where people are only exposed to

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information that reinforces what they already believe. That's a worry.

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It is. So how do we prevent that? Yeah.

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How do we make sure these decentralized communities stay open?

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It's all about promoting dialogue and encouraging interaction between different

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communities. Okay. So building bridges, not walls. Exactly.

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And also recognizing that even within smaller communities,

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there will be diverse opinions, different perspectives.

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So as we wrap up this deep dive, what's the key takeaway?

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The future of social media isn't decided. Okay.

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We have the power to shape it through our choices. Yeah.

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If you're tired of the status quo, if you want more control, more privacy,

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a more ethical experience. Yeah. Explore the alternatives.

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Explore platforms like Pixel Fed, dive into the Fediverse,

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join the movement towards a more decentralized internet.

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And if you're looking for help navigating this new landscape,

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remember safe server is there to help. That's right.

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They can help with hosting consulting and all your digital transformation needs.

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You can find them at www.saveserver.d.

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Exactly. Thanks again to safe server for supporting this deep dive. Yeah.

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Big thanks to them. And thank you to our listeners for joining us. Yes.

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Thanks for listening. We hope you found it informative and inspiring.

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We hope so. And we'll see you on the next deep dive.