Introduction

I have been online for many years and have seen a lot of changes. I was using bulletin boards with a modem on my Amiga back in the 1990s. I had some early experience of the web via Compuserve before switching to a standard ISP. Eventually we got broadband (512k to start with) and I have experimented with all sorts of services. We have seen the internet become a much more commercial space with much of it run by a few huge companies. Projects like IMDB that started as hobbies got bought up by giants like Amazon.

I have had some bad experiences with those giants. Google are notorious for shutting down services. Some of those I used that disappeared are Google+, Reader, Orkut, Waves (not the Hive one), Buzz etc.

So I have made some effort to seek out alternatives that might endure and also do not exploit me.

Windows to Linux

This is not an internet thing, but it is at the core of the movement to make systems that are more open. After my Amiga I used various versions of Windows, but found it frustrating in various ways. It seemed designed to stop you doing certain things. I had heard about Linux and first tried it around 2000. I used a few distributions before settling on Ubuntu in 2005. I did keep using Windows for a while, but have not used it at home in ages.

These days installing and using Linux is probably as easy as using Windows for most purposes. I think it can be easier when it comes to getting hold of software and getting some devices working. I have been able to use various audio interfaces and webcams without having to install extra drivers. I did need one for my Brother laser printer, but I could get that from the manufacturer.

A lot of what I do is in a browser, so the operating system does not matter too much, but I have applications for things like recording music and editing video. I am not much of a gamer, so have not really looked into that aspect.

Twitter to Mastodon

I joined Twitter a long time ago after hearing about it from a friend. It was a fairly friendly place to post whatever you wanted in 140 characters. I know it started off with the ability to Tweet via SMS and that set the limit. Of course it became massive, but I only had hundreds of followers and I was just using it for fun.

At some point I heard about identi.ca that was an open source alternative. It had a more geeky community, but that suited me. You could actually post there and have it get copied to Twitter automatically. Unfortunately it shut down in 2013.

When Elon Musk talked his way into having to buy Twitter I could sense that this would not go well. He may be smart, but he has turned nasty. Like many others I moved over to Mastodon that was more like identi.ca. Eventually I deleted my Twitter account as I wanted nothing more to do with it.

Mastodon is a platform based on the Fediverse. Anyone can run a server that can connect to all the others. Some people run their own, but I found a UK instance. I find a lot of cool stuff there and have some good conversations. I have found some hostility to blockchain there. Some people are very principled on what services they use and despise the 'crypto bros' who are out to scam you whilst running wasteful proof of work systems. I do mention Hive, but have not recruited anyone yet. One Linux guy blocked me, but that is no big deal.

Goodreads to Bookwyrm

I read a fair bit and like to track what books I have got through. I used a few services, including something on my own site before going to Goodreads just because it seemed most people used it. I was not so comfortable with it being owned by Amazon and so I eventually migrated to Bookwyrm that is another Fediverse service with similar functions. I was able to import all my books from Goodreads and have been happy with it. I am not that fussed about the social aspects really, but I will connect with people.

Last.fm to Libre.fm

Something else I have been logging is my music listening. Last.fm (previously Audioscrobbler) does this via media players that support it. There are mobile apps and browser extensions that can work with things like Spotify and even Youtube. I have been on there for nearly 21 years now and logged well over 100,000 plays. It did get bought by CBS ages ago and so I had considered using the open alternative Libre.fm. For now I am logging to both platforms. Libre.fm is lacking in facilities such as listening statistics so I will see how it goes.

Lots of things to Hive

I have been blogging for a long time. I used to do this on my own site using various software, but I never had many readers. I also tried Google's Blogger and some more social platforms. Some of those are long gone. I know a fair few Hivers used Tsu that shared advertising revenue with users and had a referral scheme, but that shut down. That was when I was introduced to this blockchain thing that I have been using ever since.

The benefits of Hive extend beyond earning rewards. The use of blockchain means that the data of our posts is distributed over lots of servers and would be very hard to totally lose. The software behind it is open source and so people can improve on it. We have multiple front ends and anyone could set up their own. I expect you could even make it ignore downvotes if you want everything to be visible. Others cannot delete your posts anyway. We have freedom and the responsibilities that brings.

I find the big commercial social platforms frustrating. They tend to bombard you with ads and 'suggested content'. Hive could do with better discovery tools, but I want the ability to just look at content from those I have chosen to follow.

Looking for more

I do still use various closed, corporate services as I am pragmatic about using what works for me and not a purist. I will look out for more alternatives that match my ideals, but there is often a need to compromise or miss out.

So far I consider Hive and the Fediverse to be some of the best models for open social platforms. I would love to see some integration between them.

I am interested in what others think about these topics. I know a lot of Hivers like to be considered 'alternative', but many are just here for the rewards.

The man behind:

@tenkminnows: Helping good Hivers level up @proofofbrian: A bot that checks for tag typos #BritList: A monthly list of Hivers in the UK