this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2025
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Fedimigration Organizing

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!fedibridge@lemmy.dbzer0.com

This is a place to share resources and coordinate projects to assist in the migration away from legacy social media.

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[–] korendian@lemmy.world 46 points 2 months ago (7 children)

A lot of these are not ready for primetime, as much as I wish they were. Loops and pixelfed are barely functional as an app, friendica is clunky and confusing to use, peertube has almost no content, element is more of a discord replacement than messenger. I do think people need to switch, but to recommend a switch right now is a bit irresponsible, since it will just give people a bad impression of the fediverse.

[–] bassomitron@lemmy.world 22 points 2 months ago

Yeah, I've been recommending Signal to people to get them off Messenger and WhatsApp.

[–] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 12 points 2 months ago

When suggesting switching now, today, in the near term, always present this as a 'new canvas', a new beginning in which we collectively will recreate what we want from what we left behind, and build forward to what we collectively desire. The lemmiverse I entered 2.5 years ago is not the place we have created up to this point. My early kbin content is more or less gone, I think, sigh, but so what. This is an opportunity, not an impediment. For example, because of the shambles IG creates when one exports one's content, I've been sorting out my less favored content, and sorting in my more favored images while also adding new on Pixelfed. One may wish to ask one's self, what do I want in my Fediverse, and what am I quite happy to leaving behind?

[–] Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 2 months ago

On top of that, I've seen a few of these posts over the last few hours, and it seems like they all have different recommendations for alternative apps.

I've seen at least three replacements for WhatsApp already, Signal, Element, and another one I've forgotten the name of. The one based on email. If I'm getting confused, imagine how a 'normal' person is going to feel.

Pixelfed has some wonderful third party apps. Like Impressia. They are definitely good enough.

I agree on loops.

Fluffychat works for matrix with a more signal vibe.

[–] ObsidianZed@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Yeah this is the third of these that I've seen. Why not just

Messenger/Whatsapp > Signal

Discord > Matrix/Element

[–] refurbishedrefurbisher@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Or if you really want to keep it federated, XMPP instead of Messenger/WhatsApp

[–] ObsidianZed@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

My main complaint was why all these graphics aren't showing Discord being replaced as it should be.

[–] SushiRain@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I searched for Loops in the Google Play Store but it's not there...

[–] FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 months ago (2 children)

It’s only in beta on ios.

[–] htrayl@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

Jus noting the original comment of being "not ready for prime time" about an app in beta.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

element is more of a discord replacement than messenger.

I would argue the opposite. Trying to use it as a Discord replacement is a nightmare, if you ever actually try it. You can use the comet app to fix that but it doesn't fix that it's a crazy slow protocol that collects all the metadata and is almost entirely controlled by the corporate entity that runs the matrix.org server.

My recommendation would be SimpleX.

[–] jayk@lemmy.ca 29 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Isn't Signal a better suited alternative to whatsapp? I think of element/matrix as more of a discord replacement

It can work fine. Fluffychat UI works great.

But I think signal is just more practical to get people to switch too, and also more secure than Matrix, because of manual encryption.

[–] Pandantic@midwest.social 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I’ve been using matrix/fluffychat as a texting replacement with my friends.

[–] Sunshine@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 months ago

I really like the account switching and it seems to make more sense!

[–] earthman@my-place.social 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

@jayk @ekZepp I wish they wouldn't push the groups aspect so much, though I suspect that's a tactic to get people into the groups when their friends aren't all on it. Signal has the same problem of being in the hands of a few, and Matrix/Element actually supports multiple devices better anyway. It is just fine as a Messenger replacement.

[–] sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al 10 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Element isn't using ActivityPub

[–] sunglocto@lemmy.zip 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Matrix as a whole is still federated and decentralised

[–] sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It is, but it shouldn't be in an infographic saying join the Fediverse. It's like a shop saying drink Coco-Cola and then serving Pepsi without informing its patrons.

[–] solardirus@slrpnk.net 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Eh. Fediverse is a portmanteau of federation and universe. It's perfectly fine and not misleading imho to suggest other federation-capable services in this context. Especially considering Matrix is definitely part of the wider cultural context underpinning the transition of some groups to using these counterculture services (it's often frequently recommended in these contects, often used by people on mastoson etc anyways),

[–] ekZepp@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Ok, post any good alternative here. 👍

[–] sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al 2 points 2 months ago

There's not an instant messenger that users ActivityPub nor even one which I think is a great solution. Take Signal for example, it has a decent team behind it and they're able to roll out things in a very professional and polished manner, but it's heralded by old men who aren't interested in the things that make the type of people that people want to talk to use it.

[–] denial@feddit.org 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Why would ActivityPub something I need in a messager? Not that savvy in all this stuff, but privacy seems the biggest concern here. So far I am happy with what signal has on offen.

Maybe it is more of a problem in these pictures to focus so hard on the fediverse instead of just good, open and free (as in foss) alternatives?

[–] sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al 1 points 2 months ago

It's just an issue of semantics. The Fediverse is just a single decentralised protocol and shouldn't be used as a generic term for decentralisation. But that's just my opinion.

[–] warmaster@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Honestly, Signal shouldn't be even mentioned in the context of the fediverse.

[–] Preflight_Tomato@lemm.ee 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

First thought was “I’d prefer signal over element”. Your comment reminded me that element is federated.

[–] warmaster@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Yes, and there are more. For example, XMPP protocol client, Conversations.

[–] lvxferre@mander.xyz 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Do you guys have suggestions on how to encourage my contacts to migrate from that bloody whatsapp into Signal and/or Element? I bloody hate Meta, I hate everything it stands for, I call it "Merda" (shit) not without a reason, and yet I need to use their shite because everyone uses it, including my family.

[–] boreengreen@lemm.ee 6 points 2 months ago

All you can do is check their interest and inform them. And switch yourself. Make yourself less available on the platform you are avoiding.

[–] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The single most common excuse for not shifting to the Fediverse has been in my experience, "I can't leave because everyone is still there." I've been ~~dragging~~ encouraging people to move towards Signal and the Fediverse for years now. Gentle persistence appears to be the way.

[–] lvxferre@mander.xyz 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That's exactly what I'm getting, too - the "collective action" problem Doctorow talks about. I managed to make a single person use it alongside WhatsApp, and... that's it.

I'm trying to remember how people migrated from ICQ to MSN Messenger to WhatsApp.

[–] MutilationWave@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

One of my friends uses it with me. I got my wife to install it and she'll get my signal message and text me back.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

Much nicer Lemmy-green there!

[–] ThatGuy46475@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

Is there an official lemmy app or did you rename it