[lowglow]

I asked a friend if they would pay $1/mo for a facebook alternative, and they said no -- they would just start using instagram. When I explained facebook owned instagram, they still didn't think $1/mo would be worth it, citing:

"It's just another thing I have to pay per month: Netflix, Spotify, etc."

People have mental budgets, and maybe their psychological good will in balancing those budgets get drained over time for things like recurring payments that aren't on a bigger scale ($100+) and aren't 100% necessary like internet.

[bluetwo]

I see where you are going and don't disagree. However, let me throw two things out there:

1) No good sales pitch starts with the price. What benefits you offering that will entice them?

2) You don't need to do everything a larger competitor does to disrupt. You just need to do one area better and have a slice of the audience cares a lot about that thing. What's the thing?

[mr_spothawk]

this is already a grey comment for me, but I think your message is relevant.

People need "friends" and they get them where they can. As a society, we deserve and owe our selves better than this. There are FOSS alternatives which are nearly as good. This is as fine a time as any to turn up the pressure on our friends, and to work for solutions that don't/can't sell us out (intentionally, or accidentally).

[tunesmith]

What are the alternatives again? So far I'm hearing mastodon (more twitterish), riot/matrix (more slackish), diaspora, email, and starting a blog.