Off topic: it's such a breath of fresh air to read this content without 1) having to close half a dozen popups and 2) all in a single post and not painfully spread out across multiple messages.
Doesn't do targeted ads, so doesn't have to have an EU cookie popup.
Doesn't have an app, so doesn't have to try to make you install the app.
Doesn't do registered users growth hacking, doesn't have to have sign-up dialog.
The problem is, if and when they decide to monetise this thing they will have to have all of these because the money people and the analytics will tell them they have to.
Everything is much more fun when it's paid by someone else, that's why the old web was so nice. The content was produced for free and the distribution was handled by VCs. Today, these VCs are recouping their investments.
Distributing a static HTML page content does not need a VC. Nginx on an RPI on my home connection does provide sufficient level of performance and availability. If I need more because my content is way popular, I guess a monetization scheme (asking for a tip) might cover it ?
> The content was produced for free and the distribution was handled by VCs
And even that, content distribution was handled by a volunteer happy to chip in a few bucks to pay for shared hosting.
Content distribution (and infrastructure in general) nowadays is cheaper than ever thanks to technological advances (today's entry-level MacBook is more powerful than a lot of servers from 10 years ago).
There is absolutely a way to distribute content for very cheap nowadays if you know how to - you just have to avoid the rent-seekers like cloud providers.
On that vein, I recently joined home-barista, an old school web forum for coffee geeks.
That site is seemingly frozen in time from the early 2000s. There are no trackers - there's no need, since it is already filled with a self selected group. The ads are just simple banners. And best of all it filled with a group of passionate, kind and helpful folks. A simpler site from a simpler time. One of my favorite haunts on the web.
mrtksn|3 years ago
Doesn't have an app, so doesn't have to try to make you install the app.
Doesn't do registered users growth hacking, doesn't have to have sign-up dialog.
The problem is, if and when they decide to monetise this thing they will have to have all of these because the money people and the analytics will tell them they have to.
Everything is much more fun when it's paid by someone else, that's why the old web was so nice. The content was produced for free and the distribution was handled by VCs. Today, these VCs are recouping their investments.
eloisant|3 years ago
Some of them included ads but they were mostly in a sidebar.
cesarb|3 years ago
It does have an app. See https://joinmastodon.org/apps for not only the official app, but also literally dozens of third-party apps.
makapuf|3 years ago
Nextgrid|3 years ago
And even that, content distribution was handled by a volunteer happy to chip in a few bucks to pay for shared hosting.
Content distribution (and infrastructure in general) nowadays is cheaper than ever thanks to technological advances (today's entry-level MacBook is more powerful than a lot of servers from 10 years ago).
There is absolutely a way to distribute content for very cheap nowadays if you know how to - you just have to avoid the rent-seekers like cloud providers.
duckfruit|3 years ago
That site is seemingly frozen in time from the early 2000s. There are no trackers - there's no need, since it is already filled with a self selected group. The ads are just simple banners. And best of all it filled with a group of passionate, kind and helpful folks. A simpler site from a simpler time. One of my favorite haunts on the web.
solarkraft|3 years ago
Well, it does, but does nothing user hostile with it, so doesn't gain anything from coercing them to install it.
dmitriid|3 years ago
What are you talking about? The old web was filled with ads. They just weren't tracking you every nanosecond of your life.
Google's AdWords was launched in 2000. DoubleClick that Google acquired in 2008 was launched in 1995. Ad exchanges are from 1998. And so on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_online_advertising
alanfranz|3 years ago
nicce|3 years ago
https://elk.zone/infosec.exchange/@marcan@treehouse.systems
There is popup about the preview, but that might be acceptable. There is zen mode to remove all disturbances on right bottom.