The fediverse, a burgeoning open social web ecosystem, is gaining momentum as its user base expands. Powered by the ActivityPub protocol, the fediverse hosts various decentralized applications, including Pixelfed, a popular alternative to Instagram. Canadian developer Daniel Supernault stands at the forefront of this movement with his federated apps Pixelfed, Loops, and Sup. In a bid to secure further development of these platforms, Supernault has launched a Kickstarter campaign aiming to raise $1 million or more.
Supernault's Kickstarter campaign has already garnered $58,383, signaling strong community support. The funds will enable him to hire a small team to enhance Pixelfed as well as continue development on Loops and Sup, alternatives to TikTok and WhatsApp respectively. These platforms represent a shift towards open source and decentralized applications, offering users an escape from centralized social media networks.
The fediverse has seen a notable increase in users since Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter in October 2022. As concerns about centralized social media platforms grow, decentralized apps like Mastodon and Bluesky have experienced surges in popularity. Pixelfed.social, the main instance of Pixelfed, now boasts over 200,000 users, making it the second-largest instance in the fediverse after Mastodon.social.
Supernault's initiatives extend beyond just creating alternatives to popular apps. He aims to introduce end-to-end encryption to the fediverse through his Kickstarter efforts, enhancing privacy and security for its users. The funds raised will also support the expansion of storage, content delivery networks (CDNs), and compute power necessary to accommodate the growing user base.
“Help us put control back into the hands of the people!” – Daniel Supernault
The campaign's success will allow Supernault to dedicate more time to these apps and the fediverse overall. Additionally, it will help in expanding moderation, security, privacy, and safety programs across the platforms. A future goal of the campaign includes developing a blogging app that could serve as an alternative to platforms like Tumblr or LiveJournal.
Pixelfed's growth is part of a larger trend within the fediverse, where open source and decentralized apps are resonating with users seeking greater autonomy over their online interactions. The Kickstarter campaign represents an opportunity for both financial backing and community engagement in shaping the future of these platforms.
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