Sunday, January 4, 2015

Diaspora declaration

A Translation of the Declaration by Nathalie to English

(The original declaration is in German. As I did not write the original document, but only translated, I can only answer questions about the translation and cannot speak as the author.)

(I'd also like to extend a "Thank you" to #diaspora-de for ensuring that I retain the original meaning of each sentence to the highest degree we could.)

EDIT: Original translation was deleted because I needed to fix some bad mistakes. Sorry! Hopefully I fixed them all.


A declaration,

It makes me very happy that the amount of Diaspora users is currently increasing so quickly. The network is finally getting the attention that it deserves.

The problem is only that many who come from Facebook to escape its shamelessness bring along quite false expectations. They expect a social network in which they can read what their friends are doing, how they are, and where they are meeting. They are searching for an uncomplicated method of communication, that is more direct and faster than an email and less binding than a telephone conversation. An instrument to reach all contacts. They want to know what is happening in their social circle and what impels their friends in America. Through facebook they want to feel good and connected with their loved ones.

They will not find that on Diaspora. Here, strangers post their (usually politically left-leaning) ideals, philosophical text, calls for change, and evidence of unjust activity. And of course pictures of baby kittens.

The Facebook refugee is initially surprised by the alternative network and explains to himself the differences come from the still too small amount of members.

But in the end the foundational difference does not lie in the amount, but in the type of user. To the majority of the current active Diaspora users, it is not about the "social" in the network. They want an exchange of thoughts. That which Facebook does not provide. They don't want to see, twice per week, half-successful Instagram photos of half-botched cupcakes. And they also don't want to see photos of shit-faced people who are "enjoying" life in its full glory. And they also are not interested in whether unimportant person A is in an open relationship with unimportant person B.

All of that is not classy enough for Diaspora. But that is exactly what the upcoming converts will miss. In order to lure a large part of the now Facebook users here, and keep them permanently, it will be necessary to add exactly these things that do not fit Diaspora.

One could say that Facebook is a social network and Diaspora is a thought network. In Facebook it is about the relationships between people who post things. In Diaspora it is about what they posted.

If one takes "social network" literally, then ultimately Diaspora matches the phrase better than Facebook with its always-respectful interactions between users and the genuine interest in text that was written with blood, sweat, and tears. Here the people do not want to portray themselves as first in line, but want to share their thoughts with others. Everyone wins: One shares his convictions, gives thought-out Feedback, and gets new thoughts, new knowledge and answers, that can only come from collaborative thinking.

I believe that Diaspora should stay different and non-conforming like it is. Even if that means that, due to a lack of users, it can never be a new, better Facebook. Who cares?

#Diaspora #Liebesbrief #German #English #Translation

Join us, on the truly decentralized, non-commercialized and free social/thought network : https://diasp.de (one pod among many.. see https://diasporafoundation.org/ to find out about this all from the beginning)

https://diasp.de/u/nikhll_vj

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