Update on the class project. I asked students to report for week 7 about their adventures in the Fediverse.

Out of 23 students, not one genuinely grocks, as it were, the why.

Oh, they can give lip-service to the tropes we’ve been exploring in the SF class— privacy, autonomy, freedom, ethical uses of technology etc but none of them have become inspired, or even curious by these alternative platforms.

I believe it was you who wanted me about this attempt. Perhaps you were right. Not because they’d encounter vile things, which they do but do not blame me for, but because … I have dragged them out of the cave too fast? It’s too jarring for them? Too cumbersome. Requires too much.

The simplest features you and I take for granted in dealing with the mechanics of a Federated platform are simply too challenging and disheartening for these college students.

It’s like the corporations won in a single generation — as they anticipated.

This meme makes me think of a fabulous but unwritten scene from American Gods… like that orgy party in The Boys, but Denny’s.

Had I been truly bold, I would have included in the assignment guidelines that they use the platforms themselves to execute their “creative projects” with the Fediverse — this way you’d be able to see what was done “live.” As it is, I used a digital format for their work they are all familiar with… they’ll be presenting live presentations with google slides…

My guidelines are general enough that the hideous things some folks have run into cannot come back to bite me, but as you predicted, some have run into genuinely nauseating material. I’ve just smiled and said, “I hope you clicked away.”

I believe the best response I’ve received after some adventuring in the Fediverse one student came back hooting about how much she has dreamed of “Internet one point oh.” This is what she calls the Fediverse — and she’s not wrong. Zero corporate Shenanigans.

Sorry for the two month delay in reply to your exceptional wisdom. I kept this message “unread” believing that I might own another such thorough reply. Then the term started and it’s all a blur.

I will share that I DID create an assignment on the FEDIVERSE. Very very general with major caveats about their free will and content they will encounter if they are not careful.

Best best response when I dropped the guidelines was a student who clapped her hands in glee and said, “OMG! We can go back to Internet 1.0!” — this is a 19 year old and she was being sincere. I asked her to clarify he thinking for the class and she said, “There was a time before corporations owned the internet when it was just people.” Oh… it was lovely!!

I won’t hear about this experiment for a few more weeks.

But I am hopeful.

I’m not watching

All the above is true. My own few experiences made me more curious, analytical, and open minded. All very good permanent changes.

Loved them. And I loved the whole post apocalyptic fires under huge caldroms feature about them. Best part of my trip to Georgia except for the cocaine.

So… wouldn’t I have to have an extra phone or device?

I’m pretty certain that even if I were to delete insta on my phone and reinstall it, there’s going to be traces of my previous use? My identity?

I’m likely not unplugged enough to “grok” this entirely.

But the reminder to completely unplug is valuable. Thank you.

I met a traveller from an antique land,

Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

And on the pedestal, these words appear:

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Came here to say this.

Really nice idea… there’s a whole lotta garbage out there for students to wade through.

I popped off of mobile to reply to this but I do not believe that even on a keyboard I will be able to express my gratitude for your thoroughness, reason, and wisdom here.

Yes – turns out I have a pretty sweet gig and I want to keep it.

Your points reminded me that before Reddit imploded, I had an assignment that I agonized over for many of your excellent points here. The previous president of our school applauded me for teaching A Clockwork Orange. Academic Freedom and all that. But we have a new president and I just don’t want to risk it. In fact, my reddit assignment was tied specifically to: r/TIL. That was it. I had huge warnings about traveling beyond that sub.

As I read your contribution here, I was stunned that I had just “gone native.” I personally just avoid the ugly on Lemmy and do not even notice it or react to it.

The short version here is this: thanks for your kind and erudite wake up call. WTF was I thinking? I did one term use Lemmy in an assignment where I created kind of a private group called: our class or something like that. Ostensibly this was just where we could reach out to one another to discuss class topics… but the shadow agenda was moving people off corporations and onto the Fediverse. It’s so frustrating that they do not care about privacy or anonymity. Oh – when I had them all try to create accounts in class, we ran into an IP blocker likely created to stop briganding or something.

Anyway – I’ll keep thinking about this – maybe find a more gradual way to introduce elements of the fediverse… like TIL videos or something to begin.

And the body count just keeps rising…

And those guns end up whispering to the sickest among us about how fun they’d be if they took them to a school.

I can’t believe this is still happening.

You’ll notice for my screenshot, I didn’t even click on it.

I feel sorry for anyone who falls for one of those.

I am so glad he did not pull the trigger. What an ending to that video.

Said some guy at the open mic.

Rental agency ran out of the car I chose. Gave me this pos. I banged my head getting in three times before I remembered: this is the worst car ever made.

Apparently.