<article> <h1>Eternal November (Fediverse)</h1> <section> <address class="h-card"> by <a rel="author" class="u-url" href="http://changelog.ca/"><span class="p-given-name">Charles</span> <span class="p-additional-name">Iliya</span> <span class="p-family-name">Krempeaux</span></a> </address> </section> <section> <h2>Usenet</h2> <p> <strong>Usenet</strong> is an early Internet social-network with origins in the 1980s. </p> <p> (<strong>Usenet</strong> was actually a copy of parts of an even earlier online social-network on a pre-Internet online system called <strong>BBS</strong>.) </p> <p> In 1993 <strong>Usenet</strong> experienced what some called — <strong>Eternal September</strong>. </p> <p> What was Eternal-September‽ — </p> </section> <section> <h2>Eternal September</h2> <p> <strong>Usenet</strong>'s <strong>Eternal September</strong> was when — in 1993 a overwhelming number of new users joined <strong>Usenet</strong> within a relatively short period of time and — </p> <p> These newcomers to <strong>Usenet</strong> changed the social-norms — they changed the culture of <strong>Usenet</strong> against the will of many (maybe most) earlier users of <strong>Usenet</strong>. </p> <p> While many early <strong>Usenet</strong> users were welcoming to the newcomers — there was social conflict. </p> <p> They battled — </p> <p> The people of Usenet's <strong>Eternal September</strong> — the overwhelming number of new users who joined <strong>Usenet</strong> — battled with the earlier users of <strong>Usenet</strong> — </p> <p> They battled about what the culture & social-norms of <strong>Usenet</strong> would be going forward. </p> <p> The early users of <strong>Usenet</strong> lost the battle!!! </p> <p> The social-norms & culture of <strong>Usenet</strong> were permanently changed. </p> <p> I think something like this happened to the <strong>Fediverse</strong> and <ziba-link dir="software" transform="lowercase">Mastodon</ziba-link> — </p> </section> <section> <h2>Eternal November</h2> <p> Around November, 2022 an overwhelming number of new users have joined the <strong>Fediverse</strong and <ziba-link dir="software" transform="lowercase">Mastodon</ziba-link> within a relatively short period of time — mostly as part of the <ziba-link transform="lowercase">Twitter migration</ziba-link>. </p> <p> The newcomes to the <strong>Fediverse</strong> & <ziba-link dir="software" transform="lowercase">Mastodon</ziba-link> have largely been welcomed by the earlier users of the Fediverse. </p> <p> But there is conflict — </p> <p> Some of the <ziba-link transform="lowercase">Twitter migration</ziba-link> newcomers are battling with earlier users of the <strong>Fediverse</strong> & <ziba-link dir="software" transform="lowercase">Mastodon</ziba-link> over what the culture & social-norms will be going forward. </p> <p> I think some of the culture and social-norms of the <strong>Fediverse</strong> & <ziba-link dir="software" transform="lowercase">Mastodon</ziba-link> have already started to change, as a result of this. </p> <p> How far it will go — only time will tell. But — </p> <p> I think — just like <strong>Usenet</strong> had its <strong>Eternal September</strong> — for better or worse, the <strong>Fediverse</strong> and <ziba-link dir="software" transform="lowercase">Mastodon</ziba-link> are having their own <strong>Eternal November</strong>. </p> </section> </article>