Unifying the Fediverse

Why are there so many separate platforms in the Fediverse like Mastodon, Lemmy, PixelFed, and PeerTube? It feels like they could all be part of one unified platform.

Posts

Text, images, and videos could just be treated as posts, all with comments enabled.

  • Servers that don’t want to host videos could just have a setting to turn off video uploads.
    • That would let PeerTube function like Mastodon when video support isn’t needed.

Lemmy + Mastodon + PixelFed

They all do basically the same thing — let people post stuff. So why split them up?

Forums can still work like Lemmy. If you want your post in a forum, cool. If not, that’s fine too.

Matrix + Posts

  • As for messaging, I think Matrix could benefit from Signal-style encryption. Each message should be encrypted with a unique key, just like Signal does.
  • Add a button like “See recent posts by this user” on profiles.
    • This would make it easier for people to switch over from Instagram or Facebook.

plugin-based development

I also think the Fediverse could grow faster if it were plugin-based, kind of like how Obsidian handles plugins. Development would be more modular and flexible.

  • Servers could choose which plugins to enable.
  • Devs could collaborate instead of reinventing the wheel across platforms like Mastodon, Lemmy, PixelFed, PeerTube, etc.
  • This would create a richer, more customizable ecosystem that evolves together.

Questions

Also, just a question from someone who’s not a coder:

Why not just copy Signal’s encryption model?

Summarize

Each user can create posts (with or without a forum), follow forums, follow other users, have private chats, and join encrypted rooms.

This is just some personal rambling, so feel free to ignore it. But if any of it sounds useful, please share it with other people, especially the developers.

  • Meldrik@lemmy.wtfEnglish
    7·
    13 hours ago

    Each platform have different functions and is a different tool.

    How do you imagine all the functions of PeerTube should fit inside Lemmy?

    All the platforms are already unified. You can subscribe to a PeerTube channel from Mastodon. You can post to Lemmy communities from Mastodon. People on Pixelfed can follow you on Mastodon.

    • Holeheadou92984@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      12 hours ago

      How do you see all the features of PeerTube fitting into Lemmy?

      I mean, videos and text are basically just posts, right? What features couldn’t be implemented on lemmy?

      All the platforms are already connected. You can follow a PeerTube channel from Mastodon. You can post in Lemmy communities from Mastodon. People on Pixelfed can follow you on Mastodon.

      I haven’t seen a way to post in Lemmy communities directly from Mastodon. The bigger issue for me is that there’s no easy way to search across all these platforms. If I’m into a certain topic, I have to go hunting for it on each one separately.