TL;DR
A recent essay by Ploum argues that federated networks like the Fediverse are evolving into content-distribution systems rather than reliable communication networks. The author raised controversy after criticizing Pixelfed for deliberately dropping messages and says this debate exposes two incompatible views of ActivityPub: communication versus entertainment.
What happened
Ploum published a provocative piece criticizing Pixelfed for intentionally discarding certain messages, arguing that clients that drop messages undermine trust across a federated communication network. The post generated strong pushback from many Fediverse users, most of whom defended Pixelfed’s approach and tended to post from Mastodon accounts. Ploum traced the disagreement to two different mental models: one that treats ActivityPub as a protocol for direct, reliable human-to-human communication, and another that treats it as a media-delivery mechanism optimized for content consumption. The author cites the protocol’s description as focused on delivering content and notes that several Fediverse tools never display incoming social notifications at all. Ploum also connects this shift to broader cultural changes — users habituated to algorithmic feeds tolerate message loss, while staples of dependable, asynchronous communication such as email and traditional protocols remain in use mainly among a shrinking group.
Why it matters
- Dropping messages on federated networks can erode user trust in cross-instance interactions.
- If ActivityPub is used primarily for content delivery, expectations for reliable person-to-person messaging diverge across users.
- Platform designs that prioritize engagement over reliable delivery may further fragment identity and require multiple accounts.
- The cultural acceptance of lossy algorithmic feeds may accelerate decline of older, more reliable communication tools.
Key facts
- Ploum published a critical blog post arguing Pixelfed harms trust by arbitrarily dropping messages.
- Many defenders of Pixelfed in the Fediverse replied from Mastodon accounts, indicating different usage patterns.
- Ploum interprets ActivityPub as being framed in its specification as a protocol for building social platforms to deliver content.
- Some Fediverse tools (PeerTube, WriteFreely, Mobilizon) do not present incoming social notifications to users.
- Ploum says Pixelfed’s maintainer announced an upcoming option to stop dropping text messages.
- The essay links user tolerance for lost messages to long exposure to algorithmic platforms that favor ephemeral consumption.
- Ploum favors asynchronous, reliable channels like email and RSS and reports using offline-first tools such as Offpunk.
What to watch next
- Pixelfed’s announced option to optionally retain text messages when it is rolled out (confirmed in the source).
- Whether other Fediverse projects change client behavior to prioritize reliable notifications rather than treating ActivityPub as content-only (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- ActivityPub: A W3C protocol used to build decentralized social platforms; it provides APIs for client-server content management and federated server-to-server delivery of notifications and content.
- Fediverse: A loosely connected network of independently hosted social platforms that interoperate using shared protocols like ActivityPub.
- Pixelfed: A Fediverse project focused on image-centric social functionality; referenced here for its design choice to discard certain incoming messages by default.
- Email: An older, asynchronous and decentralized method of exchanging messages, often cited for its reliability and manageability.
- Algorithmic feed: A content stream organized by ranking systems designed to maximize engagement rather than present messages in a purely chronological or complete form.
Reader FAQ
What exactly did Pixelfed do that caused the controversy?
Ploum criticized Pixelfed for deliberately dropping some messages by design; the project later said it will add an option to retain text messages.
Is ActivityPub a communication protocol or a content protocol?
Ploum argues ActivityPub is used primarily for content delivery and notes the protocol itself focuses on building social platforms to deliver content.
Are messages actually being lost across the Fediverse?
The author reports that some Fediverse tools do not surface incoming notifications and that clients can drop messages, leading to missed communications.
Is email dying?
Ploum observes many people view email as too formal and treat it like another feed, but says he still relies on email for reliable asynchronous communication.
How We Lost Communication to Entertainment by Ploum on 2025-12-15 All our communication channels are morphed into content distribution networks. We are more and more entertained but less and less…
Sources
- How we lost communication to entertainment
- The Evolution of Social Media: From 'Social' to Entertainment
- Impact of Social Media On the Entertainment Industry
- Social media and creators drive viewers to TV shows …
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