⁂

A couple days ago, some folks proposed a symbol - ⁂ - to help represent the fediverse. You should go read the introductory post.

This has riled some people up. The most cogent of the reactions come from Manu who pens his thoughts here: https://manuelmoreale.com/thoughts-on-symbols

This, to me, means absolutely nothing. But also, I think trying to unify people behind a silly symbol is the wrong move. And it’s also a misguided effort. A new symbol doesn’t solve anything and doesn’t help your cause. Also, "A single symbol to represent that belonging can often be more relevant than individual icons for each service" belonging to what? I am no fediverse citizen but I do consider myself a good citizen of the web. I try my best to make it a better place and I try to encourage people to own their corners of the web. Am I excluded from your fancy club because I don’t “federate”? Are you saying I don’t belong? I’m asking this rhetorically, because frankly speaking, I couldn’t give less of a fuck about belonging to some arbitrary definition.

Stop trying to make everything about symbols and flags and tribes. It’s not helping.

Personally, I think the proposal comes from a place of good intent. In fact, I also like this symbol more than the concentric circle thing that Facebook currently uses for threads federation.

Manu’s discontent seems to come from a place where they don’t want to be labeled / be beholden to some arbitrary definition and are already taking the symbol for some undefined set of constraints. Which, hey c’est la vie. I understand the impulse. However, personally, I am going to support this proposal and would love for it to take off.

As of now besides ActivityPub, which is already part of the web, Fediverse doesn’t have a symbol. To me it’s a symbol indicating that you are part of the broader web with some additional signals that you can follow the person / blog / stream along in a place and manner of your choosing. This could do with a symbol that’s not just “sharing.”