I’ve been thinking about the potential for a decentralized, federated version of the new social media platform Neptune.

For those unfamiliar, Neptune is a rising star in the social media world that’s gaining traction on Tiktok for its unique approach to content creation and distribution, especially given the whole TikTok situation.

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Here’s a quick overview:

What is Neptune?

  • A new social media app focused on decentralizing media
  • Empowers creators with customizable content feeds
  • Uses “ghost metrics” to highlight work without the pressure of visible likes/shares
  • Aims to foster genuine connections and community
  • Similar to TikTok but with a stronger emphasis on integrity and user control
  • Has gained over 5,000 sign-ups and built an active Discord community

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The Fediverse Opportunity

Given the Fediverse’s commitment to decentralization and user empowerment, I wonder if there’s any potential to create a federated alternative that captures Neptune’s best features while leveraging the strengths of the Fediverse, or would we just be basically remaking Loops by Pixelfed?

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Some questions to consider:

  1. How could we implement customizable content feeds in a federated environment?
  2. Is there a way to incorporate “ghost metrics” or similar concepts to reduce social pressure?
  3. What existing Fediverse projects might serve as a foundation for this kind of platform?
  4. How can we ensure creator empowerment while maintaining the open, interconnected nature of the Fediverse?

I lack the technical skills, as well as the time, to tackle this myself, but I’m curious about the community’s thoughts.

Has anyone considered a project like this?

What challenges and/or opportunities do you see?

Looking forward to hearing your ideas.

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Neptune’s official website: https://theneptuneapp.com/

Neptune Discord: https://discord.gg/theneptuneapp

A discussion about Neptune on Linus Tech Tips forum: https://linustechtips.com/topic/1592379-new-social-media-app-neptune/

https://youtu.be/GZRuRpzFslg

Neptune App TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theneptuneapp?_t=8sd66XMyQrG&_r=1

    • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝@feddit.ukEnglish
      4·
      2 days ago

      Yeah, I don’t see much that couldn’t be added to Loops and the “ghost metrics” idea would be easy enough to add to most Fediverse platforms if it proved popular.

      However, most of those features look like stuff they came up with in an afternoon to try and set it apart from TikTok while the main thrust is just to scoop up users as TikTok struggles with it’s current issues.