Somehow it still exists

I've been bouncing around a theory in my head that the big, mainstream, social media sites are kind of too big to fail at this point.

Back in the day, a change in moderation or ownership on a forum site would lead to a user revolt or an exodus to an alternative, and the old one would die out.

Now, these sites are so big and load bearing that alternatives struggle to get off the ground, and people just sorta stay and take it.

I found myself on reddit the other day, and came across someone complaining "now we're all trapped in this corporate hellscape! I miss forums, BBS, and all that stuff"

Lemmy is right here, and a hobbyist community for old communication platforms like that, could really thrive on a place like Lemmy. Where it's not just about nostalgia for a bygone era, but actively on a platform that can carve out, an alternative to the corporate hellscape this guy was complaining about.

But no, they're still on reddit, yearning for the past, and blinded from seeing a future with any alternative

Twitter used to be a very effective tool for spreading information (good or bad). It was often used by people protesting against their governments to organize gatherings, events and all sorts of stuff.

Then coincidentally when the USA desperately needs something like that, it is no longer around.

hadn't hurt musks wealth.

He's lost billions, I'm not sure what gave you that idea.

And I've noticed X being referenced in news articles etc far less than it used to be, and Bluesky being referenced far more. The platform has definitely lost relevance.