diaspora*

Have any of you heard of or become familiar with The diaspora* Project?

I just created an account out of curiosity, but am at a bit of a loss. I suppose as I was with Facebook so many years ago. It is claimed to be a decentralized social network, which supposedly is a safeguard for privacy concerns. A friend of mine posted this YouTube video on Facebook recently (the guy really needs to cut back on his caffeine intake) which brought up some issues that I agree with, but never really felt bothered enough by to worry about. That's just a side note though on how I found diaspora*. I'm really just looking for input or opinions on use and performance of the network.

Everything you share on social media is out there. Privacy settings may restrict other users from viewing your information, but corporations are collecting your data, who you are friends with, scanning your uploaded photos, etc. You have no privacy. Facebook, Google, Twitter and other sites target you and everyone you have contact with because you are a commodity.

Yup, pretty much. Privacy ceased several years ago. In addition to "social media", the Supremes have ruled in case after case that the police can pretty much search however, whenever, whatever, whoever they want under any circumstances at all, without warrant, so long as they can come up with a good excuse, afterwards. It has been ruled that, if your car is not in a locked garage or on a lot completely surrounded by fencing with a closed and locked gate, it is "public" insomuch as the police putting a surveillance device, thereupon. I'm sure that this will soon be extended to using thermal imaging to peer through walls and distance microphones to listen through window vibrations.

Law and order? Well, that's what we're getting. Law and order at any and all cost. Thank you SO MUCH, "war on drugs", "war on terror", and all the other "public safety" measures that boil down to a War on America.

Oh, I certainly have no illusions of privacy regarding anything I submit to the internet. What I'm trying to figure out, well, one of many things, but regarding diaspora specifically, is whether anyone here has participated in the network and if so, what their opinion of it is. I've only been there a few days now, so all I can speak of is the interface, which seems smooth enough.

I like the concept of it, but I don't know how well it works in the real world. I just came across an on point article in The Atlantic which addresses the same theme (something apparently called "meshing"), but on an internet-wide scope. In the context of our net neutrality struggles, I believe this topic is ripe for discussion/dissemination.