Bad analogy. A library in isolation can still exist and it does not require the network to have value to its community. An instance in isolation is useful, but the real value comes from its ability to participate in the larger network.

Libraries also are not the drivers of content generation. The motivation for an author to write a book is not "oh, I really want to get my book in the local library!". They want to reach an audience. They rely on a whole cottage industry of agents, publishers, marketing, distributors, etc. The same for Hollywood movies.

To their credit, what tech companies did was to remove a lot of these middlemen. But to their fault, the main reason they were so successful at doing this is that they managed to do that by taking their revenue from their "main business" and running these operations at a loss, forcing their competitors out of existence.

[–] Blaze@feddit.org 2 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

The focus was on volunteering projects lasting a long time.

[–] rglullis@communick.news 0 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Which is the wrong focus.

I can bet that there are kitchen soups that are operated for decades already, but this means shit to me and to most people who don't want to live in a world where fast food chains and ultra-processed crap is the main source of "cheap, universally available" food.

[–] Blaze@feddit.org 0 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

As usual, agree to disagree

[–] rglullis@communick.news 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

"agree to disagree..." On what, exactly?

Do you think that the value of the Fediverse is the "community" in itself? Is this why you are participating here and not on Reddit? Is all your effort on the communities and in promoting Lemmy/kbin as alternatives because you are defending some ideal where social media can be run strictly by volunteers?