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>We need an open alternative to Twitter

Like GNUSocial and Pumpio? What's your handle?

I think pump.io is meant to be more like a G+ alternative. But you are right. Open sourced distributed alternatives exist if that's what you want all you need to do is join. GnuSocial, pump.io, Diaspora, RedMatrix, Friendica, Twister, BuddyCloud etc etc. Each has it's own community of users. Sure your close friends probably wont be there but were they on Twitter when you joined?

From my own perspective zot (RedMatrix) should be the future. Whether the socialwg agrees is yet to be seen.Though I have a feeling zot will be the betamax to socialwg's eventual vhs

I only joined twitter because someone I knew was on there. I'll join one of the decentralised alternatives when more than one person I already know mentions that they use it.

That's great and it's entirely your choice. I have no problem communicating with strangers on the Internet.

Neither of these are true alternatives until they have a critical mass of users.

Unfortunately Twitter has a near complete monopoly in the microblogging market.

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