who is on Lemmy (the sociology of Lemmy)

I dont know if this has been asked before or if this may be a little goofy of a question but I didn't see anything relating to it and I'm kinda curious what the culture of Lemmy is like and what sort of common things people see.
ive been paying attention to interactions but nothing is as good as just asking everyone.

087008001234 , (edited )

I am new, and I am sure that the culture has changed a lot like with Mastodon in the last few years, but what I perceive is lots of FOSS and Linux people, which is unsurprising. There's tech/infosec people like on Mastodon, and people that have what I consider a very healthy skepticism about big data, corporations, and corporate surveillance. I also notice that political attitudes have a much healthier range than any other social media I've been on in the last decade - and I don't just mean that there are more people like me. There is a good number of people I disagree with, too.

There are definitely people interested in games and niche interests/hobbies, but it feels to me like the community is still very FOSS-centric. Which is nice. :)

e: obviously influenced by my instance of choice

j4k3 ,
@j4k3@lemmy.world avatar

The instance of choice has a surprisingly large impact on experience here. I've tried several.

confuser OP ,
@confuser@lemmy.zip avatar

huh thats interesting
I guess that makes enough sense since you have your subscribed section, your home server section, and then the everything section.
so you are seeing more of what you choose to see unless you explore things that aren't your interests so much or check out the everything section a lot.

gregorum ,
@gregorum@lemm.ee avatar

Since lemmy is decentralized, the demographics are going to vary greatly depending on the instance. You’d have to create a pretty generalized poll and then post to most of the major instances to get anything close to even a general read.

jeffw ,

On Hexbear, for example, everyone shares their Russian heritage and, presumably, the same employer

gregorum ,
@gregorum@lemm.ee avatar

On Hexbear, for example, everyone shares their Russian heritage and, presumably, the same genes

Ftfy

gregorum ,
@gregorum@lemm.ee avatar

I know well enough to have that instance blocked

JetpackJackson ,

What's wrong with hexbear? I must've missed something

jeffw ,

What’s wrong with any tankie shill?

JetpackJackson ,

Oh. Yikes

Lemmeenym ,

Hexbear seems a little passive, they could be a little more aggressive in their interactions. Also they don't include enough random spam and shit posting when they find a thread they want to interact with. What's really sad though is that they only tend to engage with one or two representatives instead of sending every user on their server into the thread.

livus ,

@JetpackJackson this community had a thread on them last week, scroll a bit and you'll soon see it.

JetpackJackson ,

Alright, thank you.

livus ,

This is true.

confuser OP ,
@confuser@lemmy.zip avatar

at first I wasnt picturing how that would work exactly but then I realized you are a bit locked down into your own communities a bit unless you intentionally explore other areas or mainly look at the everything section

gregorum ,
@gregorum@lemm.ee avatar

Not so much. One has the freedom to explore and subscribe and participate in communities across the lemmyverse (mostly) regardless of what one’s home instance is.

However, one’s home instance often has quite the influence on one’s… perspective and one’s exposure— even one’s intended exposure.

For example, one will probably have a notably different experience if one starts from Lemmy.world vs lemmy.ml (or even lemmygrad.ml) vs lemm.ee. Or, especially Beehaw.org. And that experience may color how one views how one experiences external communities.

My point is that it’s mor complex and nuanced than you’re giving it credit for.

confuser OP ,
@confuser@lemmy.zip avatar

interesting

loopy ,
@loopy@lemm.ee avatar

That’s a good question. From what I gather, Lemmy (and most of the Fediverse) is an alternative to something, with less focus on the money/advertising. So I would guess most people are looking for an alternative way to connect about common interests. And because it’s not the easiest path for social media, I would guess most people have a desire for agency/self-reliance.

And because the whole Fediverse seems to be a different way of approaching social connecting, it takes a little more understanding of computer technology, so I would also guess most people have a least a higher than average affinity for computer technology. Linux and Programming Humor are larger communities.

That said, I have enjoyed a somewhat active participation about woodworking, gardening, jokes, news, medical updates, etc. Like mentioned in another comment, the different instances will have somewhat different norms and practices.

Ziglin ,

There'd better not be any ads.

Lemmy is free and open source (AGPL), the ad money would only go to the person offering your client not the people hosting your instance. If your client has any ads I'd recommend switching. I use Jerboa (Android, play store) and the official web app hosted by my instance.

confuser OP ,
@confuser@lemmy.zip avatar

I'm pretty new to fediverse stuff and hadn't use many clients but I heard about boost for reddit as I was trying out Lemmy the first time and found out there is boost for Lemmy too, it has ads but I think there is also a pay version? I may be wrong about that though.
so far boost has been nice

xmunk ,

Lemmy has an abnormally tech literate and FOSS "aware" (there's got to be a better term but I'm blanking) user base. The community is small enough that recognizing people isn't unheard of so we tend to be more polite overall - with a smaller community there's less of a sense of anonymity and more social accountability. Oh, we tend to be rather left leaning but, to be honest, "The universe has a well known liberal bias".

Other than those factors we're a mix of folks.

Track_Shovel ,

Tech literate and Foss aware

Lawl. Speak for yourself: I'm a luddite - I just asked someone 'what is a foss'

Is this is what happened to my parents when the internet came along and computers started being a thing? I swore to God that would never happen to me

SnotFlickerman ,
@SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

You figured out the Fediverse, you're not that much of a luddite.

SupraMario , (edited )

You shouldn't feel to bad gen x and millennials created the web and how most tech is today. The generation after these are damn near tech illiterate. If it's not an app or buttons to click they're lost.

Track_Shovel ,

This warms my geriatric millennial heart

user224 ,
@user224@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

Technically, every generation up until now contributed to modern tech.

But anyway, even if we consider just those who did directly, I am pretty sure you should still also include boomers and even the silent generation.
Check out the computer chronicles: https://archive.org/details/computerchronicles?sort=date

Seems modern enough already.

SupraMario ,

Some boomers definitely helped in it, but do remember even the youngest boomers are 60+ now. While they did help, it wasn't anywhere near what gen x and then millennials did. Not discounting them at all. Also while yes the younger era of the net with darpa is from boomers and the silent gen, I'm more talking about what the web and tech is today. They %100 laid the foundation, we just built the rest.

confuser OP ,
@confuser@lemmy.zip avatar

wowee is it really that bad for them?
I wouldve thought since they grew up with tech that it would just be intuitive to them.

SupraMario ,

It's on par or worse than boomers. Do remember these kids grew up with mainly cell phones, very few had to actually learn how to type and use a computer. Go to r/teachers and you will see countless stores of how far behind they are compared to each previous year. I feel like millennials and Gen X strived for the easiest and best user experience, which means less having to figure things out like we did.

xmunk ,

Abnormally tech literate and FOSS aware - we've got lots of people who aren't and I didn't mean to imply we're all in that camp.

This isn't a tech forum so self-identified luddites are welcome!

Fizz ,
@Fizz@lemmy.nz avatar

The median age seems to be much higher than other platforms if i had to guess its around 30-35. There are a good deal of tech people, Foss people and activists. There seems to be a balance of gender( based on nothing but vibes). Lots of lgbt people and communities.

There is a culture of creating art, technology and building spaces. There is a culture of inclusiveness and working together. Calling out bad behaviors in people, companies and governments.

Also cats and coffee.

I am only including the lemmy that is within my own federation. I am aware there is fringe communities of extremists and vile people but I've had very little interaction with them so I can't say how much of an impact they have on lemmy as a whole.

Track_Shovel ,

What's a foss?

DigitalDruid ,

thin string you use to clean between your teeth

Track_Shovel ,

The one they named the dance after?

Rivalarrival ,

You're thinking of "floss".

Foss is loose debris on an airfield or flight deck that can get sucked into an engine or blown into something important.

skeptomatic ,

You're thinking of "floose".

FOSS is an acronym for, "fellatio of sideways sucking". Popular since 1954 and even made reference to by Jim Carrey in the Academy Award winning motion picture, Dumb and Dumber.

SnotFlickerman ,
@SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Free Open Source Software

LanternEverywhere ,

Free open source software

The_Che_Banana ,
@The_Che_Banana@beehaw.org avatar

For example: you want more choice than store named brand Downloader you get the F-DROID app which allows you to look at free and open software apps developed independently

Another example is instead of Spotify you download Spotube to listen to music.

fmstrat ,

Ahem.

Also cats, coffee, and trek.

There is definitely a federation.

AdamEatsAss ,

I'm here!

swab148 ,
@swab148@startrek.website avatar

Yeah you are!

confuser OP ,
@confuser@lemmy.zip avatar

now what 0.0

AdamEatsAss ,

I don't know, memes?

bloodfart ,

Libs

davel ,
@davel@lemmy.ml avatar

Same as in town.

bardmoss ,

I am probably blowing the statistics way out, but I'm 71, a podcaster on three shows, no degree, no computer experience except personal, poor, living in a trailer, in Eastern Tennessee.

Track_Shovel ,

Bruh

SnotFlickerman ,
@SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Podcast links? Please and thank you. Sounds interesting.

user224 ,
@user224@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

You still didn't answer the most important question of Lemmy, though. ^(joke)^

Do you use GNU+Linux?

BlueEther ,
@BlueEther@no.lastname.nz avatar

sometimes it is a good reference point though

BlueEther ,
@BlueEther@no.lastname.nz avatar

i think ive seen a few in your age bracket. there seems to be a good amount that must be around the 50+ mark

LanternEverywhere ,

Love it! Glad to have you here!

PrincessLeiasCat ,

You sound kind of amazing.

livus ,

That's the perspective I need. Clicked follow.

confuser OP ,
@confuser@lemmy.zip avatar

sounds like many would love to see your podcast! myself included

sunbrrnslapper ,
@sunbrrnslapper@lemmy.world avatar

Here representing the suburban moms.

Threadsdeadbaby ,

Fellow mom, working class.

JoMiran ,
@JoMiran@lemmy.ml avatar

I'm 51 and have been neck deep in tech since I can remember. On Linux since RedHat Halloween. The fediverse reminds me of the early days of the internet when it was all Usenet, IRC, GeoCities, etc.

confuser OP ,
@confuser@lemmy.zip avatar

I'm sometimes a little jelly about those that got to experience that era of the internet.
I was born right on 2k and I still grew up feeling a little bit of that very briefly as a kid but not to any major degree.

drmoose ,

It's mostly nerds who had the spine to migrate from Reddit rather than continueing to feed this machine that clearly brings no good for anyone.

some_guy ,

I’m a guy whose high school credits weren’t going to transfer so I got my GED (no diploma) and took university classes for a couple years. I got a job in tech based entirely on being self taught. I’m a cis white male, so I’ve had a lot of structural advantages.

Here’s the really fucked up part: I now moved over to a gubment job because I was uniquely qualified. None of my peers could believe it cause I’m a socialist who loathes the USA political system. But a job’s a job and this one is cushy af.

2 cats and live with my partner. Musician (as a hobby). All that stuff.

Achyu ,

Isn't it good that a socialist is in those jobs? Better chance that they'd try to help people.

BlueEther ,
@BlueEther@no.lastname.nz avatar

well for me:

  • just passed 50 last month
  • been kicking around 'PCs' since the vic-20
  • buun using linux since Mandrake Helios (6.1)
  • have self hosted all sorts (including email for nearly 10 yrs, not any more other than a relay for my lemmy)
  • had a mastodon instance for about 2-3 years - but use mastodon.nz
  • spun up my instance of lemmy just as the exodus started
  • been into tinkering with electronics from childhood

I guess that puts me in the the tech group that seems very common here

other groups that seem well represented are the 'left' and lgbqt+

recklessengagement ,

Would be cool to do a census.

confuser OP ,
@confuser@lemmy.zip avatar

that it would be haha
maybe this will spark someone to actually do that 0.0

QuantumEyetanglement ,

Nice try Mr. FBI

MeDuViNoX , (edited )
@MeDuViNoX@sh.itjust.works avatar

https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/5218f195-8c3d-4060-9272-0a87f11d38e4.jpeg

(It's a Terry Davis quote. For those that don't know who he is -- you should check him out, it's a pretty wild rabbit hole.)

Threadsdeadbaby ,

Done

all-knight-party ,
@all-knight-party@kbin.run avatar

I accidentally read an extremely dry Wikipedia page about a British politician until I realized that you meant the TempleOS guy. I agree, very interesting guy. Too many Terry Davises!

MeDuViNoX ,
@MeDuViNoX@sh.itjust.works avatar

Terry A. Davis, my bad to everyone reading about a boring Terry because of me.

confuser OP ,
@confuser@lemmy.zip avatar

I was hoping to one day see someone make a comment like this lmao

bi_tux ,
@bi_tux@lemmy.world avatar

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/641f43da-965c-49da-bb0f-66afc93cff55.jpeg

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • [email protected]
  • kbinchat
  • All magazines
    •