Can We Build a Better Social Network?

Well, Casey, we've got something different for Hard Fork listeners today. We are dropping in a special Tuesday episode, and this is an episode that we have been working on for a very long time. We're very excited to bring it to our listeners. It might be, Kevin, the first episode in the history of Hard Fork that took more than one week to make. In fact, it took more than one year to make. So more than a year ago, we started chatting with friend of the pod, PJ Vogt, the host of the great search engine podcast, which both of us have been on. PJ's been on Hard Fork as well. And we started talking about this experiment that we wanted to run together, the three of us. And so today's episode describes the results of that experiment, and it involves the fediverse. That's right, Kevin. And, honestly, it kind of started as a joke. You'll hear it in the episode, but based on the response that they got over there, it kicked off more than a year of reporting and getting together in person, clowning around, and we're just so pleased to be able to present to you today the adventure that we've been on. Yes. And we should say, search engine did most of the work to, string this altogether so nicely. They, produced this episode. We are sharing it in our feed because we think you all be interested. But this is really the results of one of the the most fun experiments that I personally have done, in the past year or so. Yeah. And it truly is just a great way if you have not yet heard Search Engine to listen to what they do. They are master craftspeople of the podcasting forum. And, if you haven't checked them out yet, I think you're really going to enjoy what they do. Yes. Many people are saying that Search Engine is America's second best technology podcast, and I should say I agree. Alright. Well, to kick the story off, Kevin, let's kick things over to our good friend, PJ Vogt. Hello, and welcome to a new year. Search engines big resolution for 2026, we are looking at ways the Internet could actually be fixed. The problems with our Internet are so well known, it feels dumb to summarize them. Like, who is the person left alive who needs me to explain to them that our 2026 Internet is dominated by a few social media platforms who are brilliant at harvesting our attention by appealing to our worst instincts? We all know this. We've all experienced the kind of gooner's remorse after we've spent more time than we meant to, mindlessly thumbing a feed that makes us feel worse about ourselves, our friends, the world. So it's cliche to complain about, this problem that's only gotten worse for the last decade. But this week, this year, we're talking about it because we are curious about …