Vladimir Putin's Forkiverse

PJ Vogt opens by revisiting the launch of the Forkiverse, the federated social network he created with Search Engine co-hosts Casey Newton and Kevin Roose. The project grew out of widespread anger over Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter and broader concerns about billionaire-owned platforms, addictive algorithms, polarization, misinformation, and harassment. The alternative they wanted to test was the fediverse: a collection of independently operated social platforms connected through federation rather than controlled by a few giant companies. On January 9, they opened their Mastodon-based “Forkerverse” to anyone online. Almost 10,000 people joined immediately, posting links, chatting, sharing photos of forks, showing where they listened to the podcast, and describing projects inspired by the show. PJ says the network was initially a “lovely” mixture of show-and-tell and friendly messages from listeners. The episode frames the experiment as an attempt to create a small, healthier corner of the internet—not a permanent piece of infrastructure—and the hosts now return to explain why it is ending.

Kevin explains the first two problems that emerged. The Forkiverse exceeded the storage limit on its Mastodon hosting plan because users uploaded photos and other media. The service cost $89 per month, which Kevin had been paying on his personal credit card, and he estimated that the total expense had reached roughly $1,000. He called it a “good problem” caused by the network’s success, but said the enjoyment was no longer worth the personal cost. The second problem was declining participation by all three founders. Kevin said the Forkiverse quickly felt like one more social-media feed to maintain, and his involvement dropped soon after the launch episode. PJ said he lasted longer but discovered that an intentionally non-addictive, friendly feed was something he felt he ought to use rather than something he wanted to use; he would still rather read a book or browse more chaotic platforms. PJ also valued the early stream of compliments and listener projects. Casey joked that he eventually needed to return to platforms where people might insult him, because a space containing only praise began to feel inauthentic and potentially “sycophantic.”

The decisive problem arrived in an email from Jazz Michael King, the executive director of IFTAS, which the episode identifies as the Independent Federated Trust and Safety organization. King warned that the Forkiverse had acquired its first “Portal Combat” accounts. Portal Combat, also known as the Pravda network, is described as a sprawling Russian propaganda operation dating back to 2013, consisting of websites and social accounts that distribute pro-Russian stories. The initial account had an unpronounceable username, a profile photo of an apparently harmless, handsome middle-aged white man, and a bio claiming he was a painter and woodcarver. Its posts were mostly bland: phrases such as “curiosity unlocked,” a repost about an art exhibit near the Chicago Board of Trade, and a post about a restaurant in Ohio. King explained that this was a base account, capable of inviting hundreds of other accounts and bypassing the normal approval process. One invited account, “Kyle Palmer,” used a woman’s photo and a bio about experimenting with Bavarian wheat fermentation. It had posted 59 times, including pro-Russian claims about Ukraine’s electricity, Vladimir Putin videos, troop movements, graphic war imagery, and footage of an apparent strike on an administrative building in Odesa. The hosts joked that their $89 monthly bill was subsidizing Russian propaganda, but the underlying issue was that benign neglect had allowed the server to be infiltrated.

King warned that if they did nothing, the local timeline could gradually be taken over by Portal Combat accounts. The hosts considered two options. They could close the server and direct users to another server, Find a Media, which supposedly had active support and moderation. Or they could keep the Forkiverse running temporarily while transferring administrative responsibility to NewsMast and IFTAS, allowing those organizations to remove the malicious accounts and eventually mothball or shut down the server. PJ initially preferred the second option because it would give users time to move without an abrupt disruption. Kevin argued that the Forkiverse was not critical infrastructure: nobody had built a business around it, and he believed it was better to “send this dog to a farm upstate.” PJ proposed a compromise—let IFTAS take over while giving users several weeks to transition. They also discussed their responsibility to the community. PJ felt embarrassed that the server had become a neglected “hoarder collection,” while Casey said users had been warned from the beginning that this was an experiment, not a permanent pillar of the internet. They ultimately voted to keep it available for about a month before shutting it down, with instructions for users who wanted to migrate.

The hosts distinguish between regret about their poor stewardship and regret about attempting the experiment. PJ says he feels ashamed that he stopped attending to the community and that racist or propagandistic material could run amok under his responsibility. At the same time, he believes the Forkiverse briefly gave people a genuinely different online experience. Casey does not feel ashamed of trying it; he says people have to experiment, and the fact that a project ends does not erase the value of the attempt. He compares it to riding a Ferris wheel at a fair: you enjoy it, then go home. Casey does admit to feeling ashamed about something else: he expects to begin posting on X again. He says he had lobbied Adam Mosseri to create Threads and personally urged Sam Altman to create another social network where people could discuss AI, technology, and business. Those alternatives did not move the conversation far enough, while X remains influential, so he feels he needs to post there to have any influence. PJ jokes that Casey was “mugged” by Elon Musk, and Casey concedes that losing a fight to a trillionaire hurts. The segment’s broader lesson is that trying to build an alternative can still be worthwhile even when the alternative fails.

PJ interviews Evan Prodromou, the Social Web Foundation’s research director and one of the authors of ActivityPub, the protocol underlying much of the fediverse. PJ tells him that the Forkiverse is ending. Prodromou says he is disappointed and sad, especially because he hoped the project would introduce listeners to other federated communities. PJ explains that he wanted the Forkiverse to be a space that felt a certain way when people arrived, and he felt responsible when the community was no longer being attended to. Prodromou says the experience is not unusual: based on his limited data, about 60% of sites created on the fediverse do not continue. PJ admits that he feels both discouraged and drawn to the original promise. After Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, there was a brief “Cambrian explosion” of experiments, but he has not found the kind of lively, unpredictable community he once enjoyed on BlueSky, Threads, or other large networks. The best online conversations he currently has are in text messages and group chats, though he continues looking for a public space where strangers, friends, and unexpected conversations can mix. Prodromou encourages him not to abandon that hope because one experiment failed. He says PJ can remain connected through BlueSky and Threads with some technical adjustments. PJ likes the idea of being able to drop in without having to maintain an entire server. The conversation ends with both men affirming that the fediverse still contains the civic, curious, open spirit they want from the internet.

The show directs current Forkiverse users to a Google document containing instructions for moving their accounts to another server. The hosts announce that users have until December 31, 2026, to migrate; after that, the Forkiverse will be shut down and users who have not moved will lose their posts and messages. The episode describes the closure as the end of this particular attempt at a better internet, not as proof that every federated project is doomed. The closing credits also promote Machine Gods, a new show from Casey Newton and Kevin Roose premiering October 19, with its trailer already available. The episode identifies Search Engine as a presentation of Odyssey and names the production team. Listeners are invited to support Search Engine through its premium, ad-free feed, Incognito Mode, or by rating and reviewing the show. The episode also notes that the show accepts business advertising inquiries and listener questions. The final tone is rueful but not wholly pessimistic: the Forkiverse lasted only briefly, became too expensive and difficult to moderate, and was ultimately compromised by Russian propaganda accounts, but the hosts still regard the attempt—and the communities it briefly created—as worthwhile.