I could see things swinging back to an IndieWeb-style setup where we have blogs that can ping each other. I have my own blog hosted on micro.blog for exactly that reason. I can follow other peoples posts as if they were posting to Twitter or something, reply to them, see their replies, etc., and ultimately I own 100% of my content and can move it to any other blog software at any time. Maybe this is the way.
Your profile includes your posts and all your data, and you are free to move it around, back it up, host it wherever you want, etc... But all the posts are federated together.
I haven't looked at it closely in a while but I know they're still growing slowly but steadily..
Yes, I've switched to Bluesky. After investigating their protocols, Bluesky fits my needs way better. I'm quite convinced now Mastodon will never leave the tech sphere.
This is the fucked up problem with federation and it's why we need true peer-to-peer social media.
Instead of corporate ideological kowtowing, now it's a thousand little fiefdoms of tiny tyrants deciding if you pattern fit to the ascribed dogma.