In theory, I doubt development would continue. For a federated cohost to survive long term, it would also need to be open source, with a developer community that could fork the project and carry the torch. That’s a very different cohost we’re envisioning, even excluding required UX changes to make it possible.
At that point, one might as well imagine a cohost that explored better ways to make money, or attracted more users, or ran a tighter ship. Both scenarios lead to this discussion never happening.
Maybe this is part of why I keep bouncing off Mastodon. It feels tight-knit. It’s about individuals, about relationships.
I don’t fit in such a system. I’ve nothing to offer in a relationship, I cannot be a “comrade.” Still, I want news, media, and easily accessible knowledge being shared.
So, I’m a lurker, a consumer. I tend towards anonymous forums and spaces centered around topics rather than people. Or, I seek celebrities, and sellers, and content creators.
Either sort-of give me something I want, while Mastodon doesn’t. Too focused on the people, but without big names to follow.