Tildes is really a great place. But it being invite only was probably the worst thing for it if it wanted growth. People couldn’t get on Tildes so they came to places like Lemmy or Kbin or one of the others.
Tildes was actively not looking for exponential growth, and the drop in quality that sometimes accompanies it. It is not a Reddit alternative for most folks, who use it for cat pics, star wars memes, and outrage porn. It is for a niche of users who prefer slightly longer form, quality content, and knee jerk reactions and comments aren’t as valued over there. I like it, but both Lemmy and Tildes complement each other well rather than being directly against each other. Worst case, one can always browse Tildes without logging in. I don’t know why people rush to make accounts immediately, without waiting to get a vibe of the space.
It is for a niche of users who prefer slightly longer form, quality content, and knee jerk reactions and comments aren’t as valued over there. I have been a user on Tildes for the last month. Tildes is great, but it is not any different than Reddit. Sure it has fewer communities and it is a community of text posts. But the same drivel comments that existed on Reddit exist on Tildes. They are essentially the same people after all. Lets not pretend like Tildes is somehow a community of more refined and intelligent people holding adult conversations while those at the Reddit kids table drool and shit themselves. They’re the same people. The influx of Lemmy and Tildes users are Reddit refugees.
Many social networks started as invite only precisely to make users desire it even more. It’s often used as a marketing strategy.
That being said, even if it’s fun and great and all, I dislike this strategy so much I’m not ever joining. Lemmy being open in most meanings of the world is better.
I have been in for a month. I was more talking about other folks who want to get in. A single person managing the entire access manually is not a great approach.