this post was submitted on 02 Feb 2025
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As this project appears to be fairly unknown in the fediverse still, I'd like to use this opportunity to advertise Flohmarkt. This Fediverse equivalent of Facebook Marketplace already has some instances up and running - see here: https://codeberg.org/flohmarkt/flohmarkt/wiki/flohmarkt-instances

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 13 minutes ago

I just took a list at some instances and was confused. Is there not a location-specific aspect? When I selected "Local" I got nothing. The only use I had for FB marketplace was buying/selling things locally. Like as a craigslist replacement. Not seeing that on these sites, unfortunately.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

I tried to use it myself and it really isn't ready yet. It's missing so many features that a specialized Lemmy instance seems like a much better alternative.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 59 minutes ago

Maybe share your vision with the devs or actively contribute yourself to the development of this platform? :)

[–] [email protected] 63 points 6 hours ago (6 children)

The name has already made this nonviable for the average person

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Does it? If you set up an instance for your local community/city/whatever, and name it something that makes sense for your intended userbase, I think it would be fine.

It goes from "I sold my couch on FlohMarkt" to "I sold my couch on Local Ottawa Marketplace" for the 'normies' out there. They're not going to care about the underlying software so long as their couch gets sold.

Do recommend a DIY local advertising strategy if trying to get something like this running, though - posters at IRL flea markets, adverts in small community papers for antiques and collectibles, crossposts/links to postings on stuff like MaxSold/Kijiji/Craigslist/GumTree/FB Marketplace/[insert online marketplace operating in your area] by first adopters, that kind of thing.

Focus on the current primary use case of centralized marketplace services (buying shit from your neighbours), then introduce the "Oh yeah, we've also set it up so you can see postings on Local Toronto Marketplace, Local Kingston Marketplace, Marché Local de Montréal" etc. from there.

I really, really think talking to people in terms of specific instances over the overarching platform/protocol is a way around 'normie' confusion about the Fediverse when first trying it, then getting exposure to how it works in practice will help them understand the nitty gritty stuff better. Is this problematic in some cases, like with Lemmy? A little bit, yeah. For something like FlohMarkt? I think less so.

('normie' in quotes 'cause I'm not the biggest fan of the term, but it's a useful shorthand)

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

SPEAK ENGLISH ÖR DIE

[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

It's not that bad. It's just German for flea market. And English speakers shouldn't have an issue with at least "Markt". Not far from a cognate.

Definitely better names but I think the bigger hurdle is getting the critical mass to get something like marketplace to work in the fediverse even with the perfect name.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Yep. It’s kind of annoying when people see everything through an “english” lense and assume anything that isn’t made to work for english speakers won’t work…

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 hours ago

Op has a point. Even English names that succeed internationally are somewhat bound by the ability of speakers of other languages to spell and pronounce the name. Y'all are here acting like what they're saying is hateful or something...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 hours ago

But telling a friend about this starts with the name. Simple names are easier. And that would just start with making it short. Single syllable being best.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

We have to stop sending end users to software solutions for web admins. We don't send them yo "nginx" or "apache", after all.

Someone throw up a website using this software and give the site a sensible name, and then direct users to that website.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 hours ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 hours ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 hours ago

Flohcebook mohktplohce

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Oh look, the Queen of Naming has spoken! Everything should just be named "Facebook something" or "Twitter that".

[–] [email protected] 1 points 58 minutes ago

iMarket is better? gStore? 銷 !

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Interesting idea. How do you deal with illegal trade?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 hours ago

Maybe just like Facebook Market, simply ignore it? /s

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 hours ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

They need to use an easier name, like Kleinanzeigen or something

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 hours ago

Not enough umlauts to count as easy.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 12 points 7 hours ago

This is what i need so i can finally delete facebook but unfortunately this is too early and small with nothing piblically uk based and no one looking at it so things would never sell.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 9 hours ago (12 children)

Great idea. I just wonder how Flohmarkt is read by non-Germans. Anyone want to state their opinion, their initial experience seeing the word, on that?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 hours ago

Swede here, see no issue with the name. I'll just ignore the h when pronouncing though.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Non-German but I am in the EU. Didn't find it odd at all. Just assumed it was "flow market" in German.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 hours ago

Close. It's flea market.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 hours ago

My American brain wants to read it as "FlowMart", or "Flowmark". Neither of which I have a problem with.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 hours ago

I forgot its spelling the moment i scrolled past it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 hours ago

"flow market"

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 hours ago

Initial impressions of the name are not great.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 8 hours ago (15 children)

I think an English localization as 'Flowmarkt' or 'Flowmarket' might be more catchy in English-speaking countries, since the intended pronunciation for 'Flohmarkt' isn't clear at a first glance.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I read it as being pronounced something like "flow-marked"

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 hours ago (5 children)

At least most speakers of European languages will pronounce it close enough to German - though most will not do make the r in markt as hard as Germans do.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 46 minutes ago

though most will not do make the r in markt as hard as Germans do.

Most German dialects (including standard German) barely pronounce that r. It is noticeable, but far from a "hard" pronunciation, in that case i is more like prolonging the "a" sound.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 7 hours ago

Really interesting! can't wait to see how it progresses along.

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