Thesis: a web of trust based social network wouldn't have a reliable "global" follower / like / etc count -- it would only be the ones you've seen -- and this would be a feature.
Some of the most toxic behavior on Twitter comes from people trying to become "the most popular person in the room", which also leads to a lot of social messaging which isn't about being constructive, but differentiating yourself in a way that makes you look better than others.
By having a public follower count, *everyone* (yes, even you, yes even me) is gamed into comparing whether your follower count is higher than others, whether others got more likes / shares / etc than you.
This isn't a good basis for thoughtful communication.
@Alda
@cwebber And *THAT'S* why everyone on WitchesTown has ⛧666⛧ followers. ^_^
@Alda @cwebber I try to figure out whether to follow back based on potentiality of mutual interest, or at least whether or not I would be interested in what they have to share. However, I did just follow back a person with 2 posts total. They didn't seem like a dick though, so I'm giving it a shot.
I have a theory that the Fediverse gets stronger the more folks follow each other. But it's a 2-edged sword.