Can We Build a Better Social Network? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 13, 2026 · 40 MIN

Can We Build a Better Social Network?

from Hard Fork · host The New York Times

Over the past year we’ve been working with the podcast “Search Engine” on a project that reimagines what the internet can be. What if instead of rage-baiting, a social platform incentivized friendly interaction and good faith discussion? Today we’re bringing “Hard Fork” listeners an episode we made with the “Search Engine” team called “The Fediverse Experiment” where we end up creating our own social media platform. Guest:PJ Vogt, host of the podcast “Search Engine.” Additional Reading: The Dream of the Fediverse Is Alive on ThreadsWhat Is Mastodon and Why Are People Leaving Twitter for It? We want to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 13, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Can We Build a Better Social Network?

0:00 40:48

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Hard Fork?

This episode is 40 minutes long.

When was this Hard Fork episode published?

This episode was published on January 13, 2026.

Can I download this Hard Fork episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!