The most success I've had is just explaining that it's a social media platform that exists across a variety of websites that all synchronize communities and posts and comments and votes, and you can interact with any of them from any other one

The problem with the email analogy is that, for most people, email exists as the Gmail app on their phone. It does not occur to them how I can send an email from my Hotmail account to their Gmail account. The moment you say the word protocol, 80% of people's eyes glaze over

[–] JuxtaposedJaguar@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago

That’s when I break out the sock puppets and high-pitched voices.