Whenever I see negative feedback about the #fediverse, it is about:
being lonely
lacks discoverability
reach is poor
support for this and that is lacking
not welcoming for other people
All of the above, it has to do with what I've described in this quoted post, #ObservableFediverse. Meaning, one was only exposed to a very small part of the fediverse from that person's vantage point.
Let's take for example the #5 item. Is the fediverse not welcoming for certain groups of people, the minorities, the marginalised, those with disabilities, and often discriminated based on origin?
Have you seen those? More likely not. Why? “Observable fediverse.”
In #astronomy, an #ObservableUniverse is the part of the huge universe that we can observe from Earth. It is how far our current technology can reach.
It is the same in “observable fediverse”. What you see, what you are interacting with, is only what you currently have access to. Your “observable fediverse” relies on these factors:
The users in your instance.
The remote users and other servers your instance is aware of.
The people you are following (which include groups).
That is your “observable fediverse”.
Since you are not following a user who is following a Filipino, or is a member of an autistic group, there is very little chance you will see content from Filipinos and autistics.
Another reason of disappointment is misunderstanding what the “fediverse/global timeline” is. Here's the thing, it is just the public chatter.
Think of it as visiting a crowded public park. You'll hear all kinds of discussions. There are those that are offensive, and those that are not.
The “federated/global timeline” is also not the entirety of the fediverse. It is only what your instance/server is aware of. If what you most see are unwelcoming content, then don't look at it, or move to a new instance, or ask around. I'm sure your own instance will help you find like-minded individuals and groups.
That's your observable fediverse. The fediverse is not unwelcoming. My guesstimate is, no one account, no one server, have seen more than 1% of the entire fediverse. Just like how we haven't seen more than 1% of the entire universe.