I really think the best move would be to start working with GNOME upstream. They already have excellent Online Account management and could use some integration with open privacy respecting services, as well as some pointers on where social networks could integrate better with the desktop.

I am personally very hot on getting gnome to run a Diaspora pod, start offering services that can compete with say Google's for a range of users - for pay (code might be free but servers rarely are).

@Randall I hope you are right about the Google+ exodus. I find it really sad to see so many people from our community moving to Google+ even from free services they already used like identi.ca.

I'm really happy that you are doing this kind of marketing. Especially since your blog is read by many people. This reminds me that I have a blog article about the same subject in my draft folder, it's time to get them out. :)
I agree that choosing a random pod can be problematic if I don't know who is the maintainer and therefore has access to all my data and whether the pod will still exit a few years down the road. Maybe this could be seen as one drawback of distributed systems. That's also one of the reasons why I decided to set up my own Friendika server. Nevertheless the ability to test Diaspora without the need of asking for an invitation can reduce the border for new people. Therefore I think it is good to mention this possibility and since I forgot the link in my first comment, here it is: http://podupti.me/

@Bjoern,

I think the Google+ network will experience a mass exodus of "cool free software people" very soon. The key to that will be marketing distrubuted networks like Diaspora, Friendika, etc. That's why I'm spending my Sunday sending out invites :) Marketing, marketing, marketing.

You mention the distributed nature of the service as the main power, and I agree. I also agree that in the strictest sense an invite isn't really necessary. However, the joindiaspora.com site is the main pod, the mother ship, the place where new code lives first. Other servers may or may not be as up-to-date or as reliable. Over time, as the Diaspora pod software matures, I expect this will be less of an issue. And, by that time, many of us will be running our own pods, possibly on our freedombox devices, in our homes. :)

It would be great if more people from the Free Software community would use Diaspora and similar distributed networks (I'm on Friendika which allows me to connect to Diaspora and many more networks). Sadly it seems like Google+ become the network where all the cool free software people hang out in the last few months.

The great power of Diaspora and other distributed social networks is the fact that you don't need to be on the same server as your friends. You can set up your own server or choose the one you like. Therefore people who want to join Diaspora doesn't need an invitation for joindiaspora.com. Just have a look at this list of available server and choose the one you like. Most of them are open for registration and have nicer domain names like joindiaspora.com imho.