There's no reason a Facebook-like experience couldn't be developed using distributed technology like SMTP and HTTP. It's just that no one has garnered enough traction yet.
How would that solve the issue of editorial control being impractical? It would make it strictly MORE impractical
It would mostly make the question moot. In a federated system, there is no worry about a single entity exerting editorial control. Every instance can set their own policies for content and who they wish to federate with. Individual users can find or setup an instance that meets their own needs and requirements.
I agree, but what’s the relevance of this to my comment?