Croc (aka microdile)

In trying to convince friends who aren't here yet to come here, I have encountered a common argument of resistance.

"How can I trust some random person who can see all my pics and read all my private DMs?"

and

"What if the server dies and I lose everything?"

I've countered that Twitter isn't exactly looking like a bastion of safety and great decision making, and that the safety risks could be getting worse with all the layoffs, but I wonder if anyone else has a much more convincing argument.

Nov 10, 2022 at 12:22amWeb
Show threadToasted LynxNov 10, 2022
@crocodile Social media isn't private, it's almost the whole point haha
Show threadLeoBurrNov 10, 2022
@crocodile Ask an instance op what their high availability and backup strategy is. As far as trust, have them read the admin’s posts to see the sort of person they are. That’s far more than you can do with the big companies.
Show threadLeoBurrNov 10, 2022
@crocodile Companies who offer free services do so in order to monetize you. You are their product. Instances, generally speaking are run by folks to offer their tech know-how and hardware or cloud instances to folks in their community because it brings them pleasure. As for Burrs, I also believe in privacy and security. I do Industrial Cybersecurity for a living. ;)
Show threadLeoBurrNov 10, 2022
@crocodile and going further, even the instance mods act like we’re a small family. We lift each other up, share relays, cron jobs, and even talk to each other about how we are running our instances. We have enough to do and keep us entertained without resorting to trying to breach privacy. Besides, once trust is lost, and people would find out, then you’re ostracized as an instance Admin and other instances ban yours. Full stop.
Show threadLeoBurrNov 10, 2022
@crocodile C’est bon? :)
Show threadCroc (aka microdile)Nov 10, 2022

@LeoBurr I passed along some of what you said to the doubters.

Thanks for your reply. :)

Show threadLeoBurrNov 10, 2022
@crocodile 🐻👍🏾
Show threadSera Proto Nov 10, 2022
@crocodile twitter is also stealing and monitoring all of your info then selling it to advertisers. At least here it's one dude and not a one billionaire dude.
Show threadKay Ohtie 🎈🌵🐺Nov 10, 2022

@crocodile I can't tell if that says a lot about them to not go database-diving, or about the misinfo spreading that makes it out to be as easy as clicking on your name and clicking DMs. SOME kind of E2E would be neat, but difficult.

I don't think any of us (furry) instance shell-admins have the time, energy, or desire to go through the effort required to invade privacy like that.

Show threadkieranNov 10, 2022
@ceralor @crocodile I can already read my own dms, gosh
Show threadKay Ohtie 🎈🌵🐺Nov 10, 2022
@kieran @crocodile filling your own DMs with you saying 'mow' a bunch doesn't count 
Show threadkieranNov 10, 2022
@ceralor @crocodile THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT
Show threadAmras Nov 10, 2022
@crocodile Well, there's always the export feature… which you can't readily do with Twitter. Everything from follows to posts, I believe, can be exported and downloaded to a CSV file, which you can then upload to a new instance. The trick is picking an instance with the means to survive.
Show threadLeoBurrNov 10, 2022
@Amras @crocodile I’ve gotten, “Why should I host my email with you vs Gmail?” Well, gmail requires consent to scan your email when you use their free service. I don’t. And I’ve been hosting email for 5 years longer than gmail has been a Thing. ;)
Show threadAmras Nov 10, 2022
@LeoBurr @crocodile This is why I host my own email… 😝
Show threadLeoBurrNov 10, 2022
@Amras @crocodile Likewise. And have a real back-up strategy. All these things. Besides, Domains like tiggi.es, wuffi.es and bearmail.net are cool. ;)
Show threadLeoBurrNov 10, 2022
@Amras @crocodile and yes, I have more <ahem> professional domains. ;)
Show threadAmras Nov 10, 2022
@LeoBurr @crocodile True.
Show threadBookshire Nov 10, 2022
@crocodile Also, admins DO NOT want to do that. It's as much for their safety and sanity as anyone else's.
Show threadLeoBurrNov 10, 2022
@MrBookshire @crocodile Correct, there is enough stuff I can’t unsee in my own feed. I don’t need to hunt for more. ;)
Show threadBookshire Nov 10, 2022
@LeoBurr @crocodile As someone who had to admin on a furry social platform with access to private interactions before, let me tell you that you turn those filters on fast no matter how open-minded you are!
Show threadLeoBurrNov 10, 2022
@MrBookshire @crocodile I’ve been around furry since 1994. There aren’t enough therapists or filters in the world.
Show threadCroc (aka microdile)Nov 10, 2022
@LeoBurr @MrBookshire 94? Hey, me too! *high-five, or four*
Show threadLeoBurrNov 10, 2022
@crocodile @MrBookshire Another ancient one. In that case, tell your friends…
Show threadBookshire Nov 10, 2022
@LeoBurr @crocodile Yeah, 1996 here!
Show threadLeoBurrNov 10, 2022
@MrBookshire @crocodile
Show threadKianga (moved)Nov 10, 2022

@crocodile One thought about the data loss question: While it's not possible (yet) to restore your posts on another instance, I'd say your following list is far more valuable and that CAN be restored on a new instance.

So unlike moving from one social network to another, where you'd lose all your social connections, that is no problem when moving to a different Mastodon instance.

Show threadZiggyNov 10, 2022
@kianga @crocodile Yes to all if that — I actually successfully migrated servers to my own instance and preserved my followers. But also… I REALLY hope none of them use their DMs for any sort of private communication. Because hooooooo boy.
Show threadKianga (moved)Nov 10, 2022
@Ziggy @crocodile I don't get the whole DM discussion about Mastodon, it's not like Twitter or Discord or Telegram are any better, just different kinds of people who can read your messages. There are tools if you want that kind of privacy, but if the people arguing are apparently using Twitter DMs, that doesn't seem to be a priority for them.
Show threadBuiNov 10, 2022
@crocodile that's a valid concern and I would bet these people use different platforms for 1 to 1 private chat already, so is it really that big a deal?
Show threadEzen BaklattanNov 11, 2022
@crocodile I mean, there's the whole thing of just using another app to DM at least, not always an option but thank God it is here.
Show threadscuffndingsNov 18, 2022
@crocodile The size of a corporatized social media platform offers a degree of safety through anonymity. On Mastodon, the relatively small size of instances makes abusive behavior more likely to affect you because you are in a much smaller pool that can provide a flack jacket effect.