Lea
Boskee ↙️↙️↙️↙️Alright folks - my service which allows you to create and share follow lists that can then be imported on #mastodon is now online. It's an early version so be kind, but I'd love you to try it and create your own lists that you can then share with people:
Some of the features that will follow soon:
- Ability to export people you follow to a publicly-shareable list (also helps with account migration as people you follow do not move with you to a new address, only your followers do)
- Ability to export people you block as a list
- Ability to export people you follow to a publicly-shareable list (also helps with account migration as people you follow do not move with you to a new address, only your followers do)
- Ability to export people you block as a list
Zain Syed@boskee could we share it as a link to others?
@zainsyed Yes. Here's an example of a share:
Check out this Follow List I found: https://followlists.online/list/3b52f7f9-9c93-8191-224c-5ee9ef17f5a2
Celebrities on Mastodon by [email protected]
Create and share follow lists of people on Mastodon
@boskee ah I see the copy link button now... Sweet thanks!
@boskee @GermHunterMD @JasonMordino idk if you guys would find this helpful as you guys are compiling a list of people?
@zainsyed @GermHunterMD @JasonMordino
Hmm, I just saw the lists you shared. I may add an ability to quickly import everyone from pure text (1 handle per line) pasted into a field (if you choose to use the platform of course)
Ilan Schwartz 
@boskee @zainsyed @JasonMordino
Hi Boskee, that would be very handy!
I tried to create a list using your site but it doesn't recognize our Med-Mastodon.com server yet (says any username on that server is invalid)
@GermHunterMD @zainsyed @JasonMordino That's weird. It's using standard mastodon api. You can't authenticate?
@boskee @zainsyed @JasonMordino
I am able to authenticate but it doesn't recognize the server when I start to populate handles in the list. Have screenshot but both web and app versions of mastodon being buggy and won’t let me upload
I am able to authenticate but it doesn't recognize the server when I start to populate handles in the list. Have screenshot but both web and app versions of mastodon being buggy and won’t let me upload
@GermHunterMD @zainsyed @JasonMordino It's fine! I know what it is - you found a bug in my service - it doesnt allow hyphens in urls. Oops, big mistake. Gotta fix ASAP, brb.
@GermHunterMD @zainsyed @JasonMordino Alright, that should be fixed now. Can you refresh and try again?
@boskee
This worked great. I think I did find another bug though: the links assume that the users listed are on the same server as the person who makes the list. For example, i'm on med-mastodon.com but some of the people on my list are not. Their servers show up correctly on the webpage, but the link will take you to med-mastodon.com/@ username @ server.domain
This worked great. I think I did find another bug though: the links assume that the users listed are on the same server as the person who makes the list. For example, i'm on med-mastodon.com but some of the people on my list are not. Their servers show up correctly on the webpage, but the link will take you to med-mastodon.com/@ username @ server.domain
Jason Mordino 
@boskee wow! Thank you for making this. Importing my list now. Working seamlessly. Special thank you @GermHunterMD for working the med-mastodon kinks out with you. #TooteRx #MedMastodon
@JasonMordino @GermHunterMD I am rolling CSV import as we speak so should be up in a few minutes. I tested it on a couple CSV files and they all worked fine, but again, any bugs - let me know.
I'm also thinking about allowing collaboration on lists, so once created you can enter handle of the person who should also be able to edit them with you.
+ a host of privacy and anti-harassment features I discussed with @tchambers like opting yourself out of lists and proper terms of service.
@GermHunterMD @tchambers @boskee all great considerations! It was hard on the bird app to know when you ended up on a list and how to stop it. Anyway to opt out for folks would be helpful
Suddenly running to a “local host error” when trying to authenticate med-mastodon.com. Is this a med-mastodon or website side issue?
@JasonMordino Try again.
@JasonMordino As in sorry, i think i fixed it - try again.
Apologies, it may have sounded rude.
@boskee not at all rude. I’m still amazed at how community based mastodon is
Started on the list and it’s working great adding info. I noticed when I click on the handle, it doesn’t bring me to their profile page. The author link works, but when I add my own handle it doesn’t work. Thoughts?
https://followlists.online/list/32d2a804-d3d5-f209-0955-2fb4b197dcbe
#TooteRx by [email protected]
Create and share follow lists of people on Mastodon
@boskee im mostly worried I’m inputting them wrong
@JasonMordino Not at all. Try signing out and go to that list. See if you can click them when signed out. If so try logging back in (refresh page before) as I rolled out some fixes.
@JasonMordino Hmm... I clicked 3 at random on that list you linked and each one opened correctly. What do you get when you click them?
@boskee this is what I get. Maybe it’s because im doing it through Metatext as opposed to chrome
@JasonMordino Can you copy url via share button. It's clearly going to the right domain, so whatever comes next must be wrong but I can't see the full url in your screenshot.
@JasonMordino Ah, that's another bug you found. When you're signed in, the link leads to that person's profile on your own instance in which case url should include full mastodon handle, but not if your own instance is the same as the person you're trying to view - in that case domain part should be removed.
So sorry, and thank you for testing. Brb, will fix it shortly.
@JasonMordino Ok, that should now be fixed. You'll need to refresh the page. Thanks for reporting it!
@boskee all fixed up and down the whole list except this one. I think while I’m logged in it’s directing to med mastodon
@JasonMordino Yeah. That's intentional - while you're signed in it will take you to your own instance so you can follow them etc.
I see your server is configured differently tho - there's an extra part it requires for people on other instances: /web/@[email protected]
(/web/ in front of handle). Not sure if I can detect the format instances require, hmmpf. I'll need to think about it. Thank you. In any case your list is correct - it's just how the website handles links that's not fine.
@JasonMordino CSV export can still be loaded just fine on Mastodon etc. So your data is fine and not corrupt.
@boskee perfect! I’ll keep rolling and let you know if I run into any issues. Awesome work on these lists. Super helpful
@JasonMordino Thank you! I plan to allow people to export mutes, blocks and followed people into private lists. May be helpful especially when moving servers as only your followers migrate along with you, mutes, blocks and follows do not.
If you think of any feature that'd be useful to you then let me know.
@boskee worked! Thank you
Greg Siskind@boskee @JasonMordino @tchambers
Thank you so much! I just created a list. This was very helpful, and is a big help to our community trying to find one another here
Thank you so much! I just created a list. This was very helpful, and is a big help to our community trying to find one another here
hybrid havoc@boskee it would also be helpful if it could somehow notify users that they were added to a list, and what steps to take to opt-out if they wish.
@hybridhavoc There's an opt out feature in the navbar, but yeah notifications are on my todo list.
@krisnelson@boskee Could you explain what safety protections are in place to reduce the harassment potential of putting people on public lists? This has been a big big problem with Twitter’s public lists. Thanks!
@krisnelson That's a very good point. There are currently no such protection but I am working on an "Opt me out of any public/hidden lists" button. That will remove any mention of you from public and hidden lists, but not from private ones, which can't be shared and may be used as your personal backup for example.
I will also add a Report function and most likely ban problematic domains from accessing the service.
@boskee That’s gonna be really really critical for women and members of other targeted groups, because wow, the harassment has been horrific via public lists elsewhere. Some notification mechanism for people put on lists might be good so people don’t learn they’re on a list only once a stream of hate flows their way? (Not sure how notification could work tho.)
@krisnelson There's now an option to opt out from appearing on any shareable lists.
As for your other (valid) point - I don't have any answer yet. We've added Terms of Service that prevent you from creating lists to harass others. Other than that the only thing I can think of is the report button (which will come soon) - perhaps that can trigger some sort of notification.
@boskee Good that you’re actively thinking/working on ideas to mitigate any harms—hopefully that’ll help you react quickly if problems develop rather than being surprised and scrambling
@krisnelson So one thing I can think of is tracking any new additions and automatically sending a DM to anyone added to a list from the app's account, letting them know they're added, but i'm not sure about API limits.
That could also allow them to reply "opt out" to the DM and have their name removed.
May be a good idea.
@boskee That seems to me to make sense if you can figure out how to do it well/smoothly without itself becoming some kind of problematic behavior?
Hmm, tbh , it’s really tricky to anticipate what will work beyond the basic starting point of “*someone* is going to try to abuse this maliciously *somehow*, how can I mitigate that without creating new problems and also still make sure this is really useful to good-faith uses”!
@krisnelson It's whack-a-mole really, because if someone wants to be nasty, they'll find a way, but I think opt out, notifications (if that's viable, but I guess it is seeing all the bots) and blocking domains of known trouble-making instances from creating lists is a good start.
Ansel Halliburton@boskee @krisnelson Can't help but note that every post on this greater thread is by a dude. 😬
Tara N. Gaston ⚖️🏳️🌈💻@krisnelson @anseljh @boskee Lady Mastodon user here (assuming "lady" encompasses my sailor mouth) - one of my concerns would be being added to a public list which appear to include name, info provided by list-maker, & handle all available without logging in/tracking of access. Also, in the opt-out: would that remove from any .csv download? Otherwise lists could be made and shared that way, circumventing opt-out.
@krisnelson @anseljh @boskee I recognize that lists can be made/shared in a variety of ways, but I'm a little squicked by the possibility of someone sharing lists of "targets" (of non-public figure individuals) with no log-in/tracking required. Esp. where someone could add a descript with age/location/etc. to make it easier. Making Life Harder For Assholes Since 1980 is my too long tagline. ;)
@krisnelson @tngaston @boskee Yep. Having to opt out of n different things is not a good experience, or what we should expect to simply survive brigading. Seems the Mastodon team has intentionally not built stuff like this. I haven't looked yet, but I wonder if they documented their rationales. Would be interesting to read that before us newcomers rev our engines too hard building new stuff. It's nice to see the thoughtful discussion!
Frank Bennett 🇯🇵@anseljh @krisnelson @tngaston @boskee
Never to miss an opportunity to make things more complicated ... and this might be wrong-headed ... but could distribution of underlying data be limited to the federal level? That is, public view is only of list name, description, and servers where deployed, and lists are to be accepted and installed by server admin for local user access only. If a list is used abusively, it can be shut down by local admin.
Never to miss an opportunity to make things more complicated ... and this might be wrong-headed ... but could distribution of underlying data be limited to the federal level? That is, public view is only of list name, description, and servers where deployed, and lists are to be accepted and installed by server admin for local user access only. If a list is used abusively, it can be shut down by local admin.
@krisnelson @tngaston @anseljh @boskee
Rogue instances can be defederated wholesale. Spammers get hammers. 😉
Rogue instances can be defederated wholesale. Spammers get hammers. 😉
@krisnelson @tngaston @fgbjr @boskee Paging @hypatia 😅 I think we need a pro in this discussion. I'm in over my head for sure.
@tngaston @krisnelson @anseljh Hi Tara. I have now changed the way public lists work. They are opt in only now and you get to decide how you're listed.
So, once someone adds you to one, they have to ask you to approve it - you go to the list they send you and there you can see a new section like in the screenshot. You only appear on the list if you Approve it. And you can always opt out later on to get yourself removed.
What do you think? Any suggestions how to improve it would be welcome.