I've only been on the #fediverse for what, three years? There is so much I love here--a cultural commitment to holding the helpful parts of social networking, while letting go of the extractive and exploitive.
We have refused to have our attention or our emotions harvested for corporate profit.
It's easier to "be" here.
As we hold onto that, may we also rise to the challenge of true inclusion.
1/2
We must not use demands for Content Warnings, mental health, or cultural norms as ways of shutting down or silencing marginalized people who are joining as the bird site self-immolates.
Is there a lot of toxicity there? Yes.
Do BIPOC deserve to be heard in the fullness of their experiences? Yes.
There is no megacorp here to enforce a culture here. We must make it ourselves.
We have to do better now than we have in the past.
2/2
As with most customs, it depends how it is used, more than whether the custom itself is good or bad.
I follow people who might one moment post a nude, the next moment post a complex political argument, and then a silly joke or cat video.
I read some of their posts depending on my mood. That's the beauty of a CW, it helps me choose what I want at any given moment.
Like a hashtage or headline for an article.
Mike McHargue
Just Another Amy
John Mierau