RussNov 20, 2022

I have a request.

Bad actors will soon figure out - if they haven't already - that setting up impersonations of important organizations now will allow them to set off an explosion of chaos and confusion at a time of their choosing.

So if you run an account for an organization (especially #LGBTQ), please set up link verification between your Mastodon account profile and your organization's website.

If not, please boost.

Instructions are here under "Link Verification":
https://docs.joinmastodon.org/user/profile/

Setting up your profile - Mastodon documentation

Get started with your new account.

Show threadSheenagh PughNov 20, 2022
@theruss
Have to say, I read the instructions and was totally baffled. I don't get what "rel=me attribute" means, and "Since 4.0: the hostname does not change after IDN normalization" is Greek to me! I just couldn't work out what to do, so have done nothing. Mastodon does assume folk know more about tech stuff than most of us do.
Show threadRuss

@sheenaghpugh
Sorry for the headache! The gist of it is this:

Your Mastodon profile is https://mastodon.scot/@sheenaghpugh

If *I* wanted to put a link to your profile on *my* website, the HTML for that would look like:

<a href="https://mastodon.scot/@sheenaghpugh">Sheenagh</a>

But if *you* wanted to link to your own profile and say "yup, that's me!", you'd add rel="me" (get it? me?) to that HTML tag:

<a href="https://mastodon.scot/@sheenaghpugh" rel="me">Sheenagh</a>

That way, your profile and website vouch for each other.

Nov 20, 2022 at 10:10amWeb
Show threadSheenagh PughNov 20, 2022
@theruss
So does that mean the link to my website and blog in my mastodon profile would also need the rel="me" thing in them?
Show threadRussNov 20, 2022
@sheenaghpugh I don't believe so, no.
Show threadJessica CannonNov 20, 2022
@theruss @sheenaghpugh How long did it take for your website to be verified? I use tinyurl to avoid a long google address and I assumed that was why it didn’t verify my page, but you have curious how long to wait to see if it worked.
Show threadSheenagh PughNov 21, 2022
@drjacannon @theruss i haven't actually done it yet. I'm not sure if it is really necessary for individuals like me who aren't famous and aren't likely to get impersonated.
Show threadRussNov 21, 2022

@sheenaghpugh @drjacannon

Yeah, I concur.

Show threadRBK GreensNov 20, 2022

@sheenaghpugh @theruss this means nothing to us non techie people, however will send it to the person and the relevant bit on the original link to whoever does the website

Thanks for asking the question we would have asked

Will need to have some sort of verification

Show threadJernej Simončič �Nov 20, 2022
@sheenaghpugh @theruss You need the rel="me" link on any site you want to show as verified in your profile.