Conrad Hackett 
I'm curious about the extent of political diversity in the mainstream Fediverse.
If you're in the U.S, which is the best match for your political identity?
Republican
Independent
Democrat
Not in US
Poll ended at .
Can you name any prominent conservative or conservative-leaning figure on the main Fediverse network of interconnected Mastodon servers (i.e., aside from the separated Gab & Truth Social networks)?
As long as civility can be maintained, is ideological diversity desirable in the Fediverse or is it preferable to have a "big sort" ideologically among social networks?
@politicalscience @politicaltheory @sociology #politics
RiderExMachina@conradhackett
Truth social and Gab are both in the Fediverse (they use Mastodon's code) They're just defeded from most servers
Truth social and Gab are both in the Fediverse (they use Mastodon's code) They're just defeded from most servers
@riderexmachina Yes, indeed. I'm wondering to what extent these social networks are reproducing "big sort" dynamics seen elsewhere in society.
Ryan@riderexmachina @conradhackett Maybe - but truth social and gab are extreme to the point that they’re toxic. Like; I’m not a big proponent of blocking instances because some people there have bad worldviews - but if most or nearly *all* of your members live in a fantasy world of propaganda and only communicate misinformation, it’s fair to see those instances as a contagion. I just think the bar should be high. TS and Gab hit that bar for me
@bigstormpicture @conradhackett
I feel like a fool now that Conrad has amended his post to specifically exclude TS and Gab.😂
They absolutely are toxic, but they're the biggest right-wing Federated servers we know of, which fit the original question.
@riderexmachina @bigstormpicture Sorry about that. I'm struggling to figure out the best terminology. Your response helped.
@conradhackett You're good! It's a hard question to word and there are always those weird outliers.
Representative Agent 
@conradhackett @riderexmachina @bigstormpicture
Terminology is hard. In my mind there are 3 main categories:
1. Conservatives. Traditional values, law & order, etc. business, rural interests. Liberal democracy.
2. Radical right. wants to change the system from what it was using non-violent means. Supports Illiberal democracy.
3. Far right - ready to use violence.
"Republican" seems to join opposites.
Coach Pāṇini ®@conradhackett @riderexmachina the word “reactionary” describes the faction and the phenomenon. It needs an “actionary” in order to react to. They sort themselves in contrast to others, because their worldview requires an adversary with principles. Their nihilist, fatalist principles can’t exist in a vacuum, nor propagate into the future. It’s a compulsively contrarian stance. #reactionaries #conservatives #liberals #moderates #radicals
ceoln@riderexmachina @conradhackett
I believe that Truth Social (and perhaps also Gab?) doesn't even use the federation code; so it's not that they're defederated from most servers, it's that they do not even offer federation; they want a walled garden.
@ceoln @conradhackett
Truth Social maybe, but Gab is on many server's defed lists.
I'd have to set up a Mastodon server to verify for myself, though, and I just don't have the time or energy to do so right now.
@riderexmachina @conradhackett
Thanks! If this is true, the Gab situation is probably a complicated mix of everything :) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25702077
ACAB for Cutie 
@riderexmachina is this how Counter social is setup too?
@CassOfDunshire
I haven't looked into it, so I'm not sure.
I haven't looked into it, so I'm not sure.
josh buermann@riderexmachina @CassOfDunshire
Counter-social is a defederated mastodon server (I can find accounts on there from here but can't see their posts) run by somebody who seems to qualify for the appellation "state sponsored cyberterrorist."