Mi Go (teno)Nov 21, 2022
Erin Fulmer

After whatever moderation “mistake” made by mastodon.social that caused Tracy Chou’s post about reading white authors to be deleted, mastodon.online (also administrated by Eugen) has also suspended a Black user for unspecified reasons (likely similar).

This is why other communities are talking about defederation. It’s not one or two users being assholes. It’s moderation decisions that silence BIPOC (particularly WOC).

https://mobile.twitter.com/wickdchiq/status/1594711597359980547

Background: https://twitter.com/triketora/status/1594348646396559361?s=20&t=qBjb_v48IGlUIfy15Og9eA

Erica Ifill on Twitter

“Good morning and what the fuck????”

Twitter
Nov 21, 2022 at 5:43pmWeb
Show threadJeff... destroyer of worldsNov 21, 2022

@erinfulmer

I really do need to switch. Wife and I keep hoping for openings on one of the writing focused instances, but so far we keep missing those narrow windows when they give out the codes.

Thanks for keeping us informed of these issues, by the way.

Show threadJennaNov 21, 2022
@trollbreath42 @erinfulmer is there a way of knowing when some of these instances give out codes? I can't really figure out how to get any of the instances I wanted so just picked a random one that seems alright. But i would like to be on a long standing writers one I think
Show threadHaplogroup News    Nov 21, 2022
@erinfulmer

@GenealCymru @genzgenealogy Erin Fulmer is a good person to follow for anti-racism issues in the Fediverse. #Antiracist #Antiracism
Show threadJay CheroskeNov 21, 2022

@erinfulmer I'm not defending their decision, but if the moderation is bad on that server, is there some reason that people can't just move to another one? Massive servers are just so much harder to manage it seems, and things start looking a lot more like the other site when big servers are involved.

On the other site, all we could do was shout at the powers that be and hope something changed for the better. Here, we have many more ways to remedy things.

Show threadDavid 🖖Nov 21, 2022
@erinfulmer I think Gargron needs to review his decision to ban users (@wickdchiq) or delete posts (@triketora) because #BIPOC people dare talk about rich mediocre white men or their experiences of #racism. This does not look good for #Mastodon and is not effective at attracting people to the what the founders call a better social media. But better for who? White folks who want niceness instead of change for a better world and those that dare express their experiences?
Show threadGeorge StationNov 21, 2022

@summerbear @erinfulmer @Gargron @triketora

I appreciate the white people who are actively discussing this with various mods (and self-appointed non-mods who are not actual volunteers).

White people in my network are discussing this in other spaces, deciding whether to stay on Mastodon servers that claim to be inclusive, but aren't living up to it. Some are moving. (Some are "vets," not new from Twitter.)

I hope this fresh discussion of codes of conduct/community rules will continue.

Show threadDavid 🖖Nov 21, 2022
@harmonygritz @erinfulmer @triketora I keep wondering what the best instance for me would be but also realize that with the larger ones, such as masto.ai with @stux moderating, being vocal may be a benefit to others. We'll see how it goes and how #Mastodon changes before I decide to say or go with my current instance or Mastodon overall.
Show threadAgnieszkaNov 21, 2022
@summerbear @erinfulmer @Gargron @triketora strange indeed…very strange…
Show threadfibonacci girlNov 21, 2022
@summerbear Wow, this is pretty disappointing tbh. I came here because I was under the impression that this was an inclusive space. We need spaces for underrepresented voices to be heard so if there is censoring of black voices going on, I may just have to get louder.
Show threadGeorge DinwiddieNov 21, 2022
@fibonaccigirl @summerbear Have you seen https://mastodon.social/@Gargron/109383947978442853 ?
Show threadfibonacci girlNov 21, 2022
@gdinwiddie Thanks; just took a look.
Show threadElise HinesNov 21, 2022

@erinfulmer

When I signed up for mastodon.social the first thing I noticed was an overabundance of white users telling everyone how to use the platform, specifically to leave everything you know about Twitter behind. That was a #RedFlag for me because the sentiment was born out of preserving the comfort of certain folks. I am 💯 unsurprised that this happened in a space dominated by #opensource thought that is predominantly white and male.

Show threadStormcrowNov 21, 2022
@geekspertise @erinfulmer I was told the way to process the #colorado #massacre was to calmly and respectfully do nothing to upset anyone. Do not rage about the constant terrorism of sexual minorities and the source of that terrorism. 'Shush lil tooter. this isn't #birdsite'
Show threadElise HinesNov 21, 2022
@TheStormcrow @erinfulmer I guess we're not safe to mourn here either.
Show threadHatmikeNov 22, 2022

@TheStormcrow @geekspertise @erinfulmer

"You are arguing for your right to exist in a very aggressive manner using swear words and saying other people are wrong. Why don't you follow the example of this person over here, very calmly and politely advocating for eugenics?"

Show threadStormcrowNov 22, 2022
@hatmike @geekspertise @erinfulmer One mastodude splained it to me: 'It's conversation, not confrontation.'
Show threadElise HinesNov 22, 2022

@TheStormcrow @hatmike @erinfulmer

Welp if it feels like you're being confronted, you probably missed the conversation.

Show threadStormcrowNov 22, 2022
@geekspertise @hatmike @erinfulmer I feel like the forced-calm faction would be the Germans throwing open their windows to complain that the Jewish folks being lined up for cattle cars to concentration camps were too loud and angry. 'Line up for extermination quietly, you're making me feel bad.'
Show threadSkennedyNov 21, 2022

@erinfulmer Does Mastodon link to moderation education resources during their server installation?

@Stormgren , I know you set one up most recently, do they just hope you figure it out, or what?

Show threadStormgrenNov 21, 2022
@skennedy @erinfulmer I don't recall that as part of the onboarding, but I also barely remember what I had for breakfast yesterday. A moderation handbook link or something on first login would actually be a pretty good idea.
Show threadSkennedyNov 21, 2022
@Stormgren @erinfulmer I learned a lot of hard lessons over a collective 12 years of moderating over two communities, it is a shame for everyone to have to learn the same lessons over and over again.
Show threadTea 🍵 ✍️Nov 21, 2022

@erinfulmer THe server ran by a bunch of Cis-Het White German dudes is discriminating? NOOOO never /s

Sarcasm aside, this doesn't shock me sadly. There always seemed to be a disconnect between the BIPOC and Queer natives on Masto and the primary devs.

Show threadS. L. CraneNov 21, 2022
@erinfulmer Has Tracy's post been officially restored by now or am I still seeing it because of some server delays? (I've only read about this issue a few minutes ago and am trying to figure out what's going on so I'm confused by the post being visible.)
Show threadEl KrankyNov 21, 2022
@erinfulmer I don't disagree that some mods may be bias or may act rushly. But there is no perfect place nor perfect people, we all have to do what we can to live with each other.
Show threadenchantedsleeper 🌈⭐Nov 21, 2022

@erinfulmer 🙈 the people in the replies going "well you can just join another instance". One, not the time; two, way to be tone-deaf; three, who is going to *want* to bother with another instance and have to set up a profile over and over just to have it potentially banned again with no warning?

Honestly not the time and place to be saying "well it's not ALL like that..."

Show threadJust AliceNov 21, 2022

@erinfulmer Damn damn damn. So it's BIPOC AND LGBTQ+ persons being silenced, on two separate instances, now.

Damn. But thank you for the heads-up.

Show threadIron Curtain (Chiptunes)Nov 21, 2022
@erinfulmer I was privy to the discussion on Discord, and “rich white men with power” was misinterpreted to be an anti-Semitic dog whistle. We Jews are marginalized based on who we are, too.
Show threadDeb M.Nov 21, 2022
@IronCurtain @erinfulmer Then Eugen, et al need to be educated on the English-language antisemitic dog whistles, ‘cause those ain’t it. (And I’m in the tribe, too.)
We need a conference, an educational summit, to bring clarification on these concerns. And, no, there won’t be complete agreement, but there would be a lot of enlightenment.
Show threadIron Curtain (Chiptunes)Nov 21, 2022
@heydeb @erinfulmer I’m in complete agreement with your toot.
Show threadDeb M.Nov 21, 2022
@IronCurtain @erinfulmer Cool, what are we gonna do about it? Let’s form a team.
Show threadKryan HekaNov 21, 2022
@erinfulmer New user here but is there a way to appeal your decision? I thought only mods of @wandering.shop could censor you.
Show threadMinaNov 21, 2022

@erinfulmer

Mastodon came back pretty quickly and admitted this was a huge error and fixed it. They posted it here as well as on Twitter.

Show threadAdil SadikNov 21, 2022
@erinfulmer To clarify, these are two different instances with the same moderator? Is that right?
Show threadAdil SadikNov 21, 2022
@erinfulmer Nvm I was able to answer my own question: yes. This is alarming!
Show threadJoy DenebeimNov 21, 2022
@erinfulmer I think this is simpleish. If you get a complaint about a marginalized person, check out who's doing the complaining first.
Show threadDefault UsernameNov 21, 2022
@erinfulmer These next few weeks will be interesting. Mastodon puts social media "in the hands of the people", but people are kind of terrible.
Show threadDM_GoldNov 21, 2022
@erinfulmer unfortunately seems like growing pains. A reply from the instance owner and developer of Mastodon. https://mastodon.social/@Gargron/109383948764988900
Show threadJoão PinheiroNov 21, 2022
@erinfulmer The bigger the communities, the worse they are.
Show threadJoão PinheiroNov 21, 2022
@erinfulmer You should keep away of any instance run by Eugene!
Show thread🐚 Undo Influence 🐚Nov 21, 2022

@joaopinheiro @erinfulmer

A little direct interaction with that guy goes a long, long way. o_0 Found that out early on. (2017 or so.)

Show threadFzOrbNov 22, 2022
@erinfulmer sorry to break your bouble of a "fully progressive social media", but defederating any instance is breaking the fedaverse. You can't block an email server from your email server. Blocking should be left to the user, not the hostmaster. This defederation thing essentially means I can make bubbles for my users where they can't be influenced by x content. Why? Because they don't have access to it unless they go out of their way to go on the other instance. #SayNoToDefederation