I hope we're all prepared for yet another wave of discourse about the ways in which the cultural norms of mastodon do and do not enable some users to be their full selves on this platform.
I'm treating this as a kind of inevitability because it is clear that the broader Fediverse has not learned from the previous wave or the waves that preceded it. And this is in spite of claims from some mastodonians that an influx of users will bring change.
Put simply, something we're going to have to reckon with is the centrality and stability of desired modes of conduct on this platform, specifically as they are policed and enforced through the technical apparatus of the platforms.
What this means is newcomers who point out the cultural weirdness of the space won't be QTed to oblivion, but they will find their mentions inundated by "well meaning" mastodonians who are trying to explain "the way things are."
@shengokai not exactly what you’re referencing, but one thing I’ve been thinking about re: the inundation of replies is how greater distribution of people through federation may make it difficult to even see the number of replies chiming in.
With what you’re referencing, tho, probably the reality is a bunch of folks just ignoring the comments and not seeing if anyone has said something similar (I’m guilty of this now because it’s hard to see the replies mid-thread)
Dr. Johnathan Flowers
was B (this is my old account)