If Mastodon diehards want this to be The Next Place after Twitter, the move is to bend over backwards to listen to disabled and Black community about what they do and don't need in social media space.
Even if it's challenging.
Even if it makes you uncomfortable.
These are power user communities, whether folks like it or not.
@zorinlynx @gwensnyder You can find that by using all the great features Mastodon has:
Time limited muting of an account.
Disabling boosts for an account.
Unfollowing an account.
Setting up filters to hide some posts based on patterns.
Etc.
Not by tone policing people you're a rando to and trying to control others' experiences.
@zorinlynx @dalias @gwensnyder
I'm in agreement and would like to add:
- You can oppose the push to make this "the next Twitter" and still agree with Gwen's opener (I do)
- The #SmallWeb push isn't necessarily the same as cloistered privilege
- The current tools and culture are great! That doesn't absolve us of listening to feedback and making improvements.
1/2
@zorinlynx @dalias @gwensnyder
What if #Mastodon is the scaffolding and cranes? Nothing about us without us; some communities weren't present when today's status was made quo. What if the best thing Mastodon does is bring us together, shows us that more things are possible, and provides a space to coordinate building what we really want / need.
Feels like we'll look back and see a stepping stone and that's great actually.
2/2
@dalias @zorinlynx @gwensnyder
how do i disable boosts for an account? i've never come across that function and i'm the type who explores
@dalias @zorinlynx @gwensnyder
not on web on my instance, thanks for the info tho, i'll poke around some more
@dalias @zorinlynx @gwensnyder
ah of course, thanks for taking the time to explain
@johngove @zorinlynx @gwensnyder Yes there's a difference - they're pretty much opposites.
One is a matter of content considered unacceptable because of how it causes harm and because of specific history of power relationships.
The other is a matter of declaring the means of expression by which someone informs about and organizes against those power dynamics unacceptable because it's unpleasant for you to hear.
@dalias @zorinlynx @gwensnyder
THANK YOU @dalias for saying so. Your voice of reason is appreciated.
There are so many people who keep saying "nothing political" but aparently the fact that I exist is political. It's very strange. It's like a white picket fence. I genuinely don't understand what we are supposed to post. Flowers & sunsets?
It feels like control freaks on here just seem angry at everything and everyone and keep telling people to be nice without following the same advice.
@loosestrings @gwensnyder @dalias @BabsSheKing I absolutely agree that the discourse needs to happen. But it's also a mental health issue for many. It's telling that my depression goes away when I'm off social media a few days.
We just need a better balance I think. I wish I could just have a "catch up on the discourse" period each day, and the rest of the time sharing cat pictures etc.
@zorinlynx @loosestrings @gwensnyder @BabsSheKing The problem is when someone decides other people's actions to change oppressive conditions they live under have to go on pause or be "less attention-seeking" (i.e. completely ineffective) for the sake of their mental health.
Mastodon gives us much better tools than other social media did to put that on pause *just from our own view* while not interfering with the needs of others to speak in a manner that's effective.
@zorinlynx @loosestrings @gwensnyder @BabsSheKing Beyond the built-in tools like filters and temporary muting, the open protocol makes it possible to create all kinds of new mental health oriented accessibility tools.
Grouping filtered posts into a digest queue, to consume at a time when you feel able to deal with them, is totally doable as a client app feature or an instance feature.
@loosestrings @gwensnyder @dalias @zorinlynx @BabsSheKing
𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽’𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓻𝓾𝔁 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓾𝓮.
@zorinlynx @dalias @gwensnyder
𝓔𝓷𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓶𝓲𝓭𝓭𝓵𝓮 𝓰𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓷𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓷𝓼𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓸𝓹𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓸𝓻 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓹𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓭.
On Twitter users could browbeat the corporation to allocate resources to address issues and add features.
But on Mastodon there's no parent company or corporate sponsors.
End users either donate for software development or they don't.
There's been a big surge of financial support. It's now... 21,000 Euros a month.
Mastodon's main dev works 14 hours a day and is paid 34,000 Euros a year.
Do you even realize how old the Fediverse is? Nobody is going to bend over backwards. Just do your thing like everybody else and enjoy.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fediverse
I started of with identi.ca had Gnu social running, Friendica diaspora and now Mastodon. IMHO the best implementation yet. But it could be superseded by Nextcloud as it is simpler to install.
When newcomers start blowing of their tops what has to change and that we have to bend backwards to facilitate it, that irritates me whatever your cause is or how important you think it is.
Just settle and watch for a while discover how everything works. Find the limitless possibilities the Fediverse offers you. Be amazed how many minorities you will find here peacefully coexisting.
Then when you want changes find out how to make them. It is up to you and not some cabal to make the changes you want. You make them nobody else.
Not satisfied with the culture? Run your own server.
Not satisfied with the software. Go to github make requests or fork the software.
It's really easy. Don't demand. Participate and contribute. It's that simple.
@roelfrenkema @mawhrin @gwensnyder are you blind and using a screen reader? Don't demand alt text or supports! Just go code your own system to describe images to you. /S
It's great that this is decentralized and interoperable, so people can use whichever things best fit their needs/wants and still connect with others. It's absurd to assume everyone can just do it all themselves.
You need to re-read my message. Nowhere have I said you are om your own. We are a community and have a culture. I for one try to use alt whenever I don't forget and even use the reminder robot. Maybe you should read the OP to read my message in context. But even out of context you are stating things I never said.
@mawhrin @gwensnyder Indeed. Personally, my belief is that if we all agree not to be arseholes to each other, we'd no longer have to worry about whose group is most important.
Whether humanity is capable of that is another question, but it would be better than dividing ourselves in squabbling groups and letting the powers that be steal all our money and put it in the Cayman Islands while we're distracted with hatred for each other.
@mawhrin @gwensnyder Well, I can't speak for white folk, but personally I try to deal kindly with everyone regardless of melanin production. Everyone else is as human as I am.
If you have a specific charge to bring against me, then do so. I'm many things, but a racist is not one of them.
It shouldn't matter, if you're black, white, yellow, red, gay, straight, bi, pan, trans.. whatever. Everyone should be treated with a fundamental respect. If they commit crime, then put them on fair trial.
Christopher Alvarado
Gwen Snyder is uncivil
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