Tim BrayDec 28, 2022

Thinking about how to enable full-text searching of a useful subset of Fediverse posts in a way that is controlled by post authors and has humane unsurprising defaults.

The current yes/no binary toggle under Settings/Other (that most people have never seen) probably isn't going to do the job.

The problem needs a long-form write-up (coming), and is controversial, but I’m pretty sure won’t go away, so the community should get in front of it.

Show threadManton ReeceDec 28, 2022
@[email protected] Looking forward to your longer thoughts on this. Personally I find that Mastodon posts are often overloaded with hashtags, hurting readability. I assume at least some of that user behavior comes from how search works.
Show threadSean HardingDec 28, 2022
@manton @timbray Yes, among the first bits of advice I got when I dove back into Mastodon recently was "use hastags liberally so people can find your posts." I have always hated hashtags (on all platforms) but I've also been trying to conform to the cultural norms rather than bringing my own baggage.
Show threadTim BrayDec 28, 2022
@sharding @manton Bear in mind that it's perfectly OK not to want people to be able to find your posts.
Show threadSean Harding
@timbray @manton Yes, of course. I've primarily done it when it's something that I hope people outside of my normal group will happen across (e.g. technical questions). BTW, I'm not saying I think this is the _right_ practice — just affirming Manton's hypothesis.
Dec 28, 2022 at 6:55pmWeb