Mastodawn

VelvetAlex Mar 5, 2023

Cait the Proud Trans Woman

I'm kind of struck by how left-leaning the Fediverse is - after seeing so many right-wing social media sites stumble and bumble their way to ignominy. And I realised - the right want a social media site where they can own the libs, flex and troll. And it's boring trolling each other instead. While for the left, it's more about wanting a site to actually interact in a reasonable way with grown-ups.

Just interesting to note.

Fedi works because it works; Gab and Rumble and Truth and all the other right-wing circle-flappers just limp along without any users, because they don't offer what right-wingers want: targets.

Loukas (They/Them) 🏳️‍⚧️Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays yes a social media based on a liberatory structure is so good. And far more likely to thrive than any forum based just on topics of conversation.

Jordan Warshavsky Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays their worst nightmare though… the the dog catching the car.

When all you do is couched in vitriol and spite… a “vanquished foe” lends no kerosene for the fire.

If they are not aggrieved, they have nothing…

Summery_Season Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays you nailed it.

@krisnelson Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays I’ve noticed that too! For me,it’s even more amazing and even nice that Gab and a bunch of other right-wing instances are also part of the Fediverse (like they’re part of irl too), and yet the Fediverse so many of us experience is nonetheless generally functional *despite* that! Though it takes constant vigilance by mods and instance admins to keep it that way. (A good lesson for everything in life, I think!)

Sharon Gibson Morgan Mar 5, 2023

@krisnelson @oldladyplays The nicest aspect of Mastodon is the option to block problematic instances, e.g., neoNazis, bitcoin fanatics.

Martin Vermeer FCD Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays The Fediverse is left-leaning only by comparison. It's an optical illusion caused by the absence of loud crazies. Plenty of non-crazy conservatives here.

Irena Mar 7, 2023

@martinvermeer @oldladyplays Lack of more conservative comment has worried me a bit too, as I don't want to be in a lefty rabbit hole either. Too easy! I do want to understand the mainstream point of view, and there are still so few journalists and politicians here. I say this through gritted teeth in light of the latest Braverman outrage.
#BravermanMustGo #GetTheToriesOut
#MastodonMigration #SuellaBraverman

Irena Mar 7, 2023

@martinvermeer @oldladyplays Really? I don't see any.

Martin Vermeer FCD Mar 7, 2023

@ORIOliver @oldladyplays Well there's @SykesCharlie . Scanning journa.host I see several names writing for Forbes, WSJ, ...
But yeah they are underrepresented. They are conservative, and Mastodon is that newfangled thing...

Irena Mar 7, 2023

@martinvermeer @oldladyplays @SykesCharlie Does Sykes post? I see he has many followers, but nothing posted ... Maybe it's my phone ...

Martin Vermeer FCD Mar 7, 2023

@ORIOliver @oldladyplays @SykesCharlie No you're right... almost empty

Martin Vermeer FCD Mar 7, 2023

@ORIOliver @oldladyplays @SykesCharlie Found some more not-obviously-crazy conservatives: @jacobtlevy , @niskanen

Irena Mar 7, 2023

@martinvermeer @oldladyplays @SykesCharlie @jacobtlevy @niskanen Thanks for your impressive research efforts. But the pickings are thin. I'll have to stick around my more dubious social contacts to hear alternative political views ... I'm not even that radical, but it's all relative, and I can't wait to see the back of Braverman et al.
#GTTO #GetTheToriesOut

Martin Vermeer FCD Mar 7, 2023

@ORIOliver @oldladyplays @SykesCharlie @jacobtlevy @niskanen Yeah, the intersection of conservative, not (very) crazy, and early adopter is bound to be small. You may find RSS / substack-like blogs to be a better hunting ground.
I would love to see Rick Wilson and the Lincoln Project here, but they cannot be bothered. Then, neither can I.
Oh yeah, still @ChrisGrey for inimitable Brexit commentary.

Irena Mar 7, 2023

@martinvermeer @oldladyplays @SykesCharlie @jacobtlevy @niskanen @ChrisGrey Oooh yes. I used to like Lincoln Project. And Tom Nichols. Just for a different perspective. They'll get here eventually ...

Martin Vermeer FCD Mar 7, 2023

@ORIOliver @oldladyplays Yes, Tom Nichols too. All these folks are here as bot mirrors from twitter (which should tell you something about demand!), not good enough for me.

They defend hanging on on twitter as "fighting the good fight" where the followers are, a train that IMHO left a while ago. They could be in both places with only limited extra work, offering continuity to migrants and preparing for the non-zero likelihood of twitter's total loss.

Jacob T. Levy Mar 7, 2023

@martinvermeer @ORIOliver @oldladyplays (For whatever it's worth, I'm only here; I've quit twitter.)

Martin Vermeer FCD Mar 7, 2023

@jacobtlevy @ORIOliver @oldladyplays You almost deserve to be double counted for that 😇

@oldladyplays, there's a bunch of right-wing dominated instances. But most reasonable people ignore their existence or outright defederate from them.

Timo Grün Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays
Also because the very tiny, and basically only perceived, additional difficulty of Mastodon successfully filters out almost the entire alt-right. From which we can draw all kinds of interesting conclusions.

Horst Albermann 🇪🇺🇩🇪Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays I think this is no coincidence. A functioning democracy is not suitable for imposing its will on fellow citizens as a perceived or future minority.

So the first thing to do is to destroy the functional foundations of democracy. The clear distinction between true and false, all politicians are equally bad, corrupt, ...

And since the method used works just as well on one's own base as it does on the opponent ...

Übersetzt mit DeepL (https://www.deepl.com/app/?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=app&utm_campaign=share-translation

Kevin B 🇺🇸🇺🇦Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays I probably say this too much but I’m disappointed in Twitter friends I’ve made in the last 6 or 7 years who still actively use Twitter. Most stuck their feet in Mastodon and/or Post waters but soon went back to feeding Elon, not realizing nothing is “won” by words all that happens is trolls get fed and keeps twitter attractive to advertisers. There is nothing gained by a “tweetstorm” or trending a topic for a few hours. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/02/22/russian-propagandists-said-buy-twitter-blue-check-verifications/

Russian propagandists are buying Twitter blue-check verifications

As the Ukraine war enters its second year, the presence of accounts pushing Russian propaganda on Twitter has skyrocketed.

The Washington Post

Kees AntiFA van Malssen Mar 5, 2023

@scooterdawg @oldladyplays I do actively use the other site too. But selectively. For those that have good information e.g. on the #IranProtest en t war in #Ukrain. Also several technical subjects that I don't see (yet) here. But i font feed trolls, stay away from shot. And most of my posts are here

Kevin B 🇺🇸🇺🇦Mar 5, 2023

@KFvMalssen @oldladyplays I haven’t deleted my account there for sentimental reasons and am in some DM groups. Always hoping the muskrat goes away one way or another but won’t hold my breath. But I get good info on the Ukraine group Im in, and home state info and a few other topics.

OldHound Mar 6, 2023

@scooterdawg @KFvMalssen @oldladyplays My hope is that Twitter will be resurrected under new management after Musk drives the company into insolvency (based on the finances, I think that’s only a matter of time) so that I can continue following a few accounts over there with a clean conscience.

Kevin B 🇺🇸🇺🇦Mar 6, 2023

@OldHound @KFvMalssen @oldladyplays My hope as well. That’s why I haven’t deleted it. Just locked, which I never did in the 13 years I’ve been on it.

Darren du Nord Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays The part you see is left leaning, thanks to self selection and lack of a triggering algorithm. But the fedi is vast.

WMK Mar 5, 2023

YES

The RWNJ media thing seems to operate on at least 2 levels:

1) As you say, Trolls thirsting for victims to abuse

2) Tech-bro venture capitalists/corporations/oligarchs looking to 'monetize' those Trolls and/or the leverage the chaos they spread for political gain

I'm pretty new to this Fediverse thing but it seems a good counter to both of the RWNJ media 'objectives'

A-Dub Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays 100%. being a target is exactly why i left twitter.

bassplayer Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays Apologies in adv inf I trigger. As a centrist I'm struck by the similarities of behaviors on all the platforms. The right finds some crazy tic tok and they say see look at these crazy people so they can other a larger group of people while asking you to subscribe. I've seen similar behavior from the left too, referencing articles which vary widely from really good pieces to dressed up blog posts. I'm looking at you wired game reviews. Again sorry to trigger anyone

Peter Butler Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays There are lots of conservative people on here. It's remarkable how "mainstream conservative" now means Trumpist/fascist. Those folks generally get blocked quickly because they are toxic.

JWSGeek (Moving: Universeodon)Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays
There are right-wing mastodon servers out there. Truth Social is one of them. Most of them aren't federated, but rather stay isolated.

Many were started as a private space, with a little less fanfare than Trump's site. They built up a small self-feeding audience. Then they might try to re-open federation and start trolling on a few targets (journalists, trans people, etc).

At that point, the receiving mods tend to just block the whole domain, and that's why it stays friendly.

A Closed Account Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays right extremists also want only a media that reports ( regardless of veracity) only what they want to hear. Hence they attack anything else. They check any critical thinking they might possess to hear what empowers their ego. Look at CPAC last week taken over by trumpists.

Maria Mar 5, 2023

@oldladyplays very astute observation--thanks for sharing it

Aviva Gary Mar 6, 2023

@oldladyplays Basically

emma Mar 6, 2023

@oldladyplays Important to keep this insight in mind on mixed social media sites too; far right haters thrive when lefties and moderates take their bait. It's what they want.
Gen X's don't feed the trolls mantra has merit.

Diamond Joy Mar 7, 2023

@oldladyplays which is why it is beyond sanity to stay on twitter truth social. There is no fight there to be fought. Just be a pawn in the fascist game. Remain and be willing fodder for hate by nazis, evangelicals, white incel boys and a toddler named Elmo.

Elmo loves everyone who has stayed because it proves he's winning. Take action and get unstuck!

PJ "Vote Green" Coffey Mar 19, 2023

@oldladyplays Wait... the cruelty really was the point?