Helle Strandgaard JensenMay 1, 2023
Mike McHargue

I'm skeptical of #Bluesky because it's built on the same tech VC mindset that has been so harmful in prior generations of social media.

I'm skeptical of the #fediverse and #Mastodon because Black and brown people get shouted over by tech leftists when they have the audacity to name their experiences here.

That crap shows up in my timeline every single time I log on.

Before you say, "my feed isn't like that," let me ask, "How many Black and brown people do you follow?"

Apr 30, 2023 at 10:30pmWeb
Show threadMike McHargueApr 30, 2023
This stuff has to get addressed, and it can't be addressed by white developers, mods, and community managers just assuming they know what is best.
Show threadSerionApr 30, 2023
@mike
I just can't get past it's owned by Jack.  "Screw me once, shame on you.  Screw me twice ...."
Show threadMike McHargueApr 30, 2023
@Serion There's a reason I have an account here and not there. I am more optimistic that the fediverse can get its shit together than a Twitter spinoff making something good.
Show threadSerionApr 30, 2023
@mike
Just sounding more and more like Twitter 2.0. I'll keep my home in the Fediverse. (-:
Show threadwilliam.maggosApr 30, 2023

@mike

I can't believe there is a consensus on what black and brown people want. but if there was, is the argument that developers here should do whatever they want, even if that's not what the developers think is best or what a larger number of users might want? I know it's wrong to ask them to make their own fork etc, but maybe somebody in their community will come along that wants to do that. I don't see how this gets resolved otherwise. the trans community might want something else etc.

Show threadMike McHargueApr 30, 2023

@wjmaggos The solution is for every marginalized community to make their own fork?

I want to make sure I understand what you are recommending.

Show threadwilliam.maggosApr 30, 2023

@mike

I am saying I don't know and we have seen different server applications provide different options. There will be competing demands. For example, I know many black and brown people said they couldn't use Mastodon without QTs. but others say QTs would increase the harassment. that's the tip of the iceberg.

Show threadJustin DerrickMay 2, 2023
@wjmaggos @mike It’s almost like BIPOC people aren’t some monolithic hive mind and each have their own technical preferences - but want freedom from new forms of the same old bullshit they’ve been putting up with for centuries.
Show threadMike McHargueMay 2, 2023
@JustinDerrick @wjmaggos Well said!
Show threadDale HirtMay 1, 2023
@mike Trying to add more BIPOC voices to my feed. Any suggestions?
Show threadacmMay 1, 2023
@dalehirt start with # BlackMastodon and then start picking up individuals! # BlackFriday is another good one.
Show threadMMR NmdMay 1, 2023

@mike My feed is not like that.
I follow about 15% of black and brown people.

Been here for more than 2 years and I have just NEVER witnessed what you describe on Mastodon.

Show threadLog 🪵May 1, 2023
@mike I feel like maybe I shouldn't be able to answer that question. Even if some of the accounts I follow appear to be that, based on profile pics, it's not like there's a BLACKTCHA test to prove it. I can't actually prove I'm a fungal colony either, which is why social media posts don't break the Secrecy Laws for cryptid-Americans. How could any of us prove anything about ourselves is true? Just gotta give people some credit sometimes. Believe their story and engage with *their* reality.
Show threadSparky SantosMay 1, 2023
@mike I view us here as friends, so I’m not checking to see who identifies as quality X. I saw a request for Black & LGBTQ voices by a new friend & tried to point them to a reliable buddy who has a forum for friendly nerds. Maybe we need nodes to push traffic that way. Everybody can use more friends.
Show threadSamir Al-BattranMay 1, 2023
@mike Exactly Mike
I have entered into many discussions here, where people berate me for being on Twitter. I tell them for me it's different here, it's predominantly English and tech news here, if you have any other interests outside of those two there is hardly any content, and it's super hard to discover to begin with.
Show threadJJ KrawczykMay 1, 2023
@mike
It’s a microcosm of real life where people can’t even imagine barriers that they don’t experience or see how existing norms give an advantage to white cis males. And refuse to do the work to learn about it.
@BlackAzizAnansi
Show threadjason r. tottenMay 1, 2023
@mike this is actually one reason i’m liking Blue Sky / AT a lot better. it’s actually not the VC mindset, it’s a protocol primarily that they can’t own by design, and you can control your data taking it to another server etc. once federation is complete. (not just follows)

but mostly because Black twitter (tech & activists) due in large part by work from Aveta / aliafonzy and others.

i’m not anti-masto, but i feel there’s so much gatekeeping it keeps good people out.
Show threadWord of Mouth May 1, 2023

@mike
Yeah... I'll give Mastodon a few more months, but at this point I'm likely to go back to my previous social media:

None. No Twitter. No Facebook. No IG. No TikTok. No Reddit . None of it.

Just struggling to "get it" at all
@KimCrayton1

Show threadKim Crayton ~ Her/SheMay 1, 2023
@notroot @mike I get it because most days, I just hold my nose and dive into the deep end.
Show threadDemianMay 1, 2023
@mike it also seems like a disproportionate number of the black and brown people I follow on twitter have not migrated here. These are brilliant, insightful, inspiring, funny and interesting folks. The fact they remain on the bird app is a big reason I still keep my account there.
Show threadCrazyMyraMay 10, 2023
@mike Some follows/followers, but not many. I see the issue from a slightly different perspective, though. I live in Africa and it's almost impossible to persuade friends to join Mastodon because they know from discussions on Twitter how unwelcoming this place can be.
Show threadWraithe @ PAX EASTMay 11, 2023
@OutOnTheMoors @mike Yeah I’ve literally seen posters on Masto say stuff like “there’s no racism in (insert name of European country)” - something I’m sure gets a real laugh from folks in any number of African countries.
The scouts came back from Mastodon and said “fuck no”
Me, I’m just a yt “dude”, so yeah I don’t get that crap, but I believe the people when they say it and I HOPE mastodon can get the shit fixed.
Show threaddragonfrogMay 10, 2023

@mike One of the things I did not realize until very recently - you can reply to someone's public post and set the privacy of your reply to be a DM - so even if I read through the full reply thread on a black or brown person's post, everything I see may not be everything *they* see.

There could be horrible harassing racist replies that the OP is reading, while I can read all the way to the bottom of the thread and see nothing but respectful conversation.

Show threaddragonfrogMay 10, 2023
@mike And it could be kind of non-obvious to the OP - they're reading the discussion of their post and there's this stinking pile of insults right in there, and nobody is pushing back on that person - there's probably some little bit of UI to indicate it's a private reply so the others aren't pushing back because they can't see it - but that can be easy to miss. And the psychic toll of the whole thing must be heavy, so even easier to miss UI subtle bits of UI information.
Show threaddragonfrogMay 10, 2023

@mike

So, in principle on one hand it's kind of the same as any social network - you can block DMs from anyone you don't follow - but if you don't, the fact that they can thread their "DMs" in with an otherwise public conversation is really problematic.

If I see something in a separate DM inbox, my mental space is different when I start to read it. The private replies to public threads "feature" undermines that.