Mastodawn

🇺🇲 ☕ LM✌️🇨🇦Jul 2, 2023

Pwnallthethings

Welcome new twitter expats!

I know for a lot of you this is a temporary migration, and you'll head back once they fix the problems.

But before you go back to twitter, take this thought with you: the owners of twitter don't just push their agendas at you. You already know that, and probably think it doesn't affect you. But what you don't see is how much stuff is gone there now. You don't see who's gone, or what views aren't there anymore

Pwnallthethings Jul 1, 2023

It's easy enough to spot what's there. It's *much* harder to spot what's missing. And one of the things I enormously appreciate with this place and a few others is that it highlights just how many important local perspectives on a ton of different important topics just never surface there anymore.

Pwnallthethings Jul 1, 2023

Overton windows shift not just by adding weight on one side of the scale, but by taking it off at the other side, and blasting trash in the middle to confuse and disorientate. You can't easily protect yourself from platform owners doing that on purpose if its your only information source.

Pwnallthethings Jul 1, 2023

Maybe Mastodon isn't for you. That's fine! Different platforms suit different people, though we'll be sad to miss you.

But if you do go back, please be careful to bear this in mind. Disinformation and overton-window-shifting isn't just the obvious agendas pushed into your face that you can ignore. It's also all the info and people that you don't even notice aren't there anymore. So be careful in your travels online, and give it a thought when you get back.

Martin “Doomsday” Pfeiffer Jul 1, 2023

@Pwnallthethings Good to see you here.

Pophouse Jul 1, 2023

@Pwnallthethings
i'll probably go back to twitter, but just to collect my things and move on. it was fun but now it is done.

Callisto Jul 2, 2023

@pophouse @Pwnallthethings agreed. I enjoyed my time there but this fiasco happening is just a sign of things to come.

Daniel Maunsell Jul 3, 2023

@pophouse @Pwnallthethings what's the problem? I haven't been paying any attention to Twitter. Everyone is just vaguely gesturing to something wring without pointing out anything specific.

Erika Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings What do you mean? If it’s not there, it’s not there. That’s all.

DwntwnT Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings
Mastadon doesnt have a translator, & its an issue for me. I do like it here, but its limited.

Andii אַנדִֽי Jul 2, 2023

@DwntwnT @Pwnallthethings my instance does. Only more major languages but useful to save me resorting to dictionary for the odd German, Italian or Portuguese words I'm unfamiliar with or can't work out

𝓐𝓷𝓭𝔂𝓣𝓲𝓮𝓭𝔂𝓮 𓀤 Jul 2, 2023

@DwntwnT @Pwnallthethings As long as one can use Chrome to access the Fediverse, Google translate is available.

The one that has been annoying me lately that way is Telegram. Links to Telegram keep wanting to open the Telegram app, and that has no translate feature at all.

I H8 Gaming Jul 2, 2023

@andytiedye @DwntwnT @Pwnallthethings very true but on a phone, this is a pain in the butt. Telegram does have a translate option and it's pretty darned good. On a phone, just long press on the text and it should bring up a translate command.

Julian ♪🌻🥥🌴♫Apr 2, 2024

@IH8Gaming @andytiedye @DwntwnT @Pwnallthethings
Meanwhile, the translate button has disappeared from Twitter and the one on Mastodon works fine for me.

Frank Sonntag Jul 2, 2023

@DwntwnT @Pwnallthethings

Mastodon does support automated translations, but not many servers turn it on - maybe because the feature depends on external translation services (deepl or libretranslate).

It's always possible your instance admins are prepared to look into enabling translations if you ask them.

Mootpoint Jul 2, 2023

@DwntwnT @Pwnallthethings
I use the translation app on my phone. It might be a little… clunky, but that helps?

Stéphane Benoit👽Jul 2, 2023

@DwntwnT @Pwnallthethings if needed you could probably use the web version of your instance and use google translate extension or something like that

Lime Green Gnome Jul 2, 2023

@DwntwnT
Fedilab app has an onboard translator, it's *mostly* reliable & heck, if you only have to paste out *occasionally* :)
Works on image descriptions too

Mike Ogram Jul 2, 2023

@DwntwnT
Ivory has a Translate option that opens the toot in Google Translate. Seems easy to use.

DwntwnT Jul 3, 2023

@mgoggie
Im sure it is for ppl that understand any part of what you said. Lol

Pēteris Krišjānis Jul 2, 2023

@[email protected] this was so good thing to say. Respect.

Karl Magnacca Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings The thing is, it's much more noticeable what's not *here*, because there's just a lot less.

Alexey Merz Jul 1, 2023

@Pwnallthethings At this point Twitter is not even serving as a disinformation source. It's effectively shut down.

InnerPartisan Jul 1, 2023

@merz @Pwnallthethings Yup. If Elon the boy genious doesn't reverse his... unquestionably brilliant 69d checkers move, Twitter is, as of today, effectively gone.

Krieger Jul 1, 2023

@Pwnallthethings The only information sources I trust are people in the stink holding up their phones feeding us reality before the press gets a chance to twist it.

Jamie Brown Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings plausible deniability is like a course for the elite.

Jamie Brown Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings jfc it looks like they got you too. Glad I looked.

jprestonian Jul 1, 2023

@Pwnallthethings
This seems the hardest thing to get across.

Jamshir Jul 1, 2023

@Pwnallthethings

Not sure that many Twitter users wish to go back

- I only joined Twitter to Get up to date Ukraine war news and maps
- I stayed because connecting with actual Ukrainian people gives a way better perspective than other media
- I ended up in the disinfo fight, because letting the lies and hate go unchallenged makes Twitter almost un-usable.

If Mastodon takes off, no need to go back

Jean Jul 1, 2023

@Jamshir Me too, twitter has been the place to get the most news, though I wasn’t sure of its quality, about Ukraine. And yeah, getting perspectives from actual Ukrainians has been really valuable. But if they jump, I will jump with them!

Jeff C. 🇺🇦🇬🇱Jul 2, 2023

@Jamshir @Pwnallthethings The pro-Ukraine community here is small, but anecdotally it seems to be growing. I hope that these recent problems with Twitter will speed that up a bit.

(On the plus side: There are markedly fewer genocide apologists on here!)

Either way, welcome to the community. We’re building something pretty cool here, bit by bit, and I’m glad you’ve joined us.

LordCabbage64 Jul 1, 2023

@Pwnallthethings I wasn’t on Twitter but hearing about the twitters imploding has me curious about mastodon

Jeff Fecke Jul 1, 2023

@Pwnallthethings "When they fix the problems." You're funny.

jcricket Jul 1, 2023

@Pwnallthethings

Michael Jul 1, 2023

@Pwnallthethings

#TwitterRefugees
#MOG

Nelson Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings Elon has made an excellent case this week for not going back ever.

Southern Leftist Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings
There are no agendas, just right-wing evil.

If Elon gets in politics, or any other billionaire, kick 'em out - swiftly.

ManxDunners Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings I left Twitter months ago and came here. I fell out of Mastodon for some reason but never returned to Twitter. The recent news bright me back here. Hope to stick around here longer this time.

Psychopatate01 Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings
Bonjour, ce n'est pas un problème technique mais bien une volonté de la part de #Musk de limité l'accès à l'oiseau bleu, Pour ne pas dire une certaine forme de censure.

hbeeinc Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings

I'd also like to add that #birdsite is an abusive relationship. Sure he's really sorry and he's not going to do it again but...he *will* do it again.

DoggyDo Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings Thank-you! Yes twitter now sux with speed like my old 1980s 286 processor.

sub_o Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings or let's be honest, some of them really enjoy far right and nazi content, and are only here because that site is not functioning.

billyok Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings This place might keep more migrants if the featured posts weren't all about Twitter for the 9th straight month. Mastodon is secretly more miserable than Twitter is and it’s such a bummer.

Paranoid Factoid Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings

I saw this and wanted to chime in about the algorithm fuckery going on there and elsewhere.

To start, I'll give an example about reddit, where the algorithm at the subreddit level is really people. And by that I don't mean users, I mean compromised subreddit mods.

Take r/conspiracy for example. That place, the mod team was infiltrated by MAGA. They took over, and used it to promote Trump and all things fascist. ...

Paranoid Factoid Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings They coordinate off site on Discord/Telegram to brigade comment voting either with mass upvotes for what they like, or mass downvotes for messaging they don't like.. Mods do this mostly for plausible deniability, because they're not supposed to.

So the upshot is: Total ideological conformity. A social media bubble. Either join and agree, or be suppressed and ultimately banned. ...

Paranoid Factoid Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings I bring this up because it's one form of ideological control in social media. Reddit corporate does it because volunteer mods were free. The company doesn't have to pay them. But the downside to this is it makes for a lot of marginalized voices. And Reddit is big enough that people complain elsewhere within the site. So people know.

Let's compare that to the new Twitter under Elon. ...

Paranoid Factoid Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings What I think is going on is that Twitter has implemented an LLM AI to read all tweets. It's smart enough to get some of the context and presumed meanings behind what people write. So the AI can rank a tweet based not just on readability and competence in writing, but also ideological conformity to Elon's pet politics. I think we all realize, he's a Trump supporter, he dislikes free press, and suppresses any content that doesn't mean his political goals.

Paranoid Factoid Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings This is also FREE. (no staff needed).

But, another point is that unlike Reddit, the system can control who sees what tweet. And since there's an AI ranking system, it can do fuckery like:

- shadow ban a tweet based on the ideology of the author and the message presented. It gets no views.

- show the tweet ONLY to those who oppose it. In that way, the tweet gets a lot of pushback and retweet engagement only from opponents. Dissuading users from writing that stuff.

Paranoid Factoid Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings

- Or, it shows the tweet to followers and those who agree. Then the tweet gets a lot of support. Organic likes and retweets. The person gets followers. Etc. His MAGA friends get this.

So, you might think a tweet gets a lot of views, but only from people who oppose you. You get no followers and lots of pushback comments. Which increases engagement because opposition and anger is engaging.

And that's all hidden from users who are just trying to use the site to build community.

Terry Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings I’m not going back, to depressing

Flamin’ Hot Ice Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings honestly, I’ve been looking for an excuse to leave Twitter. This is just the straw that broke the camel’s back.

flower Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings With non blue getting locked out after 600 tweets, the site is essentially useless. From what I'm hearing, even looking at your notifications counts as looking at tweets. A friend is a blue subscriber and still got locked out despite never looking at her timeline. All she does is check her notifications, and still hit the daily limit. I don't think there's anything for anyone to go back to. Most people aren't going to be able to use the site anymore.

Gavin Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings here's a maybe dumb question. Is there an easy way to find the people I followed on Twitter and follow them here, absent individually searching for everyone?

Fahri Reza 🍉Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings oh, tourists! We need to setup a place to handle their tourism needs.

Drew Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings I’m struggling with the URL thing on the app. Would just like to open it and get on.

Anne Collier Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings yes. Things are not going to change (back) at Twitter. While Musk owns it anyway.

OzzFreak Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings nope not going back, hat it with musk

Oluwafemi Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings well, you have a point, Elon Musk is just making people get pissed off.

Inex Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings If we all leave, then Musk wins. It becomes what he wanted it to become.

Sean Killeen Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings I would add that you may also be unaware, as I was, of the extent to which the Twitter algorithm affected your enjoyment of the product and your addiction to it. Moving to Mastodon actually helped me build a healthier relationship with social media in general.

Dafos Jul 2, 2023

@Pwnallthethings I might not going back, trying something new like this app