MastodonNov 22, 2023

Strangers offering unsolicited advice or derailing conversations should be familiar to all who use social media. In our new #Mastodon for Android update, we’re testing a new feature aimed to curb these behaviours:

https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2023/11/improving-the-quality-of-conversations-on-mastodon/

Improving the quality of conversations on Mastodon

In our most recent Mastodon for Android release, we’re testing a new feature aimed to curb unneccesary negativity that comes from being on the Internet.

Mastodon Blog
Show threadPaul Houle

@Mastodon for every 1 "derailed conversation" I see 10 people who are offended that anybody defaces their masterpiece by replying to it.

People replying to themselves is what what I think started X's descent into hell (the endpoint of that is that you don't need to have a blog, link to the rest of the net, ...) and I think would be must better to "just say no" to that behavior by prohibiting it.

If you wanted to make things better, how about a reply browsing UI that works?

Nov 22, 2023 at 2:47pmWeb
Show threadGhost 🏳️‍🌈Nov 22, 2023
@UP8 @Mastodon The first account I saw with essentially a "don't reply" warning weirded me out. Is that not the point of posting?
Show threadPaul HouleNov 22, 2023
@CapriciousGhost @Mastodon that’s what Twitter was like in 2010 but at some point some people got the idea they own the whole thread; the use of the word “derailed” points to the real problem which is that replies should be tree-structured and not linear so stupid comments can just be a leaf that gets “sidelined”. if they’re not going to ban self-replying a linear self-reply thread should be reified so it always displays as intended
Show threadJennifer Moore 😷Nov 22, 2023

@CapriciousGhost

not necessarily...

Show threadgoedelchenNov 22, 2023
@CapriciousGhost @UP8 @Mastodon Depends on the platform. On some, the point of posting is to vomit out the toxic stuff that poisons your brain.
Show threadAcetophelesNov 22, 2023

@UP8 @Mastodon it's that kind of elitest attitude that put me off of using Lemmy altogether.

You're not the only one allowed to have an opinion...
Here is a better idea. Rather than being arrogant and pretending you're the only person entitled to an opinion block/mute people who bother you.

It really is weird though. A platform where it's public I don't know what kind of mindset you need to have to think the way they do. If they want to limit conversations. There are better ways.

Show threadPaul HouleNov 22, 2023

@LillianVS @Mastodon i’m thinking you are using “you” generically in your reply and not to referent to “UP8” (myself) but I am not completely aure

Mind you, I have certainly jumped into the middle of a conversation with a non-productive comment early in my Mastodon experience because the user interface didn’t give me a clear understanding of the context, I am more careful now.

Show threadAcetophelesNov 22, 2023
@UP8 @Mastodon To clarify since the character limit, I am not referring to UP8 but the people who dislike conversations with strangers on a public platform
Show threadPaul HouleNov 22, 2023
@LillianVS @Mastodon I certainly use the block button heavily even for “innocent” behaviors like posting screenshots because screenshots with angry text (1) go viral and (2) evade my keyword filters; I am not going to put a list of block-worthy behaviors in my profile because I don’t want to be another hostile mastodonster who proves it in their profile.
Show threadAcetophelesNov 22, 2023

@UP8 @Mastodon honestly I wouldn't mind seeing people opt for hashtags to be used. Marking things as NSFW, or screenshots like that.

Would mean they get filtered out.
I know it would likely never happen but times like this automation would be pretty handy if they were auto-applied but given the nature of this platform. I don't feel like they'd be comfortable having any sort of AI involvement I guess.

Show threadFluke McHappenstance Nov 23, 2023
@LillianVS @UP8 @Mastodon some folks on mastodon seem to want to be heard but don't want replies back. I think what these folks want is a website without a comments section.

Some folks appear to have a message to deliver that is more important that everything everybody else has to say: those people don't understand and don't belong in social media.

Some people are legitimately harrassed, and that is despicable - I empathize with their plight and hope for a solution to their problems. Other people just believe their message more important than everybody else's - these people are jerks who don't deserve a public megaphone.
Show threadPaul HouleNov 23, 2023
@fluke @LillianVS @Mastodon reminds me of the time I customized PHPnuke to make a social network for a secret society, but maybe Discord fills that niche more than anything else these days