@mekkaokereke @ddritter

☝️ This is a really good explanation of why "Followers only" replies are a problem. ☝️

@mastodonmigration

Thanks for mentioning the followers-only reply feature. I didn’t know it existed! I can easily see how that could be used for harassment .

@mekkaokereke @ddritter

@Doomed_Daniel @stepheneb @mastodonmigration @mekkaokereke @ddritter

i think that's the vector for harassment:

if you post open, and someone replies follower-only, you can see the reply (because you're mentioned in it), anyone else (except the harasser and their followers) can't

i'm guessing here

i'll do a test. we don't follow each other

so i will reply to you again, but reply as "followers only"

see if you can see it

@benroyce @stepheneb @mastodonmigration @mekkaokereke @ddritter

Yes, that appears to be the case.
It's not terribly surprising (to me) that it is like this, I mean, being able to reply to someones post without them seeing could also be kinda shitty, so in a way it makes sense?

I just assumed it would indeed do exactly what it says, which would be better to prevent direct harassment (and thus also make sense, maybe even a bit more)

@Doomed_Daniel @stepheneb @mastodonmigration @mekkaokereke @ddritter

Maybe a solution to the harassment vector is to limit all replies to the format of the top level post

If the top is public so are all replies

If the top is unlisted so are all replies

If the top is followers only so are all replies

same limitation for DMs? Hmmm. I suppose. No reason why DMs can't be stand alone only rather than attached to a public thread

@benroyce @stepheneb @mastodonmigration @mekkaokereke @ddritter

No, unlisted replies to a public post are usual, and not bad at all (I think?).

I could even imagine that followers-only replies have their place (talk to mutuals about the topic), but they shouldn't be visible to other people then, no matter if they're tagged in or not.

And answering with a direct (private) message to a non-private toot is also useful, but that should also be a thing for followers, esp if DMs aren't set public

@benroyce @stepheneb @mastodonmigration @mekkaokereke @ddritter

But thank god Mastodon doesn't implement quote toots, that would only lead to harassment! 🙃

@Doomed_Daniel @stepheneb @mastodonmigration @mekkaokereke @ddritter

agreed on all counts

Hmmm

Maybe... a setting in your profile: "no follower only replies to my posts" or something like that

I dunno. It's complicated

@benroyce @stepheneb @mastodonmigration @mekkaokereke @ddritter

No followers-only replies to posts of people who don't follow you.
*Maybe* unless you untag them so they don't see your post, so you can talk with your followers/mutuals about a public post, but not sure if that would also be abused to dunk on someone w/o them seeing it? OTOH, they could do that in separate posts linking to the orig or sth like that

@Doomed_Daniel @stepheneb @mastodonmigration @mekkaokereke @ddritter

"No followers-only replies to posts of people who don't follow you."

this is what is needed. that cuts right to the vector for abuse