clifffJan 10, 2025

Shakedown folks (and only Shakedown folks please) - let's talk defederating with threads.net. Meta's recent policy changes explicitly allow homophobic, sexist and transphobic content https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/7/24338471/meta-hate-speech-hateful-conduct-policy-moderation

This makes their moderation policies directly contradictory to ours. Normally we'd handle this by blocking the server in question, and I don't see any reason why Threads would be different.

Does this move make sense to people? Any arguments for staying connected?

#stateOfShakedown

Here are some of the horrible things that you can now say on Instagram and Facebook

Meta’s policy changes around hate speech have sharply changed the content that’s banned or allowed when it’s based on gender, sexual orientation, and the coronavirus.

The Verge
Show threadChopJan 10, 2025
@clifff I differ from the opinions of others here. I think you harm Shakedown users who are looking for avenues to more mainstream content way more than you harm Threads. I’d rather see us take a wait-and-see approach on whether Threads toxicity penetrates our server. Then if it does, block without remorse.
Show threadNate PHediJan 10, 2025
@chopaganda @clifff I’m inclined to agree. Wait and see. My thought: it feels more like a symbolic gesture than one of substance. And if it drives away good people to threads who might otherwise stay here, it seems to do more harm than good. But if threads becomes problematic, we can always kill the bridge later.
Show threadclifffJan 10, 2025
@NatePHedi @chopaganda I do think it's fair to say defederating would be more of a moral than practical move at this point - I've never seen a report for a specific post from Threads that violates our rules. TBH I'm not sure I've ever seen a Threads account interact with a Shakedown account, but I don't follow very many so maybe that's why.
Show threadBlue EmuJan 10, 2025
@clifff @NatePHedi @chopaganda Not sure I understand how defederating from Threads would be mostly symbolic but leaving Twitter wasn't.
Show threadChopJan 10, 2025
@blueemu @clifff @NatePHedi Because by being on Twitter, you’re helping monetize the site. You’re also giving other people a reason to stay on there.
Show threadBlue EmuJan 10, 2025
@chopaganda @clifff @NatePHedi So would we be OK federating with Twitter?
Show threadChop

@blueemu @clifff @NatePHedi If the federation was limited like Threads and we could have access to their content without being monetized, subjected to their environment or harassed, yes. Because it’s the best thing for the growth of Mastodon.

There is a massive gap between a) staying on as an active contributor to the evil platform and b) taking the content you want from the evil platform to view on the good platform and giving the evil platform nothing in return. It’s a bird.makeup situation.

Jan 10, 2025 at 8:58pmWeb
Show threadBlue EmuJan 10, 2025
@chopaganda @clifff @NatePHedi You're giving people who choose to stay on the evil platform an expanded reach, disincentivizing them from leaving it.
Show threadChopJan 10, 2025

@blueemu @clifff @NatePHedi Do you think the people choosing to stick on Threads or Twitter give a flying fuck about reaching the tiny amount of people on Mastodon.

Allowing a bridge (limited Threads federation, Bird.makeup, Sportsbots.XYZ) that doesn’t disrupt our community gives far more incentive to leave shitty sites because it means you don’t have to lose out on mainstream content.

Show threadBlue EmuJan 11, 2025
@chopaganda @clifff @NatePHedi Here's my bottom line: I'm not cancelling Meta for dropping fact checking or kissing up to Trump or just being a shitty company. I'm doing it because they have targeted LGBTQ+ people with these changes, making a carve out where it's OK to call someone mentally ill for not being cis or het. That's a level of fucked up I will not personally tolerate. IMO, defederating from Threads would send a message that shakedown is a safe place for LGBTQIA folks.
Show threadBlue EmuJan 11, 2025
@chopaganda @clifff @NatePHedi And, conversely, not defederating IMO sends the message that we view discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation differently than we view other kinds of bigotry, and therefore this is not a safe space for them.
Show threadChopJan 11, 2025

@blueemu @clifff @NatePHedi So should Shakedown block bird.makeup? Should we block any links to Substack because ::gestures broadly at the parade of assholes::?

If Nazi threads users are able to harass Shakedown users, I’m right there with you. But that hasn’t happened and the functionality isn’t even there for them to do it.

Your symbolic gesture (which is all it is) would ultimately make this place less attractive to people trying to get away from big social.

Show threadBlue EmuJan 11, 2025
@chopaganda @clifff @NatePHedi Do whatever the fuck you want. You have my opinion.