Mastodawn

@MastodonEngineering Please don't do this. Design choices that allow users to quite literally put their opinion above someone else's statements are absolutely poisoneous for any attempts to create a more egalitarian form of communcation.

dominic Feb 14, 2025

@konkrit @MastodonEngineering no reason it has to be in that order - my server has (limited) quoosts and they lead with the quoted post, which helps with that.

@barometz @MastodonEngineering That would be better, yes. However, in essence I believe that wouldn't really change much in terms of where or rather to whom attention is being directed, and I think that would create the exact same attention economic dynamics as the ones that I (and I think many, many other people on here) tried to escape.

@konkrit @barometz @MastodonEngineering I think that ship has sailed. You are not alone in finding the absence of QTs a positive benefit of Mastodon; but it does seem that many more people feel the opposite way. (Note that their post does discuss these issues.)

@mike I've read the post, and I see that they try to make it possible to opt-out of being directly involved in this; I just wish it wouldn't happen at all, and I have zero understanding for why people would want it.

@konkrit "I have zero understanding for why people would want it."

That surprises me. "We have learned that many groups use Quote Posts as their primary means to build consensus and community on other platforms. Quote Posts used in this way convey trust and respect for the original post, building on or enhancing an original idea."

Even if that's not been your experience, surely you can understand that others' has been different. (Mine included, for what it's worth.)

@mike Yeah, well, that's an incredibly vague statement though. What other platforms, what communities, how exactly would me quote-posting your post here (whether in an affirmative or negative way) signal anything to other users apart from what I intend it to be? I'm just not clear what the argument is here.

@konkrit In the end, the argument is that there are communities that want this, even though you are not a member of any of them. And the devs are bending over backwards to give both those communities and you what they want.

For what it's worth, I very often quote-post someone whose post introduces a subject that I want to comment further on. (Or I did, back when I was on the Hellsite.)

@mike I understand this, but I don't see why a) a lot of people wanting something actually makes it good for the greater whole and b) Mastodon needs to offer features from other platforms instead of itself as a one that does things differently.

@konkrit OK, I understand your point of view. But I'm not sensing a lot of empathy from you regarding others' perspectives. Isn't it enough that it will make things better for a lot of people?

@mike Well, my concern is precisely that it might things worse for all people when it sets in motion the same attention economic downward spiral that we've all experienced at Twitter.

bazkie 👩🏼‍💻 bitplanes 🎵Feb 14, 2025

@konkrit @mike yeah, I second this - often, the thing that people (think they) want, may not be the best way to go.

Think about it, if you ask anyone, they will say they want lower taxes. But then if everyone's taxes were lowered, the roads would be filled with potholes etc.

People are (generally) really bad at assessing the deeper consequences of their desires, when implemented.

So, I'm with Kristoffer on this. Though I think many will opt out of it altogether, and I am hopeful because of that, it won't harm our communities all that much 🙏🏼

Mike Taylor 🦕

@bazkie @konkrit Your tax examples is apposite. But as the blogpost shows, a LOT of thought has gone into this. It's not as though the developers just went "Oh, some people like QTs, better add them".

Anyway, we're unlikely to agree on whether they might the right choice, but I hope we can at least agree that they have moved slowly, carefully and sensitively ... in the direction you didn't want.

bazkie 👩🏼‍💻 bitplanes 🎵Feb 14, 2025

@mike @konkrit yeah I very much appreciate this wasn't a quick decision. 🙏🏼 It's indeed one of those things with communities; sometimes they move in directions you don't want as an individual. It is what it is. Can't please everyone :)