Seirdy

I don’t think the same party should share both of these:

  • A large volume of original research/information on bad actors (receipts, blocklists, etc).
  • Original tooling to automate moderation that works with the former, which doesn’t offer or encourage manual review.

without requiring people who use both to put a notice on their instance’s “About” page saying that moderation is outsourced to another party, so prospective users know to factor that third-party resource’s biases instead of just the instance staff’s.

Apr 11, 2025 at 3:08pmWeb
Show threadSeirdyApr 11, 2025

I updated my blocklists article to say something similar (diff).

I already include canary domains and document which ones they are to signal when staff imports a list without reading the docs, but I think a proper disclosure for use without review is still necessary. I document how to use the lists with review.

As always: none of this applies to small and private, or single-user instances.

#FediNuke

My Fediverse blocklists

Documentation on which Fediverse blocklists I offer, how they are made, their differences, their caveats, and their intended use.

Seirdy’s Home
Show threadSeirdyApr 11, 2025

Another hot take: I don’t think subscribing without review is bad if two of the three conditions are met:

  • The list has a narrow focus. bridges, spammy subdomains for cheap short-lived spin-up-spin-down managed hosting providers, instances with severely outdated software and open registration, domains for authorized fetch circumvention, etc.
  • The list and its creators align with the goals of the instance, but the list is too conservative to be considered comprehensive enough to meet the instance’s needs. Instead, it serves as more of a supplement. Some instances with hard lines against hate speech, low thresholds for suspend-worthiness, and large lists “top off” their lists with FediNuke or my tier-0. This is partly why I’m comfortable making FediNuke so conservative.
  • The instance discloses its subscriptions in an easy-to-find location.

the small/private instance exception applies ofc.

Show threadSeirdyApr 11, 2025
I distinguish between subscribing and importing very intentionally. The article describes how an initial import can “seed” a new instance’s blocklist, and staff can then add their own entries and gradually review the initial import.
Show threadSeirdyApr 11, 2025
one day I will post a hot take and it will be fine as-is without requiring a dozen edits and addendums.
Show threadSeirdyApr 11, 2025
this isn’t some anti-subscription stance, it’s more of a “how to do subscriptions” stance.
Show threadOctavia Con Amore  Succubard's LibraryApr 11, 2025
@Seirdy ooo, canary domains are a cool idea (reminds me of paper towns for map-making  )