Mastodon.social Staff

RE: https://mastodon.social/@staff/115849914607258480

As previously announced, live feeds are now disabled on our servers by default.

We don't think they provide a good experience on our server, but feel free to reach out to us if you'd like to still see them.

Feb 5 at 12:56amWeb
Show threadCam R.  Feb 5
@staff Surely you can provide a better experience on your server by moderating the users who regularly post spam and other offending content on the live feeds a little better instead of having to resort to disabling the live feeds...
Show threadMastodon.social StaffFeb 5

@untilted We certainly do, but the live feeds on mastodon.social are things posted in the last few seconds, it is essentially a pre-moderation view.

It is neither the best way for newcomers to find their community, nor much use to many established users. If people want to drink straight from the firehose, they can, but we do not recommend it.

Show threadCam R.  Feb 5

@staff to be fair one can say the same about the Trending feed, in the sense that it features a pretty homogeneous side of Mastodon that focuses on the same subjects over and over (e.g. exclusive focus on U.S. issues, technology, cats when people have other pets or none at all, etc.) and this can discourage people with more varied interests or lived experiences beyond that. We should be encouraging more diversity of interests beyond those things. The Trending feed does not sufficiently do that, despite the lack of an algorithm.

(this is kind of tangential to my earlier point about moderation, but I still feel it is worth mentioning)

Show threadmcSlibinasFeb 5
@staff @untilted live feeds was much cleaner than home tab. At least there was no porn in live feeds.
Show threadPetra van CronenburgFeb 10

@mcSlibinas Your Home tab shows you whom you follow, your subscribed hashtags and depends on your own filtering. It's what you personally choose! https://fedi.tips/what-are-the-local-federated-home-timelines-how-do-i-stop-them-scrolling-too-quickly/

@staff @untilted

What are the Local, Federated and Home timelines? How do I stop them scrolling too quickly? | Fedi.Tips – An Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse

An unofficial guide to using Mastodon and the Fediverse

Show threadmcSlibinasFeb 10
@NatureMC @staff @untilted thank you! I don't care about labels, that's my fault. I read my list, then home, then live feeds, and sometimes other servers. First 3 parts is a must. Whatever they called.
Show threadPetra van CronenburgFeb 10

@mcSlibinas You're welcome. You are completely free to build your Home feed like you want. But if you see porn in your *Home* feed, it is because you follow people posting porn.
For the live feed filters can help.

@staff @untilted

Show threadmcSlibinasFeb 10

@NatureMC @staff @untilted thank you again 🫡
I have setup filters, they working good.
Porn is not a problem, when it's properly hidden.
Problem can be wordle screenshot with solution, i think i have couple blocked profiles with that.

Now i can browse any feed less or more safely.

Show threadRev. Charles BrowningFeb 16
@staff Well, they actually can't (recommended or not) because you've disabled that option... I happen to like the firehose from time-to-time. It's always helped me remember that Mastodon is a global community. I've enjoyed the Federated timeline much over the years and it's been a great resource for discovering new things for me. I really think this should be an option for folks still (make it default to "off" for new users or whatever, just don't take away the option. That's what Meta would do)
Show threadRebekahWSDFeb 5
@staff I use to use the everything everywhere feed, but more like how one views an extremely fast moving river, it was for watching it all scroll by and not really absorb.
Show threadG 🇮🇹Feb 5
@staff if it weren't for all the sport bots that jam the feed it'd have been cool to keep seeing it
Show threadDave MasonFeb 5

@staff

Well damn. I found out about this the hard way. 🙁

https://mastodon.social/@DaveMasonDotMe/116015411664635183

Show threadDave MasonFeb 5

@staff
For what it's worth, I browsed the Local/Federated timelines regularly. (I primarily use a desktop browser with the Advanced Web Interface enabled and in Slow mode.)

Yeah, there was a lot of 'junk' in there. But there was a lot of good too. (If we'd had the ability to mute all automated/bot accounts, it would have been an even better experience...for me, anyway.)

https://mastodon.social/@DaveMasonDotMe/115709594590493795

Show threadDave SmegFeb 5

@DaveMasonDotMe @staff
So did I.
I like to scroll the world feed a while. Occasionally I'll find something new there.

I guess it's time to migrate again.

Show threadgnaddrigFeb 5

@staff
Great, that's my main way of using Mastodon switched off. I don't like the trending feed because that just amplifies the same accounts everybody knows already.

Now, how would I even find stuff that is not currently trending? Serendipity is dead around here, I guess. A pity.

Show threadDave SmegFeb 5
@staff
Anybody know of another server to migrate to where the live feed is still active and won't be removed that I could migrate to?
Show threadSamFeb 5
@staff This seems really strange especially as there's not really many other solutions to finding lots of content on the fediverse and picking out 'useful' / wanted content.

Well I don't use mastodon.social or mastodon.online directly the feed is helpful as I use an alt to mute accounts I really don't want to see and then I pick out accounts and content I do want to see and push them to my instance.

Is there anything that could be used to do this instead of one of the biggest instances in the Fediverse? How does a small instance actually get more content on it if not by finding the majority of it on instances like yours?
Show threadMastodon.social StaffFeb 5

@sam We can grant access to the live feeds for anyone who wants it.

https://www.fediscovery.org/ is particularly intended to help ensure small instances will be able to find content without having to bear the load of consuming a full relay with larger servers.

Fediverse Discovery Providers

A project exploring better search and discovery on the Fediverse as an optional, decentralized and pluggable service.

Fediverse Discovery Providers
Show threadＪｉｍ Ｈａｋｕ ☸Feb 5
@staff This is a unique feature of the service I quite enjoy.
Show threadHernanLGMar 3

@staff

I want it! I just learned it was disabled. I use it mostly to find new content and its an important part of my mastodon experience

Show threadmorbFeb 5
@staff howdy! is this something I can opt-in or opt-out of through settings? I'd like to be able to view the firehose.
Show threadSibshopsFeb 5
@staff I wonder if there is another reason too. Like to stop AI scrapers.
Show threadJay Grant 🏳️‍⚧️Feb 5

@staff Maybe if y'all actually moderated your server instead of failing to do your jobs you wouldn't have to turn off features that people use and enjoy

Have you tried that instead?

Show threadJackMexFeb 6

@staff I would like to still see the Local live feed.

I also agree with others in that it would be nice to have the option to enable it through settings.

Show threaddigital.rehab. Feb 6
@staff I would like to see the Local and Federated Timeline enabled please.
Show threadJörg BaranczekFeb 6
@staff Ich habe den Live Feed benutzt um Infos zu bekommen für Themen, Menschen die/denen ich nicht folge. Wie finde ich jetzt interessantes was ich noch nicht kannte?
Show threadMastodon.social StaffFeb 6
@joergba We recommend searching for topics of interest of hashtags. However, if you would like access to live feeds we can add you to it.
Show threadJörg BaranczekFeb 7
@staff Danke . Live Feed ist wieder da.
Show threadJēkabs BalodisFeb 6
@staff I was using the federated timeline to browse all the posts in my mother tongue and it helped to see what people in my country were writing, regardless where they registered their account. Sad that this was turned off.