When you post things on Instagram, Facebook, and X, this is what they look like to people who don’t use those platforms.
@felwert @aral On Mastodon, you can make a post "only for followers," and we're fine with it. I can imagine that a user can decide on his personal level not to share their post with the open web. That's their choice.
(Though, the funny part is that it's more like a flag, and respecting it depends completely on the app, so if there is more traction for Bluesky, apps going around that might start popping up. Same for blocks.)
Just to make it explicit — there really is a huge difference between the POSTER deciding to require an account to view their posts, and the PLATFORM deciding people need an account to view "public" posts…