Linux Is Best
Lots to unpack here.

1) I deleted my account with Mastodon long ago in 2024.

I think that is the most important thing to note here, because if Mastodon is keeping my account they are no better than Facebook.

2) Today is March 25, 2026. This claims the issue (whatever it was) took place September 9, 2024 — 1 year, 6 months, and 16 days ago (562 days ago).

People have been saying the moderation on Mastodon Dot Social is bad, but this is ridiculous.

3) Since my account was deleted — Or should have been — I have no idea what this is even about. 🤷

#Mastodon #Privacy #Security #Fediverse
Mar 25 at 4:29pmWeb
Show threadLinux Is Best4d ago
2 of 2

Since Mastodon Dot Social wants to play silly games. Let's play.

The old email to my Mastodon Dot Social account was: notavailable AT tutanota DOT deThe password to that account is: !!2.2!!Welcome2Mastodon!!You'll need to brute force the 2-step verification code. -- Have fun. 🤣

#Mastodon #Privacy #Security #Fediverse #Hackathon
Show threadtoothpaste_sandwich4d ago
@Linux This is an email you just got about something that happened with your old account in 2024? Surely this is some kind of bug, right?
Show threadLinux Is Best4d ago
@toothpaste_sandwich

Not a bug, because the account was set for deletion. Trusting that it had been deleted, I removed it from my password manager and authentication app.

After receiving this email today, I found an old backup of my password and confirmed that the account is still there (today, March 25, 2026), despite the email stating that it had been deleted (2024). Unfortunately, I don’t have a backup of my authentication app, so I can’t log in to see what’s going on.

#Mastodon #Privacy #Security #Fediverse
Show threadtoothpaste_sandwich4d ago
@Linux And you think this email is telling you that they rejected your request to delete your account?
Show threadLinux Is Best4d ago
@toothpaste_sandwich

I know this is proof that the account was not deleted despite having done so in 2024. They send an email confirming your account deleted.

As for this particular email... I have no idea what is going on, because I have no recalled knowledge of any strike or appeal. What I do know is I should not have received it, since my account should have been deleted, plus whatever is going on took 1 year, 6 months, and 16 days.
Show threadtoothpaste_sandwich4d ago
@Linux Yeah... Weird. Contact their administration, I guess, and complain that your account wasn't properly deleted. I hope that's been fixed in the two years since then.
Show threadLinux Is Best4d ago
@toothpaste_sandwich

It has not been fixed, because I received this e-mail today, and as previously said, I confirmed it still exist by finding an old backup of my password manager, but I don't still have an old backup from 2024 for my authentication app, so I cannot even see what is going on.

You can see for yourself if you wish:

RE: https://mivatter.com/notes/ak9uuhq6r5
Show threadtoothpaste_sandwich4d ago
@Linux No, I mean, I hope that if people try to delete their account from there now, that it does actually get deleted. It clearly didn't work for you, but you performed the deleting action two years ago. And that action hopefully works the way it's supposed to now.
Show threadLinux Is Best4d ago
@toothpaste_sandwich
You’re assuming they respect people’s wishes to delete their accounts and don’t just perform a soft delete (deactivate). I doubt it.

From my point of view, I’ve just learned: (1) an account I deleted has resurfaced; (2) it claims to have had a strike that I don’t recall receiving; (3) it says I supposedly appealed it; (4) it took 1 year, 6 months, and 16 days for any of this to come to light; and (5) as of today, you can attempt to log in to the account, confirming its existence (1 year, 6 months, 16 days later).
Show threadtoothpaste_sandwich4d ago
@Linux I don't know. I have no reason to assume the worst from Mastodon. There's a thin line between scepticism and cynicism sometimes...
Show threadLinux Is Best4d ago
@toothpaste_sandwich

I’ve read enough from others not to trust Mastodon.social. Even setting this situation aside, past experiences — such as them protecting scammers (which people were able to prove using the scammers’ own mistaken content) — have made me distrust them.

Many people have seen or experienced how bad Mastodon.social can be. The only reason people go there is the same reason they go to Facebook, even knowing it has issues — because that’s where people are. Humans are tribal and tend to follow the crowd, and until that changes, we’re all stuck with it.
Show threadtoothpaste_sandwich4d ago
@Linux I would like to read more about that, do you have a source for that?
Show threadLinux Is Best4d ago
@toothpaste_sandwich

Is Gaza Verified still welcome there? It’s a scam.

Joy, the woman who claimed to help verify all those people, posted a video of herself supposedly walking around Gaza. The problem was that she overlooked her surroundings — in the distance, there was a building-sized poster of the Supreme Leader of Iran, which is not something you’d see outside of Iran.

A few people, myself included, started digging further. I work at Meta (Facebook), where I currently handle account appeals. Through my work, I noticed that some of the scam posts we remove were identical to posts on the Fediverse — word for word, including the same GoFundMe URLs.

On Facebook, someone tried to bypass spam filters by spacing out the URL. This person claimed to be a woman in her 30s with two very young children (ages 4 and 7). On the Fediverse, the same person claimed to be a 19-year-old girl. See attached photos.

What has happened in Gaza is awful. But so is faking the need for assistance and taking advantage of people. However, Mastodon.social seems to take the stance that targeting scammers could risk mistakenly targeting people who genuinely need help, so they largely do nothing. Worse, if you speak up about this, you may find your post removed.

This is why my primary account is in Japan and my backup account is in Korea.

I dislike hate speech, I dislike intentional misinformation, and of course, I dislike spam too. That said, I do want the freedom to share my thoughts, opinions, and beliefs. I also want the freedom to respectfully and politely agree or disagree with people.

On the Fediverse, you’re better off using a Fedi site in Asia. I find that fact kind of interesting, because as an American, we are taught that this should be completely different, but my experience has shown me that the Asian Fedi sites are better.

Personally, I recommend an Asian Fediverse site. You may have more freedom of speech, but without as much hate speech.

For example, I have previously said I believe in both a free and independent Israel and Palestine — meaning I want everyone to live peacefully and coexist. That simple, harmless, non-hateful message tends to be censored on U.S. or European Fedi sites. People have become so polarized and extreme in their beliefs that a peaceful message wishing everyone good health and fortune is somehow unwelcome elsewhere. That same mindset is what gave more clout to that scam group. Many U.S. or European sites have become echo chambers, and having a different point of view is taboo. But on an Asian Fedi site, as long as you're polite and respectful, you're allowed to be yourself and freely share your thoughts, opinions, and beliefs.

There are exceptions — As I recall, Mastodon.nl, where you are, was good, as I recall. I just didn’t like the 500-character limit (I have 3000 here).