Matt Blaze12h ago

Got another mastoscold yelling at me for "using the platform to promote" my photos.

For the record, I don't generally sell my photos, here or anywhere else. But even if I did, I fail to see why that would be a problem.

Preventing artists from making a living is a strange hill to want to die on.

Show threadJoe Cooper 🇺🇦 🍉
@mattblaze I hate the folks who think artists promoting their own work is "spam". Individuals making things is the point. Literally the reason I'm here rather than somewhere else. I specifically, explicitly, entirely, want to see what people are making.
7:43pmWeb
Show threadMiss Gayle11h ago

@swelljoe @mattblaze

Overall, the fediverse is far more accepting of artists promoting their work than twitter ever was. Of course, YMMV, but there are whole instances dedicated to arts and crafts and nobody blocks them.

Show threadJoe Cooper 🇺🇦 🍉10h ago
@MissGayle @mattblaze Mastodon also has more self-appointed HOA presidents than anywhere I've ever been. It's a mixed bag. Nobody owns the place, so everybody thinks they own the place.
Show threadMiss Gayle10h ago

@swelljoe @mattblaze

Lols, you might be right.

My personal pet peeve is people who don't use hashtags then whine about nobody seeing their posts b/c they don't have lots of followers. The fediverse was always supposed to be about conversations, and topics, not "influencers" or a popularity contest. But, you know, my opinion.

PS - Same goes for people who don't subscribe to any hashtags then whine about their home feed being empty...

Show threadOblomov1h ago
@MissGayle @swelljoe @mattblaze the only thing worse is people like that that also complain when others try to suggest things to do to get a better experience here. And sure enough there's different ways to come forward with these suggestions, but from what I've seen at least a solid 30% of the HOA perception on Mastodon comes specifically from people who like to complain about how things don't work but don't like being told how to make it work. «I need to put alt text? Who are you, the HOA?«
Show threadGavin9h ago
@swelljoe @mattblaze I can understand people not liking it if the people posting their work never interact with the people viewing it, like an automated account, but if you are active in your community and participate I don’t see the problem. It’s about the conversations at the end of the day.
Show threadnellie-m8h ago

@swelljoe @mattblaze

Exactly.

And it’s not a new discussion, it pops up every now and then - and if anything, I feel over the years people have become even more understanding and welcoming if people show their art or craft and link to their shops.

We’ve got the portfolioDay hashtag for promoting artwork, I see people searching for artists for commissions…

Personally I get kind of bored if I follow an account and every single post just says “buy this work” and never anything personal but hey, if I’m not into it, I unfollow, what’s the big deal?

There’s definitely no rule that would prevent people from showing their products or art. It’s not kind to say so, it’s uncaring, and it’s not true.