MonknomoApr 4, 2017

I'm still stuck on the idea of how to share my account between instances.

If each instance was an oauth provider, some kind of cross-instance account sync could be done. Could get your avatar, your follow list, and maybe your followed list?

Is it desirable to follow someone in a new instance automatically, just because you follow them in an old instance?

I tend to think so, but I'm really not sure

Show threadmaloki

@monknomo You don't have to be on serveral instance though.
I think Ostatus supported OpenID, but I dunno about Mastodon.

You can follow people on other instances from right here. :)

Apr 4, 2017 at 5:39pmWeb
Show threadMonknomoApr 4, 2017

@maloki I realize that I can follow people from other instances here.

I'm trying to work through the benefits of federation vs the pains.

Benefits:
* Can join instances with different focuses or codes of conduct
* Can change instances when one falls over
* Can keep tooting as long as someone is hosting

Pains
* Finding people cross-instances is hard-ish
* Can't really change instances without a loss
* Can't really be the same user on multiple instances

Show threadmalokiApr 4, 2017
@monknomo regarding the pains:
- Finding people Cross-instance isn't all that bad, if they are followed by somone on this instance they show up in the federated timeline, so check out hashtags like #introduction or #introductions etc.
Or check out the Twitter-Mastodon bridge, or export your follows :)
Show threadMonknomoApr 4, 2017

@maloki Maybe I'm not doing it right, but it doesn't seem as easy as I want.

And I have exported my follows and followed my tweeps and read introductions and followed interesting people on the federated timeline and so on and so forth.

That's all pretty manual and pretty technical stuff. "Easy" but not "easy", you know?

I'd like my computer to do that kind of work for me, insofar as it is possible

Show threadmalokiApr 4, 2017
@monknomo maybe we just have to currate #FollowFriday #FollowEveryday to suggest cool people?
I'm not sure what you want handed to you on a silver platter tbh :D
Show threadmalokiApr 4, 2017

@monknomo
- the changing instance with a loss is up on the Github and being discussed. Hopefully it will yield somethin.

- You don't really need to be the same user on multiple instances, or do you register monknomo on all email providers?

Show threadMonknomoApr 4, 2017

@maloki I prefer having a relatively unified online presence. So, basically, yes.

Although for email I don't bother with more than one provider.

This feels more similar to usenet than email, which I typically interact with via a single email.

Besides, if a [email protected] is being bad and I get the blame for it, I'd rather it actually be me :smiley:

Show threadmalokiApr 4, 2017
@monknomo but serveral people can identify with the same nickname?
And there are other ways of varification etc.
I dunno, maybe I'm just too pragmatic about this
Show threadMonknomoApr 4, 2017

@maloki I see the login name and the nickname as separate things. Unique logins are required, unique nicknames aren't (that's what I think nicknames are...).

I don't really care if my logins match, so long as I can have the same nickname (which I can, I think).

I guess I want my follows, followers, avatar and blocks to travel from instance to instance with as little friction as possible.

I'm just honing ideas aloud, complaining into the internet here. I like mastodon, don't get me wrong

Show threadmalokiApr 4, 2017
@monknomo It's good. I'm just trying to help you with what I can.
Full migration features are being looked into, but for various reasons aren't high priority today.
Right now load-balance among servers are. :)
I hope I've helped you a little for now :)
Show threadMonknomoApr 4, 2017

@maloki No worries, you're very helpful. I appreciate it!

It's tough setting up a huge new thing from scratch

Show threadFalkreon 🏳️‍🌈Apr 4, 2017
@monknomo @maloki Right, federation is like email addresses. Do you migrate your contacts list when you switch email addresses? Maybe. It's the same decision imo.
Show threadMonknomoApr 4, 2017

@Falkreon @maloki

IDK, Mastodon feels more like message board accounts than email addresses to me. In the message board case, I'd like to migrate my contacts more often than not, since contacts are what make it useful as a message board.

I could be misunderstanding the fundamental metaphor of mastodon, though

Show threadmalokiApr 4, 2017
@monknomo @Falkreon I think maybe some of us are more familiar with mail than message boards, so we can't have that metaphor work for us? :)
Show threadFalkreon 🏳️‍🌈Apr 4, 2017
@monknomo @maloki I think you're right about usage. And when I moved over here to Fern, I migrated my contacts. But I keep a pretty stable username/identity everywhere so maybe I'm less sensitive to the difference.