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 threadmalokiApr 4, 2017

@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. :)

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 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 threadmaloki
@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? :)
Apr 4, 2017 at 7:42pmWeb