Ken
How do you feel about toots auto-deleting after a certain number of weeks? Otherwise instance owners may be facing exponential increases in hosting costs, and some may eventually be forced to pull the plug, leading to lesser diversity that Mastodon is so good at. https://github.com/tootsuite/mastodon/issues/1847#issuecomment-296493619
Apr 24, 2017 at 8:53pmWeb
Show threadKenApr 25, 2017

Got a reply from Maloki 1/2 - Hey, thanks for the feedback re- this. Each instance can actually set their own settings for this, and have toots deleted after a certain time.
So if this is important to you I'd recommend contacting your admin! :)
(I'll read the entire thread though)

@yogthos @fitsbach @ink_slinger @munin @r3dey3 @StripedMonkey @danie10 @mikee3000 @nakal

Show thread[ABANDONED ACCOUNT]Apr 25, 2017
@ken Thanks for sharing the response! Good to know admins can already do this if they feel the need.
Show threadFerdi F. Zebua 🌏Apr 26, 2017
@ken Just to note that toots at ephemeral.glitch.social disappears in some time between 45 minutes to 5 minuted, depending on the phase of the moon (which arguably is way too fast for some purposes, though not for others) 😁😆
Show threadKenApr 26, 2017
@FerdiZ thanks I didn't know that. That's must be a very fun instance lol.... 😁
Show threadFerdi F. Zebua 🌏Apr 27, 2017

@ken it can be at times, yes quite 😆

Mostly for me personally I just feel less pressure there; I don't have to give as much thought since there's a significant chance that no one would read any of it before it disappears. Though of course there's still a chance it could be read. In the moment...

Show threadKenApr 25, 2017

Got a reply from Maloki 2/2 - We're adding an issue on github and adding the feature in the admin settings. Someone's on top of it, because they already have it on their instance :)

@yogthos @fitsbach @ink_slinger @munin @r3dey3 @StripedMonkey @danie10 @mikee3000 @nakal

Show thread[ABANDONED ACCOUNT]Apr 24, 2017
@ken I don't really like the idea of it as a rule, but giving instance admins the option could make sense for the very reason you say: small, self-funded instances may not last if they grow beyond what the admin is willing to pay to support a hobby.
Show threadKenApr 24, 2017

@ink_slinger I like what you suggested on giving instance owners the option to decide how long data persists on their instances (and maybe making it clear on the about).

This topic if not addressed may be a factor that deters the network size or diversity from growing. Simply because the costs are compounded and mostly self-funded by instance owners.

Even if an instance owner stop accepting new sign-ups. Existing and new connections can make data grow exponentially too.

Show threadMunin, Keeper of LoreApr 24, 2017

@ken Depending on instance owner policies, I should think.

Providing a mechanism for the export of data would be a necessary prerequisite, though.

Show threadKenApr 24, 2017

@munin I see, thanks for sharing your views!

I raise this for selfish reasons. When I first join 2 weeks ago, I realised Mastodon is unique in that the focus is on diverse ideas and content on local/global timelines. FB/TT can't do that, not even close, as the entire design is different.

So I hope the diversity can continue to grow, that's what make the network unique! (at least for me)

Show threadDanie van der MerweApr 24, 2017

@ken I'd think most space is taken up by media attached and not the toot text itself. Thing is many hashtagged toots contain useful info and answers to issues and to just wipe them out seems a pity.

It is pretty difficult to differentiate though between "good morning I'm having coffee now" and an informational toot.

Maybe a compromise is to auto delete videos after a few weeks as that would make the biggest difference. Maybe the same for photos higher than a certain size?

Show thread[ABANDONED ACCOUNT]Apr 25, 2017

@danie10 @ken That's a great point. Text files are relatively tiny, so most toots won't take up much space even as instances grow and/or age. Attached media (including avatars?) is what would potentially add up to expensive storage costs over the long-term.

Even then, I'd think the auto-delete should be measured in months, not weeks.

Show threadMikee ➗0️⃣Apr 24, 2017
@ken i things it's a good idea, i'm sure there is a way for people to backup their toots if they want to.
Show threadnakal 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 ⌨️Apr 24, 2017

@ken I consider the timeline being history of what I did in the past. I want to look up what I wrote years ago.

If I want to have my posts deleted, I can post on a certain imageboard.