Post APs5OcIPmYggsSuvDs by opal@ap.maladaptive.art
(DIR) More posts by opal@ap.maladaptive.art
(DIR) Post #APrbj5x4Ef661HmSq8 by mergerson@mastodon.social
2022-11-22T13:24:55Z
3 likes, 7 repeats
Disturbed by reports of Black Mastodon users—Black women in particular—having negative experiences on this app, including being randomly banned for discussions of racism. Some of these users will not come back. All will share their experiences. The answer is not to condescendingly lecture them on “how the fediverse works,” as if their experiences are inevitable, nor to swear to do better next time. (There may not be one.) It’s to do better now lest the reputation of this app be cemented.
(DIR) Post #APre1zee4WontrIrCa by eriner@noagendasocial.com
2022-11-22T14:13:33Z
4 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson "this app" is a collection of individual servers and operators -- join one with a moderation strategy you can tolerate.Everyone should be kind to all the newcomers.They haven't had to deal with the fedi's equivalent of power-tripping reddit mods yet -- they've only had to face the faceless Twitter algo until now.
(DIR) Post #APreEh0UiMuvpWZv1M by opal@ap.maladaptive.art
2022-11-22T14:15:31.179239Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson no single instance on fedi moderates the same way, i think there's easily a community here anyone would get banned from, for every community they would be welcomed on
(DIR) Post #APreLUq8LlNI7aybSa by moth@husk.site
2022-11-22T14:17:04.531859Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson Thank goodness, nothing is improved with parasites.
(DIR) Post #APrhgc9ceNrSkZqz7A by mergerson@mastodon.social
2022-11-22T14:36:27Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@opal But understand that folks who have bad experiences around race have a low tolerance for experimentation of this kind.
(DIR) Post #APrhk4vC9P4Oq5kzya by opal@ap.maladaptive.art
2022-11-22T14:55:07.556572Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson yeah i agree nobody should need to experiment before finding a place here, the experience is nowhere near smooth
(DIR) Post #APrj9N107FQi9K63Oq by jeff@federated.fun
2022-11-22T15:10:54.040704Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson your partition of the network (primarily made of mastodon) is moderated primarily by white women who fell for the feminist world view and weak beta men who pander to those women to try and get laid. all the adults are branded as "fediblock" for being "nazis" and "racists" and "bigots". most of those posts are of what people have for breakfast, anime, linux users and blob emojis. such grass touchers are sinners in the eyes of the mods and are exiled to the the fediverse.
(DIR) Post #APrsQDzZocY6fwXftI by elsantonegro@masto.ai
2022-11-22T13:32:36Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson its very unfortunate. One silver lining is the influx of so many diverse users has brought these issues to the forefront. OG BIPOC Mastodon users have dealt with this for a long time. I'm hopeful that this will bring much needed change.
(DIR) Post #APrvalQ8gSuV6tgRUm by thatbrickster@shitposter.club
2022-11-22T17:30:18.390167Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson You won't be able to see this, this is for those who can.The instances that are banning people for 'racism' generally are left-leaning. No examples of instances have been given so I'll assume you just mean yours. If they decide not to come back, they weren't that interested to begin with IMO. They may need help with finding an instance that fosters a 'Black Mastodon' culture. That's a strength this network (we call it the Fediverse) has; you have the power to run a server that has its own creed but can talk to everyone else.I agree the answer isn't to condescend as it comes off as elitism and a form of gatekeeping, the same way the answer isn't to expect everyone else to change. Instead, the answer is to empower people with the tools to get started rather than try and fit within the existing structure of Fediverse instances.I will say, however, the 'reputation' you speak of came way before you arrived. There are those who were here before me who have lived through the early days of federated social networking. We care not about 'reputation'. We care about enjoying the experience and talking to people without algorithms deciding what we can be exposed to. Everyone's here for their own reasons, telling people to 'do better' isn't one of them.
(DIR) Post #APrwpGfjO8ae2kSMnA by nafnlaus@fosstodon.org
2022-11-22T17:44:06Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@eriner @mergerson People should also check into case reports before sharing instead of just assuming that why someone was locked out was due to a racist mod, with based on no evidence whatsoever...
(DIR) Post #APs5DaAHMjl759qlZw by Kyleric@urbanists.social
2022-11-22T17:06:59Z
2 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson @opal The idea of federated systems where each instance sets its own rules and decides how it will treat minority members is drawing uncomfortable connections to the US’s experiment with federated states. I’ve been really enjoying my time here so far and appreciate the degree to which it will be hard for centralized corporate power to control and monetize it, but centralization can also have benefits.
(DIR) Post #APs5DaifItGSnnwEAy by opal@ap.maladaptive.art
2022-11-22T19:18:04.238243Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@Kyleric @mergerson i see it this way: assuming we can end up with better filtering and moderation tools on here, it shouldnt matter in the end where anyone makes an account since we all can have the power both to control what we see, and to allow sharing those decisions with others. this would be super useful for quickly dealing with everything from illegal content and spam, to shit a lot of us dont want to see
(DIR) Post #APs5OcIPmYggsSuvDs by opal@ap.maladaptive.art
2022-11-22T19:20:09.639043Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Kyleric @mergerson this is also something that would benefit peer-to-peer networks if it was implemented well
(DIR) Post #APs6YAyeJ8GT02nHvM by Kyleric@urbanists.social
2022-11-22T19:30:43Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson @opal When you talk about filtering and moderation tools, are you talking about something that gets done at the user level or something that gets done at the instance moderator level? User level tools might be less useful for people who are brand new, experience racism, and just leave.
(DIR) Post #APs6YM1XEk6pGBEFRw by Kyleric@urbanists.social
2022-11-22T19:30:43Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson @opal Instance moderator tools, on the other hand, will be only as good as the instance and the moderator. I was given the advice to just pick an instance and jump in, that got me past the initial decision paralysis of which one do I pick, and I have given it to other people, but it might not actually be the best advice. Maybe we should be recommending instances instead?
(DIR) Post #APs6fjBxUqzL8qcWe0 by opal@ap.maladaptive.art
2022-11-22T19:34:25.860267Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Kyleric @mergerson ideally, it should be usable at both levels. it'd be really useful to reduce moderators' workloads per-instance, not all of us are graced with a legal team like the big instances have
(DIR) Post #APs6nO5Jr8ujzoAQk4 by opal@ap.maladaptive.art
2022-11-22T19:35:48.613495Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Kyleric @mergerson i used to recommend certain instances until i figured out how wildly different they all are, even if at surface they might look similar enough. my first advice (for those who are technically capable/willing) would be to host more instances and invite friends that way, then the question of "which instance" wont really have to occur to most people
(DIR) Post #APsNfv2d8fIL74vyLY by stanstallman@sfba.social
2022-11-22T13:27:08Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson TruthSome folks just don't get itSad, pathetic
(DIR) Post #APsNfvUzRDyoX2CcYC by nafnlaus@fosstodon.org
2022-11-22T17:31:21Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@stanstallman @mergerson In reality, the server was trying to *protect* her against an impersonator.
(DIR) Post #APu6PoyId2qukYZAu0 by pawlicker@pawlicker.ddns.net
2022-11-23T18:40:57.689748Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Kyleric @mergerson @opal Someone should run their own fediverse instance for minorities. I mean there's a canadian fediverse instance and many country specific ones, along with community specific ones. Hosting Pleroma on anything is cheap too.
(DIR) Post #APu77qryvtuvNWbg4e by Nudhul@shitposter.club
2022-11-23T18:48:59.160911Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson go away journo cunt
(DIR) Post #APu7OxIYHj0KEtBrea by maxmustermann@shitposter.club
2022-11-23T18:52:04.681108Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson Weird. All the people spamming :jhg_n::jhg_i::jhg_g::jhg_g::jhg_e::jhg_r: are behind blocklists.
(DIR) Post #APu7Z8an9FWWABZqBk by albinanigans@mastodon.lol
2022-11-22T14:57:57Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson "just move to another server!""just block!""just mute!"Translation: "Just deal with it!"
(DIR) Post #APu7Z9CisDrg3pK8JM by mergerson@mastodon.social
2022-11-22T16:46:25Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@albinanigans It's wild that people do not see the overlap with what BIPOC people are told offline. "Why, you're telling me to move to another neighborhood where I'll be more welcome? I appreciate the tip."What could be the harm in normalizing that as a principle?
(DIR) Post #APu7Z9gV5VgTYBFuj2 by Are0h@ubiqueros.com
2022-11-22T17:01:51.427Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson@mastodon.social @albinanigans@mastodon.lol Willful delusion. And it's aggressive here because people can hide behind admins that will defend their bigotry.
(DIR) Post #APu7ZAFF0LTPHvVesK by albinanigans@mastodon.lol
2022-11-22T17:13:58Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Are0h @mergerson and that's why sometimes I throw the whole server away
(DIR) Post #APu7ZB2W38t9kkZ0gC by Nudhul@shitposter.club
2022-11-23T18:53:52.041741Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@albinanigans @Are0h @mergerson "other people need to moderate their behavior for my comfort"what a self-entitled bitch yu are
(DIR) Post #APuJZNbyVSpiC60pmq by mrv@ioc.exchange
2022-11-22T22:38:23Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson please blame the mod / admin or at least the instance but not mastodon. I know it’s hard. a rouge admin edited my posts once, took me a while to get over it and migrate to a different instance. no regrets this far.
(DIR) Post #APuJeaHEqNAOvJnKoC by PeteForsyth@mastodon.oeru.org
2022-11-22T23:53:00Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson It is definitely disturbing (worse than disturbing) and needs to be addressed. But also, it's crucial to think about structure if we're going to do something about it. If a new sports fan experiences abuse by a concession stand and complains to the referee, they're right to complain, but might have trouble getting a good outcome... (cont'd)
(DIR) Post #APuJeatAZLVYoxXcvo by PeteForsyth@mastodon.oeru.org
2022-11-22T23:55:27Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson In this case, the "app" (which you mention in your post) probably has nothing to do with it. I'm not sure which of the many apps you're using, but I think they all function about the same. Neither does the "platform" in an immediate sense - one of the main features is that there IS no central platform, only a set of protocols. The problem surely lies in the instance (cont'd)
(DIR) Post #APuJecGxQO8971g8eG by PeteForsyth@mastodon.oeru.org
2022-11-22T23:57:12Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson ...which is basically the small group of people one chose to trust when signing up. I think better guidance is the key:1. How to choose an instance to begin with2. How to deal with poor moderation in your instance if it happens3. How to move to a different one if it seems beyond one's means to address
(DIR) Post #APuJeja0FyWZm7dwo4 by PeteForsyth@mastodon.oeru.org
2022-11-22T23:58:57Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson Regardless, I fully agree that lecturing people who have been abused is never a good approach,nor is downplaying the abuse
(DIR) Post #APuJeodjRXThT8QUoS by PeteForsyth@mastodon.oeru.org
2022-11-23T00:03:02Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson But also, I think your post gets at a really important moral question, i.e. it it OK to use protocols that permit people to be abusive in the corners they run? And I'm not sure. If the alternative is letting corporate owners make broad brush decisions, I think federated is better. But if I was totally sure, I'd be wrong. It's probably the most important question re: Mastodon's future/value.
(DIR) Post #APuJjLRjPZqONHyNcW by neatchee@urusai.social
2022-11-22T22:39:30Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@mergerson @albinanigans Do you think there's a way to let the people who are trying to protect their mental health (some people literally can't deal with the intense feelings that come with these topics) do so, while also allowing open discourse on these extremely important subjects? If a server has established itself as a "no politics w/o warning" space, is that inherently oppressive? Should people not be allowed to create those spaces at all?I don't know how to protect both groups' needs.