4 ms·

You can export most of your data and move to another instance. It's not the most elegant process, but it seems to work out fine in the long run. You just tell p

You can export most of your data and move to another instance. It's not the most elegant process, but it seems to work out fine in the long run. You just tell people where you went.

dorfsmay 8y ago
It's well beyond not being elegant: Exports are fine for when you want to move, but typically too late when the server you use and its data disappear. Do Mastodon evangelists advertise the fact that you need to do frequent export? I follow a lot of people on twitter because I came across one of their tweet, check their history, and found them interesting. They have no idea who I am, they don't post often enough that I could remember their names. If their data and metadata were to disappear, how could they know how to contact me to let me know they have changed server, and therefore identity? Even if I remembered them and did noticed they had disappeared (two huge assumptions), how could I find them on their new server?
- Sir_Cmpwn 8y ago
  In practice I think most people just don't care if ancient posts are lost. They aren't exactly the cultural cornerstones of the internet. This isn't a problem often enough that your history is going to be empty most of the time. I think I only know of one occasion where an instance with ~20 users shut down with little warning.
s73v3r_ 8y ago
I completely and utterly disagree with your “work out fine” sentiment. It is embarrassing that something set up like Mastodon was from the beginning did not plan for people to move between instances from the start.
- Sir_Cmpwn 8y ago
  Oh hush. What's the Most Important Killer Embarssing-Not-To-Have feature to one person isn't a priority for someone else. If you want it, add it. Mastodon is open source.
  - s73v3r_ 8y ago
    That's not my job, and that dismissive, terrible attitude is exactly why open source has such a bad reputation. When the people you're trying to recruit to use your service are saying there's a problem, saying, "Then you go do something about it!" is not going to endear you to users.
    - Sir_Cmpwn 8y ago
      I don't feel the need to endear myself to users. It's not my job, either, nor is it anyone else's but yours. If you want something, you need to make it happen. What arrogance of yours to think that someone else should volunteer their time to accomodate for your whims! If Mastodon doesn't suit your needs, then fix it or don't use it. Either way that doesn't make it "embarassing" or otherwise bad. It works great for millions of users.
      - ummonk 8y ago
        And this is why commercial social networks tend to be so much more user friendly. They actually put effort into acquiring me as a user, because they can then monetize my eyeballs.
      - s73v3r_ 8y ago
        Yeah, no. If you're not going to put in the effort, then why should anyone else?
        Sir_Cmpwn 8y ago
        I'm not the one who's dissatisfied with Mastodon.

You can export most of your data and move to another instance. It's not the most elegant process, but it seems to work out fine in the long run. You just tell people where you went.

dorfsmay 8y ago

It's well beyond not being elegant: Exports are fine for when you want to move, but typically too late when the server you use and its data disappear. Do Mastodon evangelists advertise the fact that you need to do frequent export? I follow a lot of people on twitter because I came across one of their tweet, check their history, and found them interesting. They have no idea who I am, they don't post often enough that I could remember their names. If their data and metadata were to disappear, how could they know how to contact me to let me know they have changed server, and therefore identity? Even if I remembered them and did noticed they had disappeared (two huge assumptions), how could I find them on their new server?

Sir_Cmpwn 8y ago
In practice I think most people just don't care if ancient posts are lost. They aren't exactly the cultural cornerstones of the internet. This isn't a problem often enough that your history is going to be empty most of the time. I think I only know of one occasion where an instance with ~20 users shut down with little warning.

s73v3r_ 8y ago

I completely and utterly disagree with your “work out fine” sentiment. It is embarrassing that something set up like Mastodon was from the beginning did not plan for people to move between instances from the start.

Sir_Cmpwn 8y ago
Oh hush. What's the Most Important Killer Embarssing-Not-To-Have feature to one person isn't a priority for someone else. If you want it, add it. Mastodon is open source.
- s73v3r_ 8y ago
  That's not my job, and that dismissive, terrible attitude is exactly why open source has such a bad reputation. When the people you're trying to recruit to use your service are saying there's a problem, saying, "Then you go do something about it!" is not going to endear you to users.
  - Sir_Cmpwn 8y ago
    I don't feel the need to endear myself to users. It's not my job, either, nor is it anyone else's but yours. If you want something, you need to make it happen. What arrogance of yours to think that someone else should volunteer their time to accomodate for your whims! If Mastodon doesn't suit your needs, then fix it or don't use it. Either way that doesn't make it "embarassing" or otherwise bad. It works great for millions of users.
    - ummonk 8y ago
      And this is why commercial social networks tend to be so much more user friendly. They actually put effort into acquiring me as a user, because they can then monetize my eyeballs.
    - s73v3r_ 8y ago
      Yeah, no. If you're not going to put in the effort, then why should anyone else?
      - Sir_Cmpwn 8y ago
        I'm not the one who's dissatisfied with Mastodon.