3 ms·

I'm split on this. On one hand I want to run an instance with freedom, and I want users to resolve conflicts amongst themselves, and using the mute button if pu

I'm split on this. On one hand I want to run an instance with freedom, and I want users to resolve conflicts amongst themselves, and using the mute button if push come to shove. But on the other hand, if I allow that, other servers will de-federate from me. So these last few months I've been put into a lot of hard moderating situations. Where for example an entire instance reports a user on my instance, saying it's spreading hate speech, or transphobia, but it's not. The user just happened to use an aggressive tone in a thread with a famous person, for example, or just piss off the wrong admin. And now I have to make a decision on how to handle this user, who didn't break any of my server rules. And I even ran into a straight up racist on my instance, but didn't suspend their account because while they were clearly a supporter of the right-wing party, that same right-wing party has a majority vote. So why should I suspend them for voicing their political affiliation? Again, not breaking any rules, not breaking any laws, just voicing opinions in line with the current right-wing majority party. I just don't believe in sweeping people under the rug. In that case, of the right-wing person, they ended up getting muted by other instances, fortunately not de-federated. But it feels like I'm always balancing on a knife's edge between free speech and a de-federated instance. Basically, I feel myself becoming a "language-police", and that's not what I want.

3np 4y ago
Small instance here. One user (me) hade a few mostly technical posts about a bitcoin lightning network client they were developing on, and reposted some content along similar lines. From the perspective of software, among contributors and operators. We're now defederated by at least a few instances for "crypto grifters" or similar. We won't be bothered to investigate and follow up to see if/how it's propagated until one of our users raise an issue about it. Much of the active fediverse have had quite particular culture with very narrow corridors around some things, of all varieties. Some of these groups (in lack of better word) demonize each other. Those who take up running open general instances for years with no financial incentive are sometimes also of a particular kind within that. Some are also intentionally insular ("safe spaces" come to mind) and will mute or defederate anyone identified as not part of their in-group. I've also seen instances blanket-blocking anything Pleroma, because "all the bad people come from Pleroma". I've even seen it called evil software because it affords more customization of filtering, rewriting, and federation. If the fediverse does get traction over time and the demography widens, I think we'll have much fracturing, possibly pushing protocol changes and incompatible forks. For now: Haters gonna hate, what can you do about it
- Throwawayaerlei 4y ago
  "I've also seen instances blanket-blocking anything Pleroma, because "all the bad people come from Pleroma". I've even seen it called evil software because it affords more customization of filtering, rewriting, and federation." And God help you if you use or let your users have the option of using the Soapbox Front End (FE) on top of Pleroma.

3np 4y ago

Small instance here. One user (me) hade a few mostly technical posts about a bitcoin lightning network client they were developing on, and reposted some content along similar lines. From the perspective of software, among contributors and operators. We're now defederated by at least a few instances for "crypto grifters" or similar. We won't be bothered to investigate and follow up to see if/how it's propagated until one of our users raise an issue about it. Much of the active fediverse have had quite particular culture with very narrow corridors around some things, of all varieties. Some of these groups (in lack of better word) demonize each other. Those who take up running open general instances for years with no financial incentive are sometimes also of a particular kind within that. Some are also intentionally insular ("safe spaces" come to mind) and will mute or defederate anyone identified as not part of their in-group. I've also seen instances blanket-blocking anything Pleroma, because "all the bad people come from Pleroma". I've even seen it called evil software because it affords more customization of filtering, rewriting, and federation. If the fediverse does get traction over time and the demography widens, I think we'll have much fracturing, possibly pushing protocol changes and incompatible forks. For now: Haters gonna hate, what can you do about it

Throwawayaerlei 4y ago
"I've also seen instances blanket-blocking anything Pleroma, because "all the bad people come from Pleroma". I've even seen it called evil software because it affords more customization of filtering, rewriting, and federation." And God help you if you use or let your users have the option of using the Soapbox Front End (FE) on top of Pleroma.