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OT - Mastodon is seriously cool. If you haven't yet bothered, I suggest to everyone that you spend a bit of time exploring.

fishgoesblub 1y ago
Mastodon is just a part of the larger Fediverse.
- ekjhgkejhgk 1y ago
  Yeah I guess I still haven't wrapped my mind around that other part.
mmooss 1y ago
What makes it cool?
- CamperBob2 1y ago
  It shoves dark mode down your throat whether you want it or not. What could be cooler than that?
  - pavo-etc 1y ago
    There's an option
    - CamperBob2 1y ago
      Really. Where? Unhelpful answers of the form "Just install extension X for browser Y and use it to run script Z" are all anyone has ever been able to suggest when I've asked this question elsewhere.
      - glenstein 1y ago
        If you click on Preferences, it's under Appearance which is the first section you see. You can change the site theme to a light option. At least on Mastodon.social.
        CamperBob2 1y ago
        There's no Preferences button. If there is, they've either hidden it well, or it's not visible without a login. There should simply be a button -- a conspicuous one -- that toggles the color scheme. It's trivial to add such a button. It doesn't need to be tied to a user ID; it doesn't even need to set a cookie. The fact that no such button exists is a choice someone made, a poor choice that disregards decades of human-machine interface research. Failure to go full Karen about goofy things like this has made the Web a little worse for almost everyone in one way or another. So... there ya go.
        stephen_g 1y ago
        Preferences shows up in the sidebar (that has the login and signup buttons) if you have an account. Otherwise it's up to the instance admin to choose the default.
        wasmitnetzen 1y ago
        And the admin should probably use the automatic setting. There is a feature request for a user preference when not logged in.[1] [1]: https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/issues/30193 https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/issues/30193
        ekjhgkejhgk 1y ago
        I'm on two instances and both have a Preferences button. Is it possible that your instance moved it away from the default place? What instance are you on, I can help you find what you need to click.
        CamperBob2 1y ago
    - da_chicken 1y ago
      Which puts it one up over Hacker News!
- ekjhgkejhgk 1y ago
  Well, I won't debate whether "cool" is the right word. But ideologically I think federation is better than centralization when it can be made to work in practical terms, and Mastodon works.
- throw_await 1y ago
  No "algorithm" shoving ads down your throat. Just a timeline of the accounts you follow with the posts in chronooogical order.
lewiscollard 1y ago
I was on Mastodon for three years. I deleted my account. When I found out that Charlie Kirk was murdered, my second thought was "well, best create yet another filter on Mastodon so I don't have to watch people celebrate Charlie Kirk being murdered" and when I caught myself having that thought I realised that being on Mastodon was a net negative for my wellbeing. (I didn't like the guy either, by the way, or at least I knew enough about him that I knew I have much better things to do than listen to him. There are more than a few people like that, all of whom I wish find some peace in their hearts, and none of whom I wish to come to any harm.) Mastodon is packed to the brim with literal psychopaths and people pretending to be psychopaths for imaginary Internet points. It is not an experience I suggest for anyone who is neither of those things.
- ekjhgkejhgk 1y ago
  I'm on mathstodon.xyz (mastodon for maths) and haven't seen any of that. So I guess it's the people you subscribe to. But I have the freedom to decide what I want to consume.
  - lewiscollard 1y ago
    > I'm on mathstodon.xyz (mastodon for maths) and haven't seen any of that. So I guess it's the people you subscribe to. I was on an automotive-focused instance. I did see a lot of that. > But I have the freedom to decide what I want to consume. As do I; I had the freedom to delete my account, thus avoiding the need for any active measures to make my life free of schizoposting.
    - ekjhgkejhgk 1y ago
      TIL there's many Charlie Kirk fans amongst fans of cars?
      - lewiscollard 1y ago
        If this is intended to accuse me of being a Charlie Kirk fan I can only conclude that you either did not read what I wrote (in which case, you should refrain from replying to it), or you are being dishonest on purpose.

fishgoesblub 1y ago

Mastodon is just a part of the larger Fediverse.

ekjhgkejhgk 1y ago
Yeah I guess I still haven't wrapped my mind around that other part.

mmooss 1y ago

What makes it cool?

CamperBob2 1y ago
It shoves dark mode down your throat whether you want it or not. What could be cooler than that?
- pavo-etc 1y ago
  There's an option
  - CamperBob2 1y ago
    Really. Where? Unhelpful answers of the form "Just install extension X for browser Y and use it to run script Z" are all anyone has ever been able to suggest when I've asked this question elsewhere.
    - glenstein 1y ago
      If you click on Preferences, it's under Appearance which is the first section you see. You can change the site theme to a light option. At least on Mastodon.social.
      - CamperBob2 1y ago
        There's no Preferences button. If there is, they've either hidden it well, or it's not visible without a login. There should simply be a button -- a conspicuous one -- that toggles the color scheme. It's trivial to add such a button. It doesn't need to be tied to a user ID; it doesn't even need to set a cookie. The fact that no such button exists is a choice someone made, a poor choice that disregards decades of human-machine interface research. Failure to go full Karen about goofy things like this has made the Web a little worse for almost everyone in one way or another. So... there ya go.
        stephen_g 1y ago
        Preferences shows up in the sidebar (that has the login and signup buttons) if you have an account. Otherwise it's up to the instance admin to choose the default.
        wasmitnetzen 1y ago
        And the admin should probably use the automatic setting. There is a feature request for a user preference when not logged in.[1] [1]: https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/issues/30193 https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/issues/30193
        ekjhgkejhgk 1y ago
        I'm on two instances and both have a Preferences button. Is it possible that your instance moved it away from the default place? What instance are you on, I can help you find what you need to click.
        CamperBob2 1y ago
  - da_chicken 1y ago
    Which puts it one up over Hacker News!
ekjhgkejhgk 1y ago
Well, I won't debate whether "cool" is the right word. But ideologically I think federation is better than centralization when it can be made to work in practical terms, and Mastodon works.
throw_await 1y ago
No "algorithm" shoving ads down your throat. Just a timeline of the accounts you follow with the posts in chronooogical order.

lewiscollard 1y ago

I was on Mastodon for three years. I deleted my account. When I found out that Charlie Kirk was murdered, my second thought was "well, best create yet another filter on Mastodon so I don't have to watch people celebrate Charlie Kirk being murdered" and when I caught myself having that thought I realised that being on Mastodon was a net negative for my wellbeing. (I didn't like the guy either, by the way, or at least I knew enough about him that I knew I have much better things to do than listen to him. There are more than a few people like that, all of whom I wish find some peace in their hearts, and none of whom I wish to come to any harm.) Mastodon is packed to the brim with literal psychopaths and people pretending to be psychopaths for imaginary Internet points. It is not an experience I suggest for anyone who is neither of those things.

ekjhgkejhgk 1y ago
I'm on mathstodon.xyz (mastodon for maths) and haven't seen any of that. So I guess it's the people you subscribe to. But I have the freedom to decide what I want to consume.
- lewiscollard 1y ago
  > I'm on mathstodon.xyz (mastodon for maths) and haven't seen any of that. So I guess it's the people you subscribe to. I was on an automotive-focused instance. I did see a lot of that. > But I have the freedom to decide what I want to consume. As do I; I had the freedom to delete my account, thus avoiding the need for any active measures to make my life free of schizoposting.
  - ekjhgkejhgk 1y ago
    TIL there's many Charlie Kirk fans amongst fans of cars?
    - lewiscollard 1y ago
      If this is intended to accuse me of being a Charlie Kirk fan I can only conclude that you either did not read what I wrote (in which case, you should refrain from replying to it), or you are being dishonest on purpose.