Do you like the people on the Fediverse?
I like the ones I followed, and I don't see the ones I blocked. So generally, yes, I like the people I see on fedi.
(1/2)
@evan I only saw this after it closed, but I guess I would have said 'yes, but'.
As others said in replies to this thread, I've met great people here (yourself included). At least one of whom has become a dear friend, who's hosted me in their home and vice-versa (@clacke). I've had some insightful conversations with people who know how to disagree productively. Others I've started projects with, joined theirs (eg fediverse.party), or pulled them into mine (eg the VOICE testing group).
(2/2)
OTOH I've also come across knuckledraggers spouting slurs, and secular bible-bashers who seem to be here to roast anyone who doesn't agree with their particular flavour of ideology, in every way, at all times. All of whom, I think, could benefit from reading Naomi Klein's book #Doppelganger (or in some cases, reading a book at all).
It's a mixed bag. But of course it is, this is the internet. I think we'd be wiser not to judge the technology by the behaviours of the people using it.
Now, I'm wondering if the "No" or "No, but..." are any of my followers harboring a secret seething dislike and rage following my toots. 😂
This is nice to see.
My answer is yes, but many of the people I like the most aren't here.
Same for me… the Fediverse folks are lovely, but I left behind some very fun and interesting people on BlueSky… because there were some very not nice people over there. And I know I probably don’t even need to mention The Bad Place… where some cool people used to flock before the malignant mutation.
@evan Sometimes I encounter people who are not great to talk to.
It'll be nice if I can figure that out more quickly.
@evan Yes but... I did block a few for some of their posts. I'm aware this could eventually look like a "chambre d'écho". It's a deliberate choice (I call it "hygiène sociale"), I was tired of reading/having to manage shit posts on other networks.
@evan yes, but people on the fediverse are not much different than people in general.
@evan yes, but some I really don’t
@evan Oh, and I forgot about the time a white supremacist followed me hoping to get an automatic follow back. I'm so glad you can remove followers now!
@evan If it were up to me, fedi would be more diverse -- not in the "more minorities sense" -- but in the sense of there being more people of different ages and interests.
Outside computers, queer stuff and cats, there aren't many other people here to talk about the other things I like because there aren't a lot of youngish millennial women here.
I 100% agree with @golemwire about pessimism on Trending too. It's highly unpleasant.
I think online communication — of which Fediverse is now the culmination — mirror that quote from the Conrad's _The Heart of Darkness_, something like:
“The human mind is the most dangerous thing because everything is in it.”
These spaces are the best and the worst of everything humans can think.
And in dark times like these, it leans to the worst.
So, I voted: “No, but…”
@evan in general, yes, but that's partly because i block anyone i don't like :)
@evan The vast majority are amazing but.... there is a tiny subset that wants to police everyone else to enforce their rules and it just gets SO OLD
The human brain is wired for "purity" — whether it's how we eat, how we dress, how we speak, etc. we all have it to some degree. As with any extreme, the ones who take purity to an extreme where they either tell others to change or complain that others affect their own purity by being impure, … it can irritate those who are naturally or who work to be more moderate.
@jet @evan Well said. It's especially ironic as the entire point of the #fediverse is to build your own feed, block who you don't like.
I'll never understand why these PurityPolice don't just stop following the person? Why do they feel compelled to change them? I get it, this is the curse of any social media but the Fediverse prides itself on personal freedom and self expression. It's very much at odds with this.
@scottjenson @jet it's because of the Fediverse feed. You aren't posting to your own feed; you're contributing to a commons, which is collectively managed.
I'd be very interested to hear how behaviour and attitudes have change on mastodon.social since removing the Fediverse feed. Any news on that?
@evan Yes. Even if I blocked you it ain't personal and I hope you're doing well. We're all on a journey and what a place this is turning out to be!
@evan I follow people either if I know them well or if I look at their profile and am interested in their posts. Some people I follow are: @Kaliah , @Haven_of_dreams , @elliottman98 , @Ethan_edwards , @samtupy , @maysoncabo , @cartertemm , @Evdog1245 , @stevo399 , @lexipic , @grace , @MS26 , @MutedTrampet , @BrailleScreen All these people post really cool things. I have a small number of people I follow but like seeing everything that's posted on my home feed. All these people post really cool things.
@evan Most of them, a few crazy's like everyware.
Evan Prodromou The poll doesn’t show on my NoeBB-based site, so I’ll just answer via write-in.
Yes, but… There are a lot of really great, kind, interesting, intelligent, and/or engaging people here that I’m glad to interact with.
I’ve also come across an amount of vaguely revenge-of-the-nerdish behaviour, where angry folks show up in the comments and demand basic things be hidden behind content warnings or that I follow some rule from their instance on my server I pay for, and that they’re only seeing posts from because of some choice someone on their instance made, and they often don’t take get lost for an answer.
@evan I went with "Yes, but", but it could just as easily have been "No, but". I've met some truly great people here who I consider friends. It also seems to house more than its fair share of assholes. I find myself reluctant to talk to people unless I've known them for a while. These days, if I interact, I tend to keep things clinical.
@mike who are some good ones?
@evan Well, there are some that I've known since before I joined Mastodon, like @kev and @tatertot, and @matthartley. I've known them all for years now.
Some of the people I've met here are @adamsdesk, @rl_dane, @cmccullough, @haubles, @Gina, @joel, @Greylinux, and @markwyner.
I also have good relationships with the admin and moderators of this instance.
https://fosstodon.org/collections/116766555232424251
There are others, but that's a quick and dirty list.
Awe. How lovely to see this, Mike. I’m glad we connected here, too.
Hi, Evan! 👋🏻 I’m not an asshole. At least I think I’m not. I’ve been following you for a while.
@evan @Kev @tatertot @matthartley @adamsdesk @rl_dane @cmccullough @haubles @Gina @joel @Greylinux
@evan the vast majority of people I've interacted with on the Fediverse have been wonderful people. I'm aware this isn't necessarily representative of the Fediverse as a whole. I feel that my instance does a pretty good job of moderation, and I am somewhat selective of who I follow.
@keydelk any good people in particular?
@evan lots. Some of my favorite people to follow are @GeePawHill - always has great insight and seems like he would be a lot of fun to hang out with. @pluralistic, @WeirdWriter, @cstross and @susankayequinn are some of my favorite writers on here. And I discovered some awesome video games by @eniko and by @clarus
@anemone gimme three names!
sun@shitposter.world
vriska@lizards.live
subnetter@shitposter.world
Yes! So many awesome earthlings on here, nerding out on the weirdest topics. My ever-curious brain is so grateful for all of you!
@airwhale name some names?
@evan
I specially dislike the people who makes polls.
@paelnever That can be fixed.
@evan @paelnever
I'm the opposite.
There's nary a poll that I don't boost, Evan.
@Guillotine_Jones @evan
Sure, polls are boosts magnets, that's exactly why some people make it, just hoarding attention in the purest "influencer" style.
@evan Yes, but… no social platform isn’t without having awful humans participating.
@evan Yes.
Occasionally when a "but" gets in, so do the multiple levels of block.
Then we are back to plain "Yes".