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I am in the metro right now so I'm going to give my reply while I'm thinking about it.
I'd say, no, but.
For subtoots about someone who isn't you, sure, whatever. Your call.
If you think it's about you, it might not be. If you jump in all irate and it turns out they were talking about some character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or whatever, that will feel dumb. Sometimes, it's not about you.
If you think it's about you, and it's purely a personal attack, well, there's not much you can do to change anyone's minds about your motivations or your character. If someone doesn't like you enough to say mean things behind your back on the Fediverse, well, they're probably not a swing voter, so to speak.
I voted no. imo this medium is about attention. being able to express ourselves but not force anybody to see anything. while a subtoot may seem rude, it preserves this balance. responding is only likely to create strife.
I see so many bizarre messages, disconnected from whatever context their author was thinking of. I don't think I reliably recognise when one is a subtoot.
@evan
Yes, but only if you have something meaningful to contribute or want to support the author. A “nomention” or “subtoot” usually refers to a conflict situation. And you should think carefully about whether you understand the conflict and actually have something to contribute.
@evan yes, but only if you reply in the form of a subtoot. It's subtoots all the way down
@evan
I normally think of a "subtoot" as a post about a specific behavior or opinion you want to criticize, but you've avoided pointing fingers or naming names because you don't want to pick a fight, you just want to express the criticism.
If you think it's about you, you might just have a guilty conscience. So I say "no". Don't reply. Or if you must, keep it abstract (about this hypothetical person).
If you are *named* (even if not tagged), that's different. That's potentially defamatory, and you have a right to defend yourself.
Wow, this poll is fascinating.
@ricci it was an even split, 25% across the board. It's diverged a bit since then.
@evan "should" is a little strong. "You may" is where I'd go with it. Because of that I said "Yes, but".
RE: https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/@grahamperrin/117162453645898067
@evan ah, I would have voted differently if I had read this first. My bad. I never heard of sub-toots before today.
If it's possible to reply to something, then – logically – there's no reason to refrain. Public is public and if you can, be nice.
Quoted here: a recent sub-toot. I refrained from addressing the poster because IMHO the opening post lacked respect.
