One thing that's tough for people who just join the Fediverse, like most of the folks on #theforkiverse , is that there are self-appointed experts who reply to their public posts saying that "the Fediverse" doesn't like that kind of content.
This is untrue. They don't speak for all of us. Nobody does. You can't spell "Fediverse" without "diverse"; for good or ill, there are different viewpoints on almost any topic found here.
@evan Evan you're right! Trying to speak for the "entire" Fediverse is a major lack of System Awareness. These self-appointed experts are often just trying to override a newcomer's experience to satisfy their own need for control!
I call this a sign of low emotional hygiene. To help folks protect their peace, I suggest these 3 System Updates:
1. Boundary Calibration: Deleting a comment is a high-value act of Self-Respect
2. Energy Filtering: You don't owe anyone your Circuitry just because you share a digital space
3. Silent Power: A hard block is the best firewall against entitlement
We don't need to argue with these glitches; we just need to refine our filters. If someone is being disrespectful, blocking is a valid tool for keeping your internal world clear.
Thanks for standing up for the diversity of the open web! ☀️
@evan It’s interesting how much earnest pride of ownership there is. The self righteousness is annoying but it’s also refreshingly old internet to be in an online community people care enough about to try to make and enforce community norms.
@evan Fediverse veteran here -- post whatever you want to. If someone doesn't like it, they'll block your instance.
There is no "right" or "wrong" on a federated platform (outside of things which actually break local laws.)
@evan wow good spotting and good message Evan. I'm surprised that gatekeeping behaviour exists, and even surpriseder anyone is falling for it, but I can confirm there is a block button feature that is there for a reason folks. as we all know, you have every right to have whatever experience you want for yourself on your account within the rules set by your administrators and outside other people's boundaries, so bon appétoot.
@falcennial if you're new on a network, and you're still trying to figure out the vibe, and in your first few weeks someone replies to you that EVERYONE on this network hates black-and-white photography, it can be really intimidating. Especially if you haven't set down roots yet, it can seem easier to just drop the whole thing entirely.
@evan
There are also some other people-specific basic expectations about using Fedi that I've come across.
In the end I disabled English-posts from the Explore -view, as it seemed like people from States were far more likely to top the list, and they seemed to actively seek conflict (both by openings that came across as baits, or holding conversations in bad faith).
Mentioning as they almost as a rule refered to social rules I'd never heard, even after 25 years online.
@evan Seriously.
The "unwelcome" posts are the one telling people their posts aren't welcome.
@evan The Fediverse agrees with this statement!
@evan people, just post shit, be nice, that's about it.
@evan I've noticed at least three different Fediverse subcultures with very different rules and customs. Mostly we just get along, though.
I think of “some fediverses” for this reason
Also thinking of Rawls’ book _The Law of Peoples_, also specifically plural
@evan Thank you, Evan, such an important reminder. In 2022, a bunch of self-appointed newbies were telling me “how to Mastodon”. I have only been on the fediverse since 2016 and Mastodon since 2017 … but not even ignorance stops these people.
@evan Not only that, but there isn’t one ”fediverse”. Many servers don’t talk to each other, and the network is more in the shape of bulges and bubbles.
@evan Well said!
@evan yeah need to see the fediverse as a modern social email.
Each people on each server have different tough.
@evan We don’t like fascists. Fascists content doesn’t belong here.
@evan shyeah, they're trying to be the "Fed" in "Fediverse", not understanding ACAB includes the cop in their head
@MachineLordZero I'm going to steal this
@evan No need. Given freely.
@evan Appreciate that! Seems like an anti-growth strategy I suppose? I can see how people get territorial though, or feel like “I found it first!”
@rednoodle325 @prossm "I don't like this" is fine. "You can't do that on the Fediverse" is not.
@evan I hope all the people who face that take advantage of their control and just block those “experts” immediately.
@evan if you want the fediverse to have more “x”, the solution is to post more “x”, rather than ask others to not post “y”
If someone tells you that your content is unwelcome, block them so they don't have to see your content again.
This is the correct answer.
@evan been there, done that, but it must be very upsetting for new users and I'm really pissed of at these self proclaimed "masters of the fediverse", we had a really good thing going here back when Elon bought Twitter but they managed to scare (or maybe better annoy) most of the Twitter folks away so they all went to Bluesky or even stayed on "X"
@evan I mute them, so they have to suffer my posts but I don't see their complaints. 😈
