@annika That we can't fix Mastodon by making it more like other bad platforms.
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@nileane that’s on the list of things we are exploring but it’s very complex with a lot of edge cases due to how AP works (and how threads are implemented). Part of the why is also that we only have 2 people in the team able to work on this, and need to prioritize finishing other work that we committed into for grants (like Collections), and handle project maintenance (bug fixes, security patches… this takes 30% of our current capacity).
But it will happen.
@renchap @nileane @annika you'll be pleased to know the interaction controls doc is now fully up to date with the way Mastodon does quote controls, and the way GtS now does other types of interaction controls (like, reply, announce): https://docs.gotosocial.org/en/latest/federation/interaction_controls/
@nileane @annika @renchap the name is already misleading. It's simply not possible to implement "reply controls" in a federated protocol like AP.
At most, they could be reply filters. Just like blocking and to a degree even defederating amount to nothing more than muting with a better-sounding name, there is no way to prevent replies.
@amberage @nileane @renchap Tobi's description of the GtS implementation is helpful https://gts.superseriousbusiness.org/@dumpsterqueer/statuses/01KE9GVV4GTZCEXVC9RZC17RGX
The more servers which implement true reply controls that put reply permission in the hands of the OP, and verify the reply is accepted before showing it in the thread, the better off everyone will be. In that sense, it's not a filter: the reply doesn't exist (for "nice" clients) until it's approved.
Badly-behaving instances might accept the unapproved reply, but this limits the spread.
@annika I'm superficially familiar with the GtS version (though I'm sure if it ever comes, Masto will want to have its special extra cake, because when do they ever not?).
The fact that only instances who cooperate will be affected is what I've been harping about the whole time. You only ever catch the less nasty half.
What I've been trying to articulate for the last hour is that I believe most people are unaware of this (IMO fairly major) caveat and that sooner or later, that's gonna become more widely known (and/or exploited for FUD; remember "on Mastodon the admins read your DMs"?) and fedi's reputation will be damaged even more than it would have been if the subject of "reply controls" and their limits had been approached transparently und understandable-to-laypeople from the start
@nileane @annika @renchap who said anything about opposing? I'm all for it; I'd love to be able to tune out reply guys.
My whole point is about naming and not repeating the mistake of giving features (like blocking, like instance blocks) a name that implies much more safety than can reasonably be provided.
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@amberage honestly your reply is besides the point, I don't get why you came to this thread to write this
The limitations of AP don't mean mastodon shouldn't attempt to implement reply controls
@nileane because I fear the inevitable backlash when large swathes of people realise the Twitter-esque, centrally enforcable reply controls they dreamt of and were implicitly promised were never going to work and I wish everyone was just realistic and honest about what works or doesn't to not get people false expectations.
@annika where did they go?
@CartyBoston Instagram, Bluesky, probably even X. Places were they find community without the level of harassment they get here.
@annika I get that how we design and use fetaures can include and exclude people, our functionality is immature and people get hurt as a result.
But ... (and it's not up to me) I don't want to build anything people returning to X would use.
@CartyBoston I'm not sure what argument you're making.
@annika That we can't fix Mastodon by making it more like other bad platforms.
@CartyBoston If you think reply controls are a bad feature, I can only assume you don't know what they are. Feels like you are engaging in bad faith right now.
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