If I ultimately do decide to leave the fediverse, a lot of that decision will be based on Mastodon's years long refusal to deal with the bigots that spread hate and antagonize people that use their server as a staging point.
You can't claim to want a better web or even be an 'ethical' alternative to corporate platforms and behave the same way.
They've been doing this dance for a decade now and it has to be assumed they care more about the feelings of bigots than literally anyone else who uses their project.
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@sl007 @bonfire @maloki The disconnect we are having is you're trying to talk about technology and I'm talking about environment.
I am Black, pretty hi profile and outspoken about racism and hate in a place that wants to ignore that exists.
It is simply irrelevant that the fedi has no borders and no president because it does not like people that are targets of hate talking about it.
I have ten years of experience to verify this.
I like Bonfire as a project, but unfortunately Mastodon has set the general demeanor of the fedi to ignore racism that persists in this space and even attacking people that talk about to the point of pushing them out of this space.
Bonfire is not going to change that.
@are0h I would be very sad to see you leave but having seen how you and other folks are treated here for a long while I would understand it. This is a yes, and: mastodon.social's open signups and bigoted administration have done more harm to fedi growth and cohesion than helping.
@castanea_jo And quite frankly, they have been surpassed by other projects that aren't even half as old as Mastodon.
Their refusal to adapt has made the fedi an undesirable location for people that want to push social media forward to new and interesting places.
It's just fun to be here anymore, especially as they go out of their way to protect bigots.
I've had a few conversations with people who have had prominent accounts in the fedi, but have left, and they all have said the same thing.
The refusal of Mastodon to deal with their racist problem removes the incentive to use their project and or even be in the fediverse because despite the utility of the AP protocol, they've created yet another environment that is a safe haven for the internet's worst people.
And for many, it's just not worth being a target to bigots who are being empowered by the most high profile project in the fedi.
I resisted this thought for a long time too, but the reality of it is undeniable.
@are0h I was recently cleaning up my follows list, and saw a bunch of amazing people who's last post goes back years like @shengokai, to name but one prominent example, but there are so many lesser known voices whose conversations enriched this space, it is truly lamentable and infuriating!
After being on Blacksky for awhile and having the opportunity to engage with that team, the contrast between what indie social media can be and what the fedi settles for has become stark.
Harassers like fedilore would not be an issue on Blacksky because the moderation team has an effective process that identifies, asses and triages bad actors. It's not something that would fester into a trend.
Because of this I find myself even less tolerant and patient in dealing with the bigotry that is allowed to happen through inaction.
And I'm tired of making excuses about why the fedi isn't better when it really should be.
But it's pretty clear after a decade in the fedi and the same issues that were present at the beginning of this journey are still plaguing us today, the fedi does not want to change.
And as so many other places have engaged me critically and creatively about my ideas and thoughts on what lies beyond the concept of social media, the fedi has become a place that was flawed but enjoyable to archaic and hostile.
@are0h As a moderator of one of fedi's largest servers and a white cis male, I hear you. I want to make this place safe for all, but sometimes we get things wrong initially. If there's anything the infosec.exchange moderation team do to help, let me know. Until then I listen and try to learn.
@Xavier @mu @are0h I mean, I've reported a bunch of shitty people from .art and we've blocked them on our end and I've looked on infosec.exchange a few days later only to find that either the posts are still there, or the posts get deleted but the account still exists. That is, frankly, not good enough. Bigots need ejecting, fully, from spaces where they can espouse bigotry. Racism is not a 'slap on the wrist' crime in a social network with Black people. It is a 'get the fuck out of here' crime.
@are0h unfortunately, evergreen. sucks you have to post it again.
@Byte And you've been following me for awhile, so you've seen me repeat this.
And I'm honestly tired of doing that.
Especially as I'm in places that actually value my expertise and perspective.
It's like night and day when I'm not in the fedi.
