@keithpp @CobaltVelvet I don't think it's any more fatal than the fact there are lots of John Smiths in one town or another. At least here there is only one per town (instance). People deal with that fine in real life, why not online. This also remove the feeling we need to have a globally unique handle for everyone to know us. That's not feasible with 7 billion people. When you see post from the truncated name you can then click their id to see the instance. It's a natural thing to me.
@rateldajer @CobaltVelvet Please read and comprehend. I actually address what yoiu say re many with the name John Smith. But if we have an ID on this network, eg @keithpp and no one is going to look beyond that, then it has to be unique across the network as @keithpp not required where registered. It may be a natural thing for techies, not for the average user.
@keithpp @rateldajer @CobaltVelvet You're defining Mastodon as "a network" when really:
Mastodon = email
instance = email host
octodon.social = gmail.com
@user@instance = email@address.com
The mistake you're making is thinking Mastodon = gmail.com.
@codydh @rateldajer @CobaltVelvet I am not thinking that all.
@keithpp @rateldajer @CobaltVelvet Most solutions that would normalize a username across all instances would also require centralized control. That is not what Mastodon is about.
@keithpp @rateldajer @codydh Find me a solution that works with Twitter and E-Mail and not here. I'll wait.
@keithpp @rateldajer @CobaltVelvet I think you're right that there's the potential for some confusion, but wholeheartedly disagree with you decrying it as "the fatal flaw." Maybe a solution is (ugh) similar to what Facebook does, which is mainly referring to people by their 'Name' as opposed to their 'username.' So that they're less exposed. But I largely dislike that idea.
@keithpp @rateldajer @codydh @lou1306 even better: find me any solution that *work*. Identity is a difficult problem, Twitter hasn't solved it except for verified people, e-mail never solved it and no one cares except infosec folks.
It's not new, it's not easy, that's not specific to Mastodon or even worse in Mastodon than in e-mail.
@CobaltVelvet @keithpp @rateldajer @lou1306 Agreed, 100%. The only solution that works (with many asterisks) is you already know someone on Twitter, Email, IRL, website, keybase, etc., and they tell you their ID elsewhere.
@codydh @CobaltVelvet @rateldajer @lou1306 I agree, and if read and comprehended what I wrote, will see I have already stated this with qualifications. It is provenance. And mine goes back to when few people even were aware of internet. But is does not solve multiple @keithpp within this network. And it will blow up . as the number users grows.
@keithpp @lou1306 @rateldajer @codydh Now you just sound like one of those pseudo-intellectuals predicting stocks with bullshit with 50/50 accuracy.
Do you know how many people share the same name over Twitter? Add a number or "_" because it's taken? No one cares. All the people having a name @gmail while the same @yahoo belongs to another? No one cares.
You're still "thinking like twitter" inside Mastodon. Which is exactly the same as "thinking like Twitter" in E-mail.
@CobaltVelvet @keithpp @lou1306 @rateldajer As valid as: "I keep trying to email the address CobaltVelvet but it tells me it's an invalid email address! Broken system!"
@CobaltVelvet @lou1306 @codydh @rateldajer Confusion oof two different issues. Yiu do not find muliple @keithpp or @paulocoelho on twitter, thus that one solved. You may find multiple fake Paulo Coelho, which twitter verification resolves.
@keithpp @CobaltVelvet @lou1306 @rateldajer You're still talking past the issue. You're comparing to Twitter when you should be comparing to email. And it's not just because there's another @ sign, it's because email is much more like the network/distribution designs of Mastodon than Twitter is. You may perceive that as an issue, but again, that's how it's designed, and plenty think it's not an issue.
@keithpp @rateldajer @codydh @lou1306 You are indeed just removing half of the identifier and making it a "Mastodon flaw". Stop that. It's counter-productive.
You are *not* "keithpp". You are "keithpp at octodon". You got over it with e-mail, why are you making such a mess now? And yes, you could find "keith_p" or "keithpp_" on Twitter and that's very common and would be just the same problem over again.
@keithpp @CobaltVelvet @lou1306 @rateldajer Or again, you wouldn't argue that the internet is broken because twitter.com and twitter.net are two different sites. It's understood that "twitter.com" is the full name, not just "twitter".
@codydh @rateldajer @CobaltVelvet Most solutions is not all solutions. Find a solution not bombard me with excuses. Unless you wish to exist in a little niche. Which is what it will remain if not solved, as the more it grows, the bigger this problem will become.