An administrative announcement.
Motherfuckers.
https://mastodon.cloud/media/oxNPAqhKHeUAAvMv1X8
Q: Someone is saying things on Mastodon / GNU Social / elsewhere that I don't like. What should I do?
A: If you know them, you might ask them not to. Otherwise, as a first step, especially if they're not directing the content at you specifically, Mute them.
If they are messaging you directly, Block them.
https://github.com/tootsuite/mastodon/blob/master/docs/Using-Mastodon/User-guide.md#blocking
A Mastodon admins mailing list is located here: https://lists.ffdn.org/wws/info/mastodon-admin
Q: What are the limitations of blocking?
A: Numbers. Identity. References and reshares. Disruption.
There are a lot of idiots in the world. If a given social space you're in is free of them, it is generally either very small, or has excellent gatekeeping. Usually the first. The problem is that staying small doesn't scale.
Identity online is asserted, not intrinsic, and generating new IDs is cheap. Absent checks on that, blocking someone who doesn't /want/ to be blocked is ... difficult.
References and reshares mean that even if you block a source directly, indirect references to them in threads will still fill your space. If this presents a problem to you, then it's a problem which blocking alone cannot address (or at least not simple origin-based blocking -- a source-and-replies filter might). Some reshares might also leak through.
If you're blocking someone because they create shitstorms wherever they go, then at the margin your own blocking won't improve the situation.
This is a situation where collective or unified action, based on community impacts, comes into play.
If the consequences leak into real life -- relationships, employers, business relationships, gangs, politics, political unrest -- then you have a more significant problem for which simple solutions don't exist. But neither can Admin owners nor protocol developers wash their hands of them either. The committlog on this particular bug goes back about 6,000 years. Earlier records are lost.
Q: Somebody is demanding that /I/ stop discussing some topic or subject, or conceal that content. What should I do?
A: Most Mastodon / OSocial instances request that "not safe for work" content (generally: nudity, sex), carry an NSFW hashtag. On Mastodon (but not OSocial), the "content warning" (CW) feature can be used to conceal body content. Common courtesy suggests not posting spoilers of current dramatic events (TV, radio, video, film, etc.) Generally, try to keep this in mind.
That said, if you're discussing a topic that's of reasonable general interest, including news, politics, religion, business, technology, entertainment, etc., requests to /not/ do so openly strike me as ... less than well-founded, and potentially exceedingly problematic.
Gently suggest this to the person making that request.
If this isn't acceptable to them, blocking them is probably your best option. Changing others' minds is hard, and fraught.
If they harrass you on the matter, report them.
@dredmorbius I must have missed that post from you... ;-)
for the record, none of your posts have made me recoil in horror. Perhaps I'm getting tolerant in my old age....
@eileenb :smile: One of my early politically-oriented posts drew a response. The FAQ isn't /necessarily/ responding to things that I've experience directly. Any similarity to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
@eileenb That said, I will redouble my efforts.
@dredmorbius I would expect nothing less ;-)
@dredmorbius btw, thanks for all the input - radio silence due to the fact I was working on my zdnet piece - now submitted.
So much information flooding in that I had to draw the line somewhere. giving it an Enterprise angle was the hard part.. :-/
@eileenb You're more than welcome. Give a shout when that posts.
Q: Someone is requesting that I not tag or mention them within a given discussion. Or generally. What should I do?
A: Don't tag or mention them in that given discussion. Or generally. Why do you even need to ask this?
If the problem is an ongoing one, consider blocking and/or muting them. Odds are fairly high that the requester will see this as an acceptable resolution as well.
Q: No, but /really/, this is /wrong/!!
@dredmorbius that double-exclamation-mark was a nice touch. Have almost fallen for it.
@jubalfh May not be obvious from the Livestream, but this is part of a FAQ :smile:
Q: /You/ are saying things or failing to comply with <my arbitrary code-of-conduct standard> not already addressed above. You must change your behaviour or I will block and/or mute you immediately!!!
A: Blocking and/or muting me sounds like a wonderfully appropriate and mutually acceptable remedy to this situation. Have a wonderful diurnal cycle!
Q: What does @Gargron have to say about this?
A: "There is no policy mandating the use of content warnings (not to be confused with NSFW on images) on mastodon.social. It's between you and your followers. You shouldn't demand that someone use it for politics (but I believe politely asking is OK)"
Q: Someone, or several people or accounts, are hasseling me directly. Now what?
A: Contact your Instance admin. That's going to be on the "/about/more" page of that instance. For example, https://mastodon.social/about/more
You might also contact the remote instance admin.
Admins can block some or all traffic from other Instances.