How does this system handle unique usernames? It seems like a flaw in the system if other people can take unique-seeming usernames on other servers. Will this network be overrun with impersonators?
@mathowie I was under the impression that these names were universal across all servers
@eli I think it's like email, so anyone could be eli@another.server and your friends will just have to find the right person.
@mathowie yeah that will probably create some problems
@mathowie Your username is actually @<username>@<instanceURL> so there can be multiples, each on their own server
Where my head's at too @mathowie - am working on the assumption the federation aspect at least deals with it? May be worth registering on another server to test it out...
@mathowie This just came up in the MeFi thread on Mastodon: http://www.metafilter.com/166112/A-tweet-pretends-to-be-140-chars-but-a-toot-is-500-flat
@mathowie Maybe it's based on where you log in? This is weirdly disconnected.
@mathowie I have a feeling you can register on any server with the same name, and it's the combination of the two that makes it unique. Therefore, impersonations will be rampant unless there is a way to uniquely identify someone from the same server. As it is, the names are cut off and you can't see which server they are posting from. https://social.tchncs.de/media/9tziUrYbWDAEbCWZfW4
@tomcoates @mathowie On the computer, this is what I see: 1) I can't see whether you're coming from mastodon.cloud until I hit reply, and your toot mentions are showing on the timeline without the domains. https://social.tchncs.de/media/2YS27eKVxNG05ecYt3c
@tomcoates @mathowie 2) I don't have an iPad :(
@Spaxe @mathowie On a wider screen: https://mastodon.cloud/media/8VFfF4IOOtNTByEte6E
@tomcoates @mathowie That is so important.
@tomcoates @Spaxe Weird, on my 27" monitor on this desktop, I can't see anything beyond cut-off usernames.
@mathowie Poorly, I'm guessing. I suspect they assume that's a feature allowing much more scaling.
@tomcoates @mathowie Having only just arrived… is the idea that each federated instance is used someone randomly/indiscriminately, or does running an instance imply a closer community within?
@benward @tomcoates I don't think there are any differences across servers. I can't post a message that is only for this server I'm on. I don't see the benefits of it, honestly (I must be missing something).
@mathowie There are instances that don't federate with anyone else or only a limited number, so those messages stay "local". E.g., awoo.space only federates with mastodon.social, so I guess it depends on your local admin.
@mathowie I guess it's more like email addresses? There's a matt@gmail.com and a matt@hotmail.com
@waxpancake I guess my worry is the UI hides the rest and shows @matt... for most things.
@mathowie yeah, it's an issue
@mathowie on matrix.org if there is another person with the same username being federated then it shows the whole name
@mathowie I was asking the same this afternoon. I'm no mathowie but I'd like to own *me*
@mathowie One way around that might be to use a web-of-trust model. If a person has a certain threshold of contacts who all know one another mutually, it kind of enforces that this person is real.
But yes, this is one aspect of decentralization that still needs a definitive solution. Interestingly, the #Hubzilla platform worked around it by using ratings from an implementation of Portable Contacts - your profile can be rated and given feedback from people you're connected with.
@mathowie unique usernames have domains in. To really make them work we need rel="me" verification to bridge to other domains (not just fediverse ones) http://www.kevinmarks.com/distributed-verify.html
@mathowie Yes. See @snowden@mastadon.social.
@mathowie Yes. See @snowden@mastadon.social
@mathowie I'm sure some see the lack of a single namespace as more a feature than bug (but I think it creates more problems than it solves)... seems like it could be a good use of a blockchain to globalize a single namespace across all instances.
@mathowie I was wondering the same thing. I figured I could transfer my account or re-use it on another instances. However I was able to register with the same email + name.