Tom Coates is a user on mastodon.cloud. You can follow them or interact with them if you have an account anywhere in the fediverse.
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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 Poorly, I'm guessing. I suspect they assume that's a feature allowing much more scaling.
@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.
@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?