Dave Fernig @DaveFernig@qoto.org

Some Mastodon thoughts, for bird-site expats (which include myself). I'm aggregating these from posts I've boosted before, so little of this is my own brain.

- There's no algorithm here. That means favoriting/liking doesn't do anything except communicate approval to the OP and others (which is still nice!).

- No algorithm means boosting ("retweeting") is the true method to increase a post's visibility. Do that more than you did on birdsite.

- There's no post-quoting here, and that's by design. Look at quote-tweets on the birdsite; it's a feature primarily used for toxicity.

- There's no direct word-search here either; that means you want to use hashtags to make posts more searchable. This is also intended, since word-searching posts was often used to harass/stalk on the birdsite and elsewhere, so that was left by the wayside here. This also means hashtags are much more a thing here than any of the algorithm-powered sites.

- It's encouraged to put in text descriptions when you post images; a lot of Mastodon users use screen-readers due to various disabilities, and getting an image description read out loud helps them immensely.

- Speaking of screen-readers: using capitalization in your hashtags allows the screen-readers to read them more easily, especially if you're smashing multiple words together. #rockmusic = unreadable. #RockMusic = readable.

- The best way to make threads is to make set your first post as public, but "unlist" all of your replies. This prevents your whole thread from clogging up feeds.

- Content Warnings should be used more liberally here. If you haven't gotten the impression yet, much of Mastodon was built and populated by marginalized groups who were harassed/bullied off of other platforms. This is the culture they built, to respect each other's mental health. It's not a rule, but it's well-appreciated.

- Consider chipping a few bucks towards whomever runs the server you're on; the strain is real, and most server admins were likely paying out of pocket before so don't have an existing donation base. The growth here has been extremely fast, and that means money's needed.

- DMs are just posts with privacy settings. So if you @ someone in a DM, you pull them into the thread. That could be embarrassing.

- Also, no, DMs aren't end-to-end encrypted, but they aren't on Twitter either. Don't use either if you want true privacy.

- Including your Mastodon handle in your birdsite profile will help people find you here; there's a tool (pruvisto.org/debirdify/ is one of them that's used) people can use to pull Mastodon handles from Twitter profile.

- Use the blocking and reporting features liberally, if needed. This should go without saying, but they work, and work well!

- If there's an entire Mastodon server you don't want to hear from, you can block the whole thing too.

- Preferences -> Appearance -> "Slow Mode": this can make larger "Local" feeds and any "Federated" feed much more readable.

I'll reply with some more as I see them, or reply here too. I've only been here 4 days but I'm loving it so far.

Code is up now and seems functional. Still a few internal rough edges I’d like to polish..

You expect me to present the summary of the current research projects, doing what we always do; blowing the little work we could do way out of proportion again. Taking credit for what others could achieve. Blowing that out of proportion too. Every year just a little more fantastic, until even we can’t tell fact from fiction anymore. More papers, more grants, more shine.

1/2

You'd think that a class of drugs that sells in truckloads would be understood a lot better than antidepressants are. Commentary here: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/08/well/mind/antidepressants-effects-alternatives.html
But it doesn't even mention regression to the mean: http://www.dcscience.net/2015/12/11/placebo-effects-are-weak-regression-to-the-mean-is-the-main-reason-ineffective-treatments-appear-to-work/
The problem is that it's very hard to say whether or not a drug works in some people but not in others.

A tiny proposed change in one of Argentina's environmental laws could deal death blow to the heavily-deforested Gran Chaco.
🌳 🚜
The 100% focus on Brazil's Amazon by NGOs and big media means Argentina's deforesters get away with ecological genocide.
✍️ twitter.com/jrein88
🔻
https://dialogochino.net/es/actividades-extractivas-es/60272-gran-chaco-argentina-corre-el-riesgo-de-perder-su-mayor-bosque-nativo/
🔺
It is time the destruction of the Gran Chaco gets the attention it deserves if we are to save this planet

BTW - I’m absolutely delighted that we smashed our £90K crowdfunder target to make our 90-min documentary on Brexit.

This will be THE authoritative analysis. And it was funded by over 3,000 of you and counting (broke through 3,000 just now - 3,005 now!).

We’re also getting what we call “hive research” rolling to support the info-gathering. So if you know some key case studies/ data/ resources, please email: BrexitDoc@Byline.TV

https://byline.tv/brexitdocumentary/

I saw that it was Aaron Swartz’ 36th birthday, and looked back at what I wrote about his case, and his suicide, almost ten years ago.

It all holds up, but it’s kind of darkly amusing to figure out that when I was writing this about how well people mask their depression I was profoundly depressed and nobody knew. So, QED, I guess?

https://www.popehat.com/2013/03/24/three-things-you-may-not-get-about-the-aaron-swartz-case/

I forgot the captions so here it is

Elon Musk did not found Tesla, nor did he invent the car.

Tesla was founded and built originally by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning.

Elon Musk isn't why SpaceX is successful, either.

That would be the real genius behind the rocket.

His name is Tom Mueller.

And Tom Mueller designed the successful rocket.

Elon Musk is not a genius, and he invents nothing.

He just buys companies and steals all the credit.

Sci Am on being told to 'stay in your lane':
"Science is relevant to every element of society, including policy and politics.
As a publication committed to explaining the world around us, that means that every lane is our lane."
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/every-story-is-a-science-story/

PhD studentship available for research on pregnancy and early childhood using Understanding Society
@iseressex
Can be MSc + Phd, or just PhD
Fully funded!
Full details: https://understandingsociety.ac.uk/research/studentships/pregnancy-and-early-childhood
Apply by 28 Feb

“A plan by ministers to review or repeal all EU laws on the UK statute book by the end of 2023 has suffered another setback after the discovery of 1,400 additional pieces of legislation”

I’ll save the political analysis for someone else because all I have is: LOL 😆

#EURetainedLawBill #UKPolitics #JacobReesMogg #Brexit #RishiSunak

https://on.ft.com/3EdpVP7

Morning folks, time for my first Mastodon thread (!)

Ahead of the #midterms tomorrow, I want to talk about the tragic politicisation of science in the US.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the Republicans became the anti-science party, but the process probably began in the 1980s, when the Christian right first emerged as a major force in conservative American politics.

Since then, the journey has been smooth and swift, and there is now a stunning partisan divide on confidence in science 😥

Okay let’s give this thing a go.

In my column on Friday, I highlighted the shocking fact that Britons now have the worst access to healthcare in Europe, and this is causing worsening health

*1 in 6* UK adults needed medical examination or treatment in the last year but were unable to access it (due mainly to waiting lists), higher than in all 35 other European countries

This link is free for the first 300 readers -> https://enterprise-sharing.ft.com/redeem/da24c14e-795e-4ef7-9e5f-66e9c6178d97

Someone hasn't caught up with minimum #Eurostar check-in now being 45 minutes, not 30! On #seat61 I'm now allowing minimum 2h between trains in Paris northbound towards London, yet online systems are still allowing 1h30, as if nothing had changed.

Some thoughts on the "Lexodus" from Twitter to Mastodon

And why Mastodon is inherently more attractive to any liberal and how it is geared for constructive exchanges

https://davidallengreen.com/2022/11/from-twitter-to-mastodon/

Twitter was really useful for finding people to write about. I’d often stumble across incredible stories of discovery, innovation and leadership. I hope #ScienceMastodon can be the same. If you come across extraordinary, inspirational #WomenInSTEM / researchers from other historically excluded groups, please let me know! #TwitterMigration

Via @fietsprofessor@twitter.com

It's really quite exciting starting up on Mastodon.
Rather like opening a door in a wall and suddenly finding you are in a party with some old friends and lots of new interesting people.
As one who was an early adopter of Twitter, it also is very reminiscent of the old days when I first realised how useful social media could be for meeting new people and learning new stuff.