Reach for the Stars @antares@qoto.org

One magical thing about #hashtags is that they provide an opportunity to reach a whole new audience every time you toot. Following people is still very valuable, in many ways, don't get me wrong, but the number of people who follow me (for instance) is much, much smaller than the number of people that might see my posts when properly tagged.

You're going to spend a full year at a remote Antarctic research station. Oddly, you're allowed to bring as many books for pleasure reading as you'd like, so long as all by the same one author. Which authors' books will you be taking? (Reply for "other." #fantasybooks #fantasy #DresdenFiles #Malazan #WheelOfTime #Cosmere

@ronklogan I agree. I'm not so much a Free Speech absolutist as I am a strong censorship skeptic. There is great power in proclaiming that something cannot even be spoken, and my first instinct is always to question how that power will be abused.

The very first meme I made on Mastodon and if I do say so myself, it’s aged pretty well. #elonmusk #twittermigration #twitter

ICYMI: A call for pedantry in free speech debates and for separating Free Speech Rights, Free Speech Culture, And Speech Decency.

https://popehat.substack.com/p/in-defense-of-free-speech-pedantry

I’m not a “free speech absolutist.” I believe that one should be responsible with what one says. Slander, libel, incitement, defamation, fighting words, false advertising - that’s all real. Say something stupid, be prepared to be called out. Free speech does NOT mean “freedom from consequences.”

So... just to be clear... we're sticking with "Toot"?
These are "Toots"...?
And because of my last name, mine are "Butt Toots"?
I'm supposed to NOT feel like you're all setting me up?

Hyperlinks subvert hierarchies

*taps the sign*

In light of the new Twitter ban on having links to other social media sites in your profile or Tweets. BTW expediting the crash of big tech social media sites couldn't make me happier. I would just love to see this speed of devolution on Facebook properties, Tik Tok, etc.

#ElonMusk #Twitter #TwitterMigration #MastodonMigration #fediverse
nitter.inpt.fr/elonmusk/status…

@dotsonapage
@freemo
I'm delighted by all the goodies and benefits I happened into on mine here at qoto. The starting text block is at 64K, which is huge in comparison to most, for example. The description page at https://qoto.org/about/more will give you a rundown, and I think you'll be pleased and surprised by the list of features.

Despite the recent enormous surge in activity and memberships, the server is still speedy (as is the administration). I've had zero trouble with any unpleasant characters lurking about. The management is pro-active in handling issues quickly. The underlying reason for its existence is as a science and science education instance, so there are many intelligent and well-spoken folks about.

Even though there are now over 25,000 users, the admin is reachable and responsive.

Hope you check us out!

@antares The first sitting world leader to go into space was Russian President Yuri Andropov, who flew aboard the Soyuz T-6 spacecraft in 1983. Before him, several other politicians and government officials had traveled to space, including U.S. Senators Jake Garn and John Glenn, who flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985 and 1998, respectively. However, Andropov was the first head of state to fly into space while in office.

She peeked over the edge of the bed.
"Are you still there?" she whispered.
The monsters under the bed did not reply.
"There is an elf on my shelf."
Silence.
"It watches me, and reports to Santa."
A hoarse growl came under the bed:
"Turn the light off."
She smiled.
"Thank you."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

CNN, WaPo, NYT journalists' accounts were restored. The Intercept and independent journalists were not. We've gotten the worst of it all: the criticism of being the “mainstream media” but without the backing or protection of being the “mainstream media.”

For all you lovely people who liked and boosted my fountain picture, here's another shot of it with added location.

#edinburgh #scotland #winter

Protip for the new mastodonians: don't obfuscate names or words - only hashtags work for search so you won't get troll bombed if you say Elon Musk.

Filters, however, work on anything, so those who don't want to see Elon Musk won't see this post.

But if you write El*n M*sk they WILL see it, and that might make them mad, so don't do it okay? Let people use their filters.

Today's XKCD is an extremely addictive spaceship game. I helped test it, and by "helped" I mean "found ever more unusual ways to get helplessly stuck in things"
https://xkcd.com/2712/