Turns out I've been trying to go to Mastodon.blue, and not hackers.town.

@LWFlouisa you didnt know this account was hackers.town all this time you've been posting?

@freemo No I knew, it's just that sometimes i still subconsciously try to go to my first Mastodon instance.

@LWFlouisa I think id be more likely to be a red instance guy than a blue if i had to choose. Though I'd rather be on an instance with rules like a red instance but with the concern for others that neither instance type
tends to have.

@freemo That reminds me, am I the only one getting the impression Jimmy Dore doesn't really understand Libertarianism?

I looked up before how Tea Part, for example, while it started out as a version of libertarian, because infiltrated by the far right.

@LWFlouisa Most democrats and republicans who are extremely loyal to their party have little understand of other views. Just the nature of party loyalty i guess.

@freemo I find it difficult to be loyal in either direction. So often I find myself inclined to say "Well it depends" on some hardcore ideologies. In either direction.

@LWFlouisa I think thats the better way to be.

@freemo What is the difference between red and blue instances?

(I'm on a Black instance at the moment, literally.)

@LWFlouisa Blue means censorship. You must follow (usually) strict social standards for interaction and if your views tend to be too distateful for people on an instance you will quickly get banned. Usually all you'd have to do is post a political meme that is pro conservative or critical of the left in any way and a blue instance will quickly ban you in my expiernce.

Red instances are free speech zones and tend to only ban people who are excessively disruptive if they ban people at all.

It is terms for PC vs free speech instances.

@freemo Ah Red seems to be the way to go.

I may be a Left Libertarian, but sometimes you need a bit of Right to keep things in balance.

@LWFlouisa Red can be a bit much for some too. They can also go the extreme on free speech and even be ok with flat out racism in some cases. Other red instances are more balanced though, just as some blue instances can be more moderate.

I ru a red instance in the sense that we are a free speech zone. But we do have some basic rules (like you cant change accounts just to circumvent personal blocks).

@freemo Well like if I did a Mastodon instance, I don't think its possible, but if it were I wouldn't personally federate with say ... Diaspora.

@LWFlouisa I federate with everything but I do silence a few instances temporarily for language reasons.

@freemo Well like when I think of free speech, what comes to mind isn't slander, libel, or defamation, that sort of thing.

@LWFlouisa True, but you can be a racist and not do any of those things.

@freemo Absolutely, and to me racism isn't covered by free speech.

(Can you tell I'm sick of Diaspora?)

@LWFlouisa I would argue that racism should absolutely be covered by free speech. But only so long as it isnt a "call to action". With that said I don't feel it should be accepted socially.

@freemo I think where my feelings are mixed: there has been situation on Wattpad, where users were called racist, simply because they said they ate Chinese food.

(I wish I were kidding. A lot of the staff seems to be very young adults.)

@LWFlouisa yea well that happens a lot fromt he left. But its not even just about that, its about the fact that no one should have the right to mak
e that call. The free expression of ideas, no matter how distasteful, should always be protected. It just doesnt mean people need to listen to you.

@freemo And that's assuming I'm even understanding what left and right mean.

@freemo Free love and enigma machines, that's sort of my mantra. Teach cryptography from grade school onwards, as part of standard caricula.

@LWFlouisa My instance, QOTO, stands for "Question Others, Teach Others"

@freemo Are instances themed based on people's interests?

@LWFlouisa Many are, some are general instances, others are based on location.

@freemo I'm kind of wishy washy about trying one geared toward sociolinguistics.

Studying how language changes is a real interest of mine, and sometimes overlaps with my interest in cryptography.

@LWFlouisa I never pick instances based on themes because i can interact with the instance if im on it or not. For me I only pick instances based on moderation policy and features offered.

@freemo I guess that's the best approach.

@freemo This particular place called tootcafe basically suspends instances simply for being free speech zones. Yikes, avoiding that one.

@LWFlouisa A lot of blue instances are that way. I've had several moderators contact me about my instance and considering banning me just based on our policies. Even though we never have had anyone being even remotely hateful. I must get blocked or baned atleast once a day just from some ignorant prejudice person.