Casey Rollins 🔵 @realcaseyrollins@qoto.org

@realcaseyrollins

This sort of thing has been likened to evaporative cooling[1]. From a collection of particles of varying temperature, you can allow the hottest ones to escape, and the average temperature of the remaining particles will be lower even if no individual particle has cooled.

Similarly, if people aren't restricted from being hostile and insulting on a certain instance, eventually the moderates who don't like being insulted seek a less hostile environment elsewhere - but since it's not the extremists that leave, the average of the remaining members becomes more extremist. You can start with free speech and wind up with Nazis depressingly easily.

A balance has to be struck to maintain a stable community. On one hand, enough dissent must be tolerated that you're not constantly retreating from the advancing frontier of forbidden expression. On the other, you have to be willing to expel the troublemakers before they drive off your moderate members. I think @freemo and the gang are doing a pretty good job here of striking that balance.

1: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/ZQG9cwKbct2LtmL3p/evaporative-cooling-of-group-beliefs

@realcaseyrollins Being the idea originator, I have got the ball rolling.

Think it would be very useful, so I just wrote mine.

A long post, used the Discourse Forum here at Qoto.org to post it. Easier to read than a series of Toots, I can use Bold and Italics text formatting, etc.

Overall, I would rate my Instance, Qoto.org as a 4.5 Stars (out of 5).

Full reasoning here: https://discourse.qoto.org/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-rate-my-instance/130/3

It's fresh off the press. Might edit later after re-reading, if needed.

#RateMyInstance is now a thing, Add yours!

@freemo I wish Mastodon would support the html img tag directly.

Discouse does it well. Just posted a new thread there and bam, instant pic, hosted here at masto, no sweat.

https://discourse.qoto.org/t/is-there-such-a-thing-as-rate-my-instance/130

I've been teaching data structures for over 17 years and I just realized that it's spelled "enqueuing" and not "enqueueing".

@realcaseyrollins LOL... 😜

So, you got a special badge? j/k

I came along with the Indian Diaspora, it was a BBC article in early November that informed me this Mastodon thing existed.

A month and 2300 posts later, I am having great fun. 😺

@realcaseyrollins The rules here at QOTO are not as restrictive as I have seen in some instances.

One, in special, really raised my eybrows - I would not consider setting an account there and abiding by their terms.

Our own terms, though, allow for unpopular theme discussions, as long as people respect each other. It's explained in lots of detail in the About This Instance page, and our sys admin hails from USA, and values first amendment respect.

I have come across other instances that blocked me as a QOTO user from using some of their services (a very nice crossposter tool), the reason being Qoto was on their instance's blacklist as "unmoderated free speech".

I disagree with that perception, and used the crossposting tool with another account I have. Mentioned it to their sys admin by tagging him on our discussion of crossposting tools. He saw and favourited my DM about it, but no changes so far.

Back to your posts, as long as you don't disrespect other users, and stop tagging and writing to them if requested, I don't think we would have a problem here.

I have been nominated for the December Mod nomination thread, and look forward to being part of Staff here and helping people out, as I have been doing so far.

Communities are built by us, users participating and making them a nice place to visit and spend our time on. 😉

I think we have a pretty good one here, and we are not restricting entry, unlike some others I have looked at.