volkris @volkris@qoto.org
I think the most pressing and fundamental problem of the day is that people lack a practically effective means of sorting out questions of fact in the larger world. We can hardly begin to discuss ways of addressing reality if we can't agree what reality even is, after all.
The institutions that have served this role in the past have dropped the ball, so the next best solution is talking to each other, particularly to those who disagree, to sort out conflicting claims.
Unfortunately, far too many actively oppose this, leaving all opposing claims untested. It's very regressive.
So that's my hobby, striving to understanding the arguments of all sides at least because it's interesting to see how mythologies are formed but also because maybe through that process we can all have our beliefs tested.
But if nothing else, social media platforms like this are chances to vent frustrations that on so many issues both sides are obviously wrong ;)
Joined Dec 2022
@clsytim I'd say the problem is that #Fediverse, and in particular the #ActivityPub protocol it's built on, didn't actually use much crypto and is more about recentralizing around instances than actually fully decentralizing.
Many of us have MAJOR criticisms of this platform, even as we appreciate that it is an improvement and has won a critical mass.
Just for example, the lack of end to end encryption built into the platform is a huge missed opportunity.
From a crypto standpoint, Fediverse is meh.
I really, really wish they had developed the system with more thought, but they didn't.
@FlohEinstein I mean, he's been releasing internal Twitter documentation showing that the site was a shitshow for years, and he's promised to end that stuff. In that, way, sure, the end of Twitter.
But I suspect this means they're about to release the internal docs that he considers to be the most scandalous.
@MrSnarkyPants Well, a funny thing is that we seem to be going into many walled gardens, with instances threatening to block each other and content posted from one instance not showing up on others.
Tricky place, the way #ActivityPub is set up and interacts with its users.
@null Seems to me the error was ever taking Twitter seriously.
@mergerson I think it's a case of the wrong tool for the job
#Mastodon is emphatically not about elevating important content above other because that involves the messiness of determining what is and isn't important.
So the answer is that Mastodon won't enable those people living in there to get real-time warnings and information about the ongoing tornado outbreak any more than a hammer will turn a screw.
That's simply not its purpose.
@protecttruth But this needs to be followed back another level.
Why are bad journalists profitable while good ones aren't?
The issue isn't that business owners give the public what they want. The issue is one of figuring out how to nudge the public into wanting better things.
Any other solution is mathematically unsustainable.
@freemo Yeah, and it looks like qoto is really leading the way on so many features. That's half of what attracted me to this instance, the other half being #UFoI. It's good work!
So count it as throwing in a feature request to have a hashtag follow button added to the search result pane UI, since it makes it so much easier to tailor the Home feed to a user's wants.
@nosherwan @thomasreggi Jack has been working on a competitor to ActivityPub based fediverse.
But no, I don't think the post made Elon upset. I think Elon shares a lot of Jack's ideas and considers them to be working in the same direction.
@joshuatopolsky Well, this is not a simple issue since one of the core features/curses in federation is diversity in ideas over of what constitutes a bad action or a bad actor :)
So there's a lot of talk, and especially a lot of drama over who gets to set standards that others must conform to, and what should happen to the nonconformists.
But the key is to appreciate that this is a messy topic that will inevitably have compromises in one area and irreconcilable differences in others.
Personally, I think it's best to empower users, as looking to server operators just gets us back to centralization.
@digital_carver Aaaah, makes sense, thanks.
Yeah, I think the convenient button is very helpful in shaping the feed content.
Not hesitating to tag @freemo , as per the about :)
One feature I don't see in the #qoto instance that I see in other instances is a quick follow button in the header of hashtag search results, to let you follow that hashtag easily.
I see the "Following hashtags" list in preferences, and I see different options for buttons in the options screen, but I don't see this one.
Am I missing that setting, or is this a feature request?
@root@onetwoseven.one @Izzod@izzodlaw.com Your server will be vacuuming up a lot of content from other people, so it remains a source for evidence even if you're the only actual user.
Be aware that being the only user isn't a total screen from law enforcement demanding to have a look.
@SETIEric Eric Holder was probably the best example of refusing to comply without consequences, and he was firmly on the other side of the aisle.
I think the most pressing and fundamental problem of the day is that people lack a practically effective means of sorting out questions of fact in the larger world. We can hardly begin to discuss ways of addressing reality if we can't agree what reality even is, after all.
The institutions that have served this role in the past have dropped the ball, so the next best solution is talking to each other, particularly to those who disagree, to sort out conflicting claims.
Unfortunately, far too many actively oppose this, leaving all opposing claims untested. It's very regressive.
So that's my hobby, striving to understanding the arguments of all sides at least because it's interesting to see how mythologies are formed but also because maybe through that process we can all have our beliefs tested.
But if nothing else, social media platforms like this are chances to vent frustrations that on so many issues both sides are obviously wrong ;)
Joined Dec 2022
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