@ducheng
It's particularly insideous because I can no longer trust Fediverse applications to provide a neutral social media network. The application authors feel entitled to "speak for me" through their software, whilst using my platform's voice. Completely dishonest.

If the banner said "don't kill kittens", it would still be dishonest, because it would imply to users that the server admin actively holds that believe. Forwarding a statement from WHO implies I read it enough to know, understand, and believe it is good advice.

I will review what WHO has to say, when I want, and I'll post an announcement if I deem it necessary on *my* platform. I trust you to write code, not editorial stances.

And banners are bloody annoying.

@torresjrjr @ducheng which frontend is this? Mastodon FE?

@NEETzsche @ducheng @torresjrjr Pixelfed?

@NEETzsche @ducheng @torresjrjr looks like Pixelfed allows admins to set their own covid disclaimer to whatever they want, it doesn't have to be WHO page

@mkljczk @ducheng @torresjrjr This code has been around since June 28 when it was committed: https://github.com/pixelfed/pixelfed/commit/f2fb64ecd4b76a3c3ab406e40baca8947eb41ec2

See lines 64 to 74. The message is hardcoded into pixelfed.

@NEETzsche @ducheng @torresjrjr the message itself is hardcoded, but it doesn't have to link to WHO.

@mkljczk @ducheng @torresjrjr Sure, but this kind of hardcoding really doesn’t bode well for pixelfed in the long run. It would be like hardcoding 9/11 shit into a codebase in 2003

@NEETzsche @mkljczk @ducheng
I had voice my concern ages ago.

https://qoto.org/@torresjrjr/105640058318465539

I also remember writing a draft reply to a toot he promptly deleted, though I can't remember what he said, nor prove that that happened.

@torresjrjr

I'd be against this as well, but being optional I would personally give it a pass from a "do i want to host this software" standpoint.

@NEETzsche @mkljczk @ducheng

@freemo @NEETzsche @mkljczk @ducheng
I'm sad to hear that. I would have wanted my fedi admin to have stronger convictions against slippery slopes like this. Surely do I have to go through the laundry list of "optional" things that have enable the "embrace, extend, and extinguish" of many of our beloved libre technologies?

@torresjrjr

I mean, its not like the **user** needs to go through anything. A server admin is expected to configure the server when it is first deployed. I would hope a responsible admin would turn this off. What is or isnot default in the configuration process for the admin, a one-time thing that doesnt effect the users, is not a huge issue for me.

I have strong enough convictions to turn off the feature should I run such a server. That should be good enough for you as a user (as it doesnt effect you).. if not, so be it.

@NEETzsche @mkljczk @ducheng

@freemo @NEETzsche @mkljczk @ducheng

Would you give the same attitude to a default installation of OpenSSH preconfigured to, say, enable login to root?

I would further hope a reasonable OpenSSH developer would not enable that in the first place. Software is an inherently collaborative endeavour, which requires trust across many domains.

@torresjrjr

Yea I have no problem with that being the default so long as I can configure to change it. I might think its a poor choice of a default (as I do in this case), but I wouldnt start a fuss over it or particularly care, I just turn it off.

@NEETzsche @mkljczk @ducheng

@freemo @NEETzsche @mkljczk @ducheng

I care