I mentioned this in a private message to someone recently about why a small handful of servers block qoto. I wanted to reiterate it here for the new comers on QOTO who dont know the history:
So there are some servers out there that demand every server int he network block every instance they do, and if a server doesnt block an instance they block then they block you in rettatliation.
Their reason for this is quite flawed but it goes like this.. If we federate with a bad actor instance and we boost one of their posts then their users will see it and defeat the purpose of the block. The problem is, this isnt how it actually works. If they block a server and we boost it, they wont see the boost, thats how blocks work.
The issue becomes even more complicated when you consider the fact that these servers, by virtue of their policy, have huge block lists where they block tons of major servers. So in order to satisfy them we too would have to block a huge number of servers.
This means you have a choice, you either join a server that isnt blocked, but has a huge block list themselves, or, you join a server that doesnt block and be blocked by a small handful of servers. Obviously that means on QOTO you will have bigger view of the world than you would on any of these others servers. In fact QOTO has onne of the largest federation footprints of any server in the network.
I want to also explain why we choose the decision we did. Years ago when this controversy started and servers across the fediverse started blocking there was a divide of people taking sides. WOTO was one of the few servers that didnt take sides and allowed people read content from any server (but with strict hate speech rules). This caused a huge influx of people,s pecifically from the LGBTQ community, onto our server. It turns out many people relied on us not-blocking for their physical safety. There were big name biggots (like milo yanappolus) who were on the network. They used their accounts here to watch his account for doxing so they could warn themselves and their community and protect themselves accordingly. In fact we added a feature just for them called subscriptions which allowed them to monitor accounts without following them so they could do so anonymously.
In tthe end for the safety of the LGBTQ community here we refused to engage in mass server blocking and instead encouraged our users to block servers on an individual basis and provided access to block lists for them to do so. But some really misguided servers blocked us anyway.
Thankfully the servers blocking us are few and far between and are limited to only the most excessive and aggressive block lists. As I said, QOTO has one of the largest federation footprints on the fediverse,
Strypey
in reply to π Doc Freemo :jpf: π³π± • • •This. A million times this!
I absolutely respect any server community's right to silence or defederate another server, as *they* see fit. This is a decision for their community, and their community alone. Which is precisely why I have absolutely no respect for the practice of blocking for a decision not to block. Let alone the practice of guilt-tripping and dogpiling people for making a different decision about whether to block this servers or that.
@freemo
Rokosun
in reply to π Doc Freemo :jpf: π³π± • • •Defederation can be a threat for decentralization, I'm glad there are other fediverse admins who understand this.
cc: @tio
Tio likes this.
π Doc Freemo :jpf: π³π±
Unknown parent • • •Information is power. Defederating restricts access to information as lobg as your server represents good people then defederating takes away the power from good people. The bad people can still see and comment on your posts, so you are ensuring the bad people have the power.
@futureisfoss @tio
Tio
in reply to π Doc Freemo :jpf: π³π± • •Yeah I too run a Friendica instance and I never de-federeated. This is getting old for me already, and I kept screaming about this for a while now. A bunch of admins on the fediverse act like Musk I swear. Quickly block other instances in the name of thousands or millions. Non transparent too.
I have no clue what's the issue here....I've been on the fediverse for 2 years now.....where are these trolls and idiots and nazi and child porn? I have seen none. Maybe because I carefully select who I want to follow and if anyone is a troll I block them immediately. Simple. Works great. Thus, users have a tremendous power at taking care of themselves and new tools/options can improve the situation, such as the ability to mute comments on your posts or only accept comments from your friends, or block lists that individuals can enable for themselves, and so on.
De-federation is a very primitive and destructive behavior.
like this
Dash πΈπ¬, Miguel Guhlin π¦ π΅π¦ πΊπ², João Pinheiro, π Doc Freemo :jpf: π³π±, Joseph P., Mark, Derick Florian (he/him), Radomir DarmiΕa, bit0fun, marathon, Eubie Drew (QOTO π¦£) and NotHelpfulUntilIAmπ₯€ π ποΈ like this.
reshared this
π Doc Freemo :jpf: π³π±, Dash πΈπ¬, João Pinheiro, marathon and ChemBob reshared this.
π Doc Freemo :jpf: π³π±
Unknown parent • • •we encourage our users to block, but leave it to them. We care about how they behave, what they boost, but not what they want to SEE.. I follow a few bad-actors, mostly so i can call them pieces of shit when they say things that make them pieces of shit... but that makes me a alt-right nazi i suppose, go figure.
@tio
otso
Unknown parent • • •I see that when I try to find people I know by another account
they are gone, they are not known by Fediverse
Fediverse is broken into echo chambers and bubbles
free speech is a very bad word for some people