commit: c521f51e308065441a98ab8e8216d7d03b51c7ae
parent ea1b0a3fd2f3e280289280b225120c71bda93b72
Author: Drew DeVault <sir@cmpwn.com>
Date: Sat, 9 Jul 2022 12:44:48 +0200
Fediverse toxicity
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+---
+title: The Fediverse can be pretty toxic
+date: 2022-07-09
+---
+
+Mastodon, inspired by GNU social, together with Pleroma, forms the most popular
+components of what we know as the "Fediverse" today. All of them are, in
+essence, federated, free software Twitter clones, interoperable with each other
+via the ActivityPub protocol.
+
+In many respects, the Fediverse is a liberating force for good. Its federated
+design distributes governance and costs across many independent entities,
+something I view as a very strong design choice. Its moderation tools also do a
+pretty good job of keeping neo-nazis out of your feeds and providing a
+comfortable space to express yourself in, especially if your form of expression
+is maligned by society. Large groups of Fediverse members have found in it a
+home for self-expression which is denied to them elsewhere on the basis of their
+sexuality, gender expression, politics, or other characteristics. It's also
+essentially entirely free from commercial propaganda.
+
+But it's still just a Twitter clone, and many of the social and psychological
+ills which come with that are present in the Fediverse. It's a feed of other
+people's random thoughts, often unfiltered, presented to you without value
+judgement — even when a value judgement may be wise. Features like
+boosting and liking posts, chasing after follower counts and mini-influencers,
+these rig up dopamine reinforcement like any other social network does. The
+increased character limit does not really help; most posts are pretty short and
+no one wants to read an essay aggressively word-wrapped in a narrow column.
+
+The Fediverse is an environment optimized for flame wars. Arguments in this
+medium are held under these constraints, in public, with the peanut gallery of
+followers from either side stepping in and out to reinforce their position and
+flame the opponents. Progress is measured in gains of ideological territory and
+in the rising and falling swells of participants dotting their comments
+throughout huge threads. You are not just arguing your position, but performing
+it to your audience, and to your opponent's audience.
+
+Social networks are not good for you. The Fediverse brought out the worst in me,
+and it can bring out the worst in you, too. The behaviors it encourages are
+plainly defined as harassment, a behavior which is not unique to any ideological
+condition. People get hurt on the Fediverse. Keep that in mind. Consider taking
+a look in the mirror and asking yourself if your relationship with the platform
+is healthy for you and for the people around you.
