For those of you on Fosstodon (UPDATED)

UPDATE, April 30: there are some encouraging changes happening at Fosstodon. That's good! So, I've updated this post accordingly -- and added a new reply about the Nazi bar analogy

Still, even though things are much more hopeful now than a week ago, it's still too early to know how things will work out. So here's a few thoughts for people who are on Fosstodon ...

1) let your new admins know what direction you want to see the instance moving in -- and, if you've got the time, consider offering to help!

2) if you're still considering potentially moving, now's a good time to start exploring. It really is hard to pick a compatible instance, and you'll want to take the time to scope things out. Don't feel like your next choice is necessarily your permanent new home -- you can always treat it as an interim and move again if necessary. Asking friends for recommendations is a great place to start but not bulletproof (would you have recommended fosstodon if somebody had asked you about it a month ago?) ...Resources for choosing the right fediverse instances has links to directories and instance catalogs that can help you find out more

3) You can set up new accounts on other instances without moving -- so this is a good way to explore. One option is to export the list of people you're following (on the Preferences / Import and Export tab ), and import it on your new account. Or, if you feel like you're following too many people, this can also be a good time to experiment -- either start from scratch, or edit the CSV file before importing. You'll probably also want to export-and-import your blocklists, mutelists, domain blocks, and lists if you have any. Unfortunately there isn't any way to export and import your filters, so you'll need to recreate those manually.

4) If you're planning on "migrating" your account, make sure to read Cutie City's guide to Migrating Servers and Erin Kissane's Notes From a Mastodon Migration first to avoid unpleaant surprises.

It really sucks that Mastodon migration doesn't let you move your posts, but things are getting better. Check out Posty and Slurp

5) if you're up for having your own instance, it's really worth checking out GoToSocial. My experience with gotosocial.thenexus.today: setup and configuration were straightforward and well-documented, and upgrades have been smooth. There are also hosted options available. And, Slurp works really well with GoToSocial! If you decide to stay on Fosstodon, you can either keep it around as a secondary account ... or just view it as an interesting experiment and delete it.

#fosstodon #fediverse

@thenexusofprivacy It is unfortunate that the Fosstodon thing is happening while there continues to be no way to migrate posts to a new instance.

My first account was yoasif@fosstodon.org -- but I quickly migrated when I found that Mastodon data portability didn't include posts.

I'd much rather be on an instance that has mass appeal and is unlikely to be blocked - even with bad moderators.

The promise of federation is only partially achieved when lacking a way to migrate your own content.

@thenexusofprivacy It is unfortunate that the Fosstodon thing is happening while there continues to be no way to migrate posts to a new instance.

My first account was yoasif@fosstodon.org -- but I quickly migrated when I found that Mastodon data portability didn't include posts.

I'd much rather be on an instance that has mass appeal and is unlikely to be blocked - even with bad moderators.

The promise of federation is only partially achieved when lacking a way to migrate your own content.

@yoasif yeah totally agree about how much of a problem it is that there isn't a great way to migrate content. Slurp and Postly are useful but people have been asking Mastodon to support for post migration for years and it hasn't happened yet.

It cracks me up when Cory Doctorow talks about how Mastodon has "credible exit" because you can move 90% of your social graph most of the time. I mean yes it's better than not being to move any of your social graph but "credible exit" it's not.

@thenexusofprivacy @yoasif
@tokyo_0 has a post migrator.

Mastodon Content Mover was pioneering work here but I'm not sure it's at a stage where it make sense to recommend it to people.

@philsherry @yoasif @tokyo_0

@yoasif @thenexusofprivacy you'd be surprised how many instances have mastodon.social blocked... My instance has you limited

@thenexusofprivacy @philsherry @yoasif It is and you know it. And that you're willing to lie about technology that would allow people to move their content simply because we fell out, Jon, is a good example of why we fell out in the first place. I hear things aren't going to smoothly at IFTAS, btw.

@moanos @thenexusofprivacy That is unfortunate - I suppose the only way out is to self host, so only my own reputation is what is moderated.

At that point, I'm not sure how much I care, unfortunately. Perhaps the answer is some kind of bridge, like what exists for Bluesky.

@thenexusofprivacy @philsherry @yoasif It is and you know it. And that you're willing to lie about technology that would allow people to move their content simply because we fell out, Jon, is a good example of why we fell out in the first place. I hear things aren't going to smoothly at IFTAS, btw.

Here's what I said fifteen months ago:

"Tokyo Outsider's Mastodon Content Mover, while currently still at an early stage, highlights the progress a single independent enthusiast can make. "

That's similar to my comment in this thread that you did some pioneering work. Which you certainly deserve credit for! But that's not the same as recommending people use it.

Like I say, if it's made progress since then I'm happy to recommend it. For that matter, if you thnk it's currently useful enough that you want me to add something to my post mentioning it (while also noting its limitations), I'm happy do that as well.

@tokyo_0 @philsherry @yoasif

@thenexusofprivacy I'm not asking you to recommend it, Jon. I'm asking you not to lie about it when other people recommend it. If it was operational enough for you to link to it twice over a year ago, it's operational enough that you don't need to go out of your way to warn people away from it now. And that you're twisting a cautionary note posted on the page in good faith to make sure people are aware the tool is fallible only underscores what I'm saying here.
@philsherry @yoasif

@thenexusofprivacy And stop manipulating the thread by replying to earlier posts to try to hide information that isn't convenient to you.

https://mas.to/@tokyo_0/114420148777741378

@philsherry @yoasif

For those of you on Fosstodon (UPDATED)

UPDATE, April 30: there are some encouraging changes happening at Fosstodon. That's good! So, I've updated this post accordingly -- and added a new reply about the Nazi bar analogy

Still, even though things are much more hopeful now than a week ago, it's still too early to know how things will work out. So here's a few thoughts for people who are on Fosstodon ...

1) let your new admins know what direction you want to see the instance moving in -- and, if you've got the time, consider offering to help!

2) if you're still considering potentially moving, now's a good time to start exploring. It really is hard to pick a compatible instance, and you'll want to take the time to scope things out. Don't feel like your next choice is necessarily your permanent new home -- you can always treat it as an interim and move again if necessary. Asking friends for recommendations is a great place to start but not bulletproof (would you have recommended fosstodon if somebody had asked you about it a month ago?) ...Resources for choosing the right fediverse instances has links to directories and instance catalogs that can help you find out more

3) You can set up new accounts on other instances without moving -- so this is a good way to explore. One option is to export the list of people you're following (on the Preferences / Import and Export tab ), and import it on your new account. Or, if you feel like you're following too many people, this can also be a good time to experiment -- either start from scratch, or edit the CSV file before importing. You'll probably also want to export-and-import your blocklists, mutelists, domain blocks, and lists if you have any. Unfortunately there isn't any way to export and import your filters, so you'll need to recreate those manually.

4) If you're planning on "migrating" your account, make sure to read Cutie City's guide to Migrating Servers and Erin Kissane's Notes From a Mastodon Migration first to avoid unpleaant surprises.

It really sucks that Mastodon migration doesn't let you move your posts, but things are getting better. Check out Posty and Slurp

5) if you're up for having your own instance, it's really worth checking out GoToSocial. My experience with gotosocial.thenexus.today: setup and configuration were straightforward and well-documented, and upgrades have been smooth. There are also hosted options available. And, Slurp works really well with GoToSocial! If you decide to stay on Fosstodon, you can either keep it around as a secondary account ... or just view it as an interesting experiment and delete it.

#fosstodon #fediverse

There's been a lot of talk about Fosstodon as a "Nazi bar". If you haven't heard the analogy and the story behind it before, here's a good discussion.

The point of the analogy is that (at least initially) most of the people in the bar aren't Nazis. But once you let Nazis -- or fascists, or white supremacists, or anti-trans bigots -- in, it becomes a place where Nazis know they're accepted, and it goes down that path. How to Radicalize a Normie talks about how once fash get a toehold in a community they recruit and radicalize others ... and that's exactly how they've operated in the punk scene.

OK, maybe Fosstodon's now-former moderator wasn't an actually card-carrying Nazi. But his views were anti-immigrant, white supremacist, authoritarian, hostile to free speech, and anti-LGBTQ+ ... so, close enough.

And by the way it's not just this latest incident. Remember a couple of years ago when Fosstodon reprimanded a membr for referring to a Nazi as a Nazi? If I recall correctly, the person who was being referred to had even been legally convicted of being a Nazi! But it was still considered hate speech by the moderators at the time.

The good news is that it's not an irrevocable path. Continuing the analogy, the bar now has new management, and there are lots of people there who don't want it to be a Nazi bar. It's harder to push fascists out after they've gotten a toehold, but it can certainly be done -- I've hung out at punk bars that have told Nazi punks to fuck off, and talked with organizers in small towns in Washington who pushed the Aryan Nation out when they were on the verge of taking control back in the 1990s.

So Fosstodon's new management has a great opportunity to work with the people there -- and elsewhere on the Fediverse -- who don't want Fosstodon to be a Nazi bar. Let's hope they pull it off!

#fosstodon

@thenexusofprivacy someone let me know if they fix anything; I've already blocked federation.