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   Kevin Davidson (metalsamurai@mas.to)'s status on Sunday, 26-Feb-2023 13:30:50 JST Kevin Davidson

   • Chris Trottier
   • Rich Felker
   • sam

   @sashafox @dalias @sam @atomicpoet @fediversenews Their current scheme relies on common dictionary words that might legitimately be present in a bio and then allow any random internet user to opt them in.
   Something else, such as choosing to follow a trigger account is more intentional and harder to spoof.

   • Embed this notice
     Kevin Davidson (metalsamurai@mas.to)'s status on Sunday, 26-Feb-2023 13:31:25 JST Kevin Davidson

     in reply to

     • Chris Trottier
     • Rich Felker
     • sam

     @sashafox @dalias @sam @atomicpoet @fediversenews What happens when @MothLover123 “I run the world’s biggest searchable index of moth wings!” is “opted in” by @CreepyStalker456? Do they get a notification?
     Much cleaner if @IndexMeNowBaby has to follow @RifleThroughMyToots

   • Embed this notice
     Kevin Davidson (metalsamurai@mas.to)'s status on Sunday, 26-Feb-2023 13:31:37 JST Kevin Davidson

     in reply to

     • Chris Trottier
     • Rich Felker
     • sam

     @sashafox @dalias @sam @atomicpoet @fediversenews Also there are nearly 10mn Mastodon users (plus probably dozens and dozens of Pleroma/Friendica/Wildebeest users). The odds of @BrassInstrumentCollector987 not having “Known as the Tootfinder General to my friends” in their bio is non zero. This whole scheme is flawed.

   • Embed this notice
     Kevin Davidson (metalsamurai@mas.to)'s status on Sunday, 26-Feb-2023 13:31:38 JST Kevin Davidson

     in reply to

     • Chris Trottier
     • Rich Felker
     • sam

     @sashafox @dalias @sam @atomicpoet @fediversenews (the same goes for @MyCatTypesForMe not having flurj +£magic in their bio)

   • Embed this notice
     Codex ☯️♈☮ (codexarcanum@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 26-Feb-2023 13:31:52 JST Codex ☯️♈☮

     in reply to

     • Chris Trottier
     • Rich Felker
     • sam

     @MetalSamurai
     @sashafox @dalias @sam @atomicpoet @fediversenews

     Probably should be reiterated any time these threads get too deep into the rabbit hole is that creeps and stalkers don't ask and don't respect any system of opting in or out. If they can see your posts, they can and will index them.

     Any argument that relies on "what would a stalker do" is flawed. They won't do anything you expect of them, they don't ask.

   • Embed this notice
     Kevin Davidson (metalsamurai@mas.to)'s status on Sunday, 26-Feb-2023 13:31:58 JST Kevin Davidson

     in reply to

     • Chris Trottier
     • Rich Felker
     • Codex ☯️♈☮
     • sam

     @CodexArcanum @sashafox @dalias @sam @atomicpoet @fediversenews I am using hyperbole to highlight deficiencies in this particular “opt in” scheme.
     Obviously Google exists and does not honour any such opt in/out mechanism.

   • Embed this notice
     Kevin Davidson (metalsamurai@mas.to)'s status on Sunday, 26-Feb-2023 13:32:02 JST Kevin Davidson

     in reply to

     • Chris Trottier
     • Rich Felker
     • Codex ☯️♈☮
     • sam

     @CodexArcanum @sashafox @dalias @sam @atomicpoet @fediversenews Also, consider @ForgetfulUser123 wants their posts indexed by @EthicalMemoryIndexer99 and sacrifices some characters in their bio to put in the magic sequence, but @FratBoyTrollXX enters their username for @SketchyMarketingDB. The CEO of Sketchy can insist that all the usual checks were made and Forgetful loved the attention, but forgot.

   • Embed this notice
     Simon Lucy (simon_lucy@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 26-Feb-2023 13:32:04 JST Simon Lucy

     in reply to

     • Chris Trottier
     • Rich Felker
     • Codex ☯️♈☮
     • sam

     @CodexArcanum @MetalSamurai @sashafox @dalias @sam @atomicpoet @fediversenews

     So there should be no local feed and no global feed?

   • Embed this notice
     Codex ☯️♈☮ (codexarcanum@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 26-Feb-2023 13:32:24 JST Codex ☯️♈☮

     in reply to

     • Chris Trottier
     • Simon Lucy

     @simon_lucy @atomicpoet @fediversenews

     That's not what I'm saying, can't speak for others. Fediblocks work. I'm not saying that every CHUDs homebrewed stalker-search is as good as a big centralized public search hub. A search tool for general use does need to respect privacy and requests for removing items, so that it doesnt become a tool for generalized harassment.

     This is like the gun control debate. You *cannot* prevent all illegal guns, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't regulate them.

   • Embed this notice
     Simon Lucy (simon_lucy@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 26-Feb-2023 13:33:20 JST Simon Lucy

     in reply to

     • Chris Trottier
     • Codex ☯️♈☮

     @CodexArcanum @atomicpoet @fediversenews

     You want a sieve with narrower holes?
     In many ways a narrower index will be more biased or partial and in the end more harmful than just a general full text index of public content.