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1. Embed this notice
   Scott M. Stolz (scott@authorship.studio)'s status on Friday, 16-Feb-2024 05:02:25 JST Scott M. Stolz
   I have been following and participating in discussions related to the ActivityPub / AT Protocol bridge (also known as the One-Sided Mastodon vs. Bluesky Grudge Match).
   
   There are some interesting observations:
   

   • 
     
   • Many people don't feel that their fediverse software has the tools they need to prevent harassment or spam.
     
   • Many people feel they need to depend on moderators to protect them, and don't feel empowered or able to protect themselves.
     
   • A lot of people didn't really understand what they signed up for, and become shocked and angry when they find out how federation and the fediverse-in-general actually works. Many people did not even realize that they are connected to other platforms and protocols already.
     
   • Some people don't seem to understand what public means, and that if their post is public, anyone can see it, including people they don't want to see it. They don't seem to realize that privacy by obscurity is not true privacy.
     
   • Some people are willing to stereotype millions of people as being bad just because they are on the wrong platform.
     
   • Some people are willing to collectively punish (i.e. block) millions of people, because they don't like one person involved in the project.
     
   • Some people are extremely hateful and will resort to insults and threats to try to get what they want.
     
   • A large chunk of Mastodon (and other parts of the fediverse) will wall itself off from the rest of the fediverse, for a variety of reasons, some valid, some not-so-valid.
     
   • Some people actually hope they wall themselves off, since there seems to be a lot of hostility towards "outsiders" coming from them.
     
   • There is a huge demand for fediverse software that has better privacy, access control, and moderation tools.
     
   • The existing fediverse software that has these advanced tools are not widely know.
     
   • Bluesky users don't seem to care whether there is a bridge or not, and are amused at the reaction going on over on Mastodon.
     
   • Embed this notice
     HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴 (histopol@mastodon.social)'s status on Friday, 16-Feb-2024 05:02:24 JST HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴

     in reply to

     @scott

     #Fediverse #ActivityPub and other platforms

     1) excellent summary. Provides a lot food for thought.

     2)"Some people are willing to collectively punish (i.e. block) millions of people, because they don't like one person involved in the project."

     YES, absolutely, even if it were 300 million users if this one person is #ElonMusk!
     Here is why anyone interested in #democracy should do the same, when the need arises:

     https://mastodon.social/@HistoPol/111869954872272190

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Friday, 16-Feb-2024 05:10:57 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     @scott nice summary!

   • Embed this notice
     HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴 (histopol@mastodon.social)'s status on Friday, 16-Feb-2024 07:33:18 JST HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴

     in reply to

     @scott

     "A better reason to block #Threads and #Bluesky is that you object to their policies and practices. I think that is a better stance than "I hate [insert person here]."

     I do not hate anyone, not even #Elmo.

     I am trying to fight for democracy. #Zuckerberg and also #BlueSky co-founder, #JackDorsey (under whose leadership a lot of data breaches happened*), stand for a corporatist leadership model of democracies.
     #Billionaires are 1 of the main problems today.
     *
     https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/twitter-hack-raises-questions-about-jack-dorseys-role-at-company/

   • Embed this notice
     Scott M. Stolz (scott@authorship.studio)'s status on Friday, 16-Feb-2024 07:33:21 JST Scott M. Stolz

     in reply to

     • HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴
     @HistoPol I fully support people's right to block whoever they want to block, and for any reason. It is called freedom of association.
     
     I personally don't think blocking millions of random people because of one person changes things, but I respect people's right to do so.
     
     A better reason to block Threads and Bluesky is that you object to their policies and practices. I think that is a better stance than "I hate [insert person here]."
     
     And I do understand that for some people, their hatred towards an individual is because of what that person has done. But hate is toxic. And it is better to take actions because of careful thought and consideration, rather than deep emotional rage.
     
     I am not saying any of this applies to you, personally, but I have seen individuals who do act as described. I get the impression that you are upset with Elon because of his actions. That is better than the unchained emotional rage some people have been showing.
   • Embed this notice
     HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴 (histopol@mastodon.social)'s status on Friday, 16-Feb-2024 07:59:00 JST HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴

     in reply to

     @scott

     I know you didn't, but I thought it pertinent to clarify that to the wide audience that is "listening in". ;)

   • Embed this notice
     Scott M. Stolz (scott@authorship.studio)'s status on Friday, 16-Feb-2024 07:59:02 JST Scott M. Stolz

     in reply to

     • HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴
     @HistoPol I didn't think you hated anyone. I was just commenting on how there were many people who were reacting this way.
   • Embed this notice
     kritikaPensulo (kritikapensulo@ieji.de)'s status on Sunday, 18-Feb-2024 06:55:20 JST kritikaPensulo

     in reply to

     • HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴

     @scott
     > Some people are willing to collectively punish (i.e. block) millions of people

     For me it’s a #boycott along the lines of @HistoPol’s fight for democracy. When I #boycottMicrosoft, you might call it collective punishment but it’s not really punishment. It’s refusing to support & become part of the problem. To feed a harmful force is to be part of the problem.

     Boycotts are no longer just a matter of avoiding purchases. Now that data is as good as cash, withholding data is part of it.

     HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴 repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴 (histopol@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 18-Feb-2024 07:14:36 JST HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴

     in reply to

     • kritikaPensulo

     @kritikaPensulo

     #FightTechnofeudalism by #BigTech

     (1/n)

     Thank you.
     There is much more going on regarding the global economic system as well:

     As the former economics minister of #Greece, #YanisVaroufakis phrases it, #CloudCapital has once again transformed almost all of us into mere serfs, veryy much like during medieval times.

     I am in the process of listening to his fascinating book, #Technofeudalism:

     "The world-famous #1 bestselling economist explains how #capitalism has ...
     @scott

   • Embed this notice
     Bill Statler (billstatler@forum.statler.ws)'s status on Sunday, 18-Feb-2024 07:15:29 JST Bill Statler

     in reply to

     • kritikaPensulo
     @kritikaPensulo - I get the idea of a boycott, but do you want to make your own decision on who to boycott, or do you want to outsource that decision to the administrator of your Fediverse instance? I'd rather have the tools to handle that stuff myself, because sooner or later I will disagree with an administrator's decision.
   • Embed this notice
     HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴 (histopol@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 18-Feb-2024 07:19:04 JST HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴

     in reply to

     • kritikaPensulo

     @kritikaPensulo @scott

     #FightTechnofeudalism by #BigTech

     (2/3)

     ...has been usurped by a technologically enhanced form of #feudalism [, called #TechnoFeudalism]..."

     He is not the only one and not even the first author writing on the subject:

     https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/10/what-is-technofeudalism.html

     ...but #YanisVaroufakis is well-read, is able to argue cross-functionally, and is a good storyteller, able to explain things in non-nerdy terms.

     Even though I will not agree with some of his...

   • Embed this notice
     HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴 (histopol@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 18-Feb-2024 07:20:03 JST HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴

     in reply to

     • kritikaPensulo

     @kritikaPensulo @scott

     #FightTechnofeudalism by #BigTech

     (3/3)

     ...historic claims and reductions, I find a lot of truth in his conclusions.

     Presently, it can be listened to for free here:

     https://mastodon.social/@HistoPol/111946043940294549.

   • Embed this notice
     HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴 (histopol@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 18-Feb-2024 07:31:19 JST HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴

     in reply to

     • kritikaPensulo

     @kritikaPensulo @scott

     #FightTechnofeudalism by #BigTech

     (4/4)

     ...the rising new Phoenix, #AMD, to this list. Even though these last 3 are hardware and cannot really charge a rent, as the software companies can by their subscriptions, etc.

     //

   • Embed this notice
     Scott M. Stolz (scott@authorship.studio)'s status on Saturday, 13-Apr-2024 07:12:44 JST Scott M. Stolz

     in reply to

     • kritikaPensulo
     The problem we have today is centralization of power and money. In a capitalist society, they consolidate power by creating huge mega-corporations, and by designing their school system to teach everyone how to be employees of corporations. In a communist society, they consolidate power by seizing all of the property and giving control to government bureaucrats & party leaders, and by designing their schools system to teach everyone how to be employees of state-owned enterprises.
     
     Notice that neither of them are teaching you how to empower yourself and become financially independent. Why? Because they either want you to work for the big corporations, or they want you to work for state-owned enterprises, both of which are controlled by the people at the top. They know that they can easily control and manipulate you if you don't have financial freedom.
     
     So, we have to be careful of how we react to this situation. We don't want the situation described in the song Won't Get Fooled Again by The Who. As the lyrics say: "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss."
     
     So commercial enterprises aren't necessarily bad. I'd rather see a person start their own business or side gig or cooperative than have to work for a giant corporation.
     
     For example, an artist should be able to sell the art they make. A web developer should be able to sell web design services directly to customers without having to work for someone else. A group of people should be able to create a team and start a company that has a positive impact on society. People should be able to create a cooperative or association that engages in commercial activities.
     
     So we need to be supportive of small businesses, cooperatives, employee-owned companies, public benefit corporations, associations, not-for-profits, and other smaller operations, because that is what creates wealth and gives people independence, and makes them more resistant to control and manipulation that is coming from the top.
     
     They want to keep you poor to control you. They want you to reject wealth. That way you are poor and powerless and they can easily step on you.
     
     So, I understand not wanting to support the mega-corporations, especially those who track you and treat people poorly. But just because someone wants to be compensated for their work, that is not a bad thing. After all, even employees expect to get paid for their work. Not all commercial activities are bad.
     
     CC: @HistoPol @kritikaPensulo
   • Embed this notice
     HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴 (histopol@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 13-Apr-2024 07:28:40 JST HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴

     in reply to

     @scott

     I can agree with all your points.

     If you listen to leading #economists like #RobertReich, you will come to realize that the current economic system perpetuates wealth concentration among a financial elite (#oligarchs, #plutocrats.)

     In order to achieve these goals, a lot of things need to change, policy-wise and legally:

     https://mastodon.social/@HistoPol/111892121431913587