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1. Embed this notice
   Joseph Cox (josephcox@infosec.exchange)'s status on Friday, 15-Aug-2025 09:08:37 JST Joseph Cox

   Mastodon is very clearly the social network where people try to bypass our freewall, much more than any other social network. We explain why we have this in a 3000 word article here; it's to stop AI scrapers from ripping off our work (it has been effective) and to ensure we build a sustainable business so we can continue to do impactful investigative journalism (we are doing this). This is not an issue on other networks, it is specifically Mastodon https://www.404media.co/why-404-media-needs-your-email-address/

   • Rich Felker repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     Outfrost (outfrost@mastodon.social)'s status on Friday, 15-Aug-2025 11:27:59 JST Outfrost

     in reply to

     @josephcox idk but maybe start doing it without disgusting anti-user shit like this

     Rich Felker repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     Alistair K (libroraptor@mastodon.nz)'s status on Friday, 15-Aug-2025 11:29:08 JST Alistair K

     in reply to

     • Outfrost

     @outfrost @josephcox That is the point where I stopped reading. I always stop reading when a site does that – I don't have all that much cognitive capacity, and it's quickly exhausted by visual clutter, so I walk away when disrupted by bullshit like this. Same with newsletters. I could go along with a login. But why a newsletter? And not a nice monthly or quarterly newsletter on paper in my mailbox, but daily clutter in my e-mail?

     Until that popup, I was sympathetic. Now I don't, and probably won't, know what they're on about. But I do know that they don't really care as much as they initially seemed to.

   • Embed this notice
     Epic Null (epic_null@infosec.exchange)'s status on Friday, 15-Aug-2025 11:29:31 JST Epic Null

     in reply to

     • Outfrost

     @outfrost @josephcox The worst is when it shows up in the middle of an article. Like, I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING! Also, THIS WAS NOT THE ARRANGEMENT I AGREED TO IN THE BEGINNING. If it shows up from the start, not only do I NOT get tools to bypass the freewall, but also... it feels more honest. There's no quick change in terms when I am halfway through.

   • Embed this notice
     Outfrost (outfrost@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 21-Aug-2025 02:00:51 JST Outfrost

     in reply to

     lmfao i've never been blocked faster. okay bro, good luck with your mission

   • Embed this notice
     Outfrost (outfrost@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 21-Aug-2025 02:00:51 JST Outfrost

     in reply to

     Fedi is full of people who are very concerned with privacy. You know who else Fedi is full of? People looking for good, honest work, and willing to support it financially. Reading and sharing real articles, written by real, independent journalists. Giving resources to making good things happen. These people donate money to keep their Fedi instances running, ad- and tracking-free.

     And you choose to be a dick to them? To the people most aligned with your (stated) objectives?

   • Embed this notice
     Anil Dash (anildash@me.dm)'s status on Thursday, 21-Aug-2025 02:00:51 JST Anil Dash

     in reply to

     • Outfrost

     @outfrost you called an honest effort “disgusting” and then said he was being rude?

   • Embed this notice
     Outfrost (outfrost@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 21-Aug-2025 02:00:52 JST Outfrost

     in reply to

     @josephcox also, i appreciate that you hate the AI theft and avalanche of seo garbage. Anubis exists and could help you out here quite effectively (at least for the time being)

   • Embed this notice
     Anil Dash (anildash@me.dm)'s status on Thursday, 21-Aug-2025 02:06:40 JST Anil Dash

     in reply to

     • The Turtle

     @the_turtle @josephcox any word that people use which conveys meaning is a word, hope that helps

   • Embed this notice
     The Turtle (the_turtle@mastodon.sdf.org)'s status on Thursday, 21-Aug-2025 02:06:41 JST The Turtle

     in reply to

     @josephcox you are too young to remember the "all microcomputer hackers are thieves" letter Bill Gates wrote fifty years ago.

     And you said the fucked-up non-word "impactful."

   • Embed this notice
     Tokyo Outsider (337ppm) (tokyo_0@mas.to)'s status on Thursday, 21-Aug-2025 05:58:16 JST Tokyo Outsider (337ppm)

     in reply to

     @josephcox 404media does some great work, and you're absolutely right that what's happening with AI and search is a crisis for the industry that is causing great harm.

     That said:

     1. The explainer seems to conflate asking for e-mails to halt scraping (to verify that the reader is human) with asking for e-mails to send content there directly. These are not the same.

     2. Your post seems to accuse Mastodon users of wrongdoing without anything to support the claim.

     Is there something I'm missing?

   • Embed this notice
     Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Thursday, 21-Aug-2025 06:00:32 JST Rich Felker

     in reply to

     • Tokyo Outsider (337ppm)

     @tokyo_0 Look up what these folks did to Naomi Wu. I'm glad they're doing some useful investigative reporting now rather than digging up dirt for GG types to weaponize against vulnerable people, but they are and always have been scum. The way they're attacking Mastodon's values of anonymity and not wanting to sign up for spam is a continuation of that.

     Haelwenn /элвэн/ :triskell: likes this.
   • Embed this notice
     Outfrost (outfrost@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 21-Aug-2025 13:53:33 JST Outfrost

     in reply to

     • Anil Dash

     @anildash no, that's a strawman, but i don't think you care either way

   • Embed this notice
     Anil Dash (anildash@me.dm)'s status on Thursday, 21-Aug-2025 13:53:33 JST Anil Dash

     in reply to

     • Outfrost

     @outfrost you did call their site disgusting, then acted baffled why he would block you amidst the many other folks who were being obnoxious, many of them totally in bad faith. Does that really surprise you?