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   Alexandre Oliva (lxo@gnusocial.net)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Dec-2022 02:58:39 JST Alexandre Oliva

   in reply to

   • Hoppmester Fønvind Snublebluss
   can you tell me more about threading features available in the various fediverse programs? I use GNU social, that groups messages nicely in threads, but I've heard conflicting claims about mastodon support for them. I've also noticed replies from other programs appearing to me in the same thread, or as separate posts, by the same users using the same replying commands. I'm quite puzzled, and you seem knowledgeable in the topic. can you help? thanks in advance,
   (I considered subtooting to avoid hijacking the thread, but I thought illustrating the thread with the incompatibilities you know about would add strength to your request, so I went for a regular reply; please subtoot your response if you think otherwise)
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     Hoppmester Fønvind Snublebluss (mikka@medic.cafe)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Dec-2022 02:58:40 JST Hoppmester Fønvind Snublebluss

     Dear fellow fediverse netizen.

     If you find yourself more than once every six months needing a "thread" kind of function, meaning you want to write more than the standard 500 chars your instance gives you, please do yourself, us, and the fediverse at large a favor and find an instance that does not use those outdated, arbitrary, and artificial character restrictions.

     The fediverse was built, largely, to transport all manners of media. The "Note" type can, technically, do much more than 500 chars, but should not ever have line breaks. That's what "Article" is for. Now, someone (cough, cough) thought it'd be cute to look like the Birdsite and used an impulsive limit to 500 chars while going against the standard and using the Note type.

     That bell can't be unrung. But the moronic character limits can. Many instances give you more than 500 chars, use them. Threads in the fediverse don't work well. The Birdsite, historically an SMS service, thus the 140 chars, at least displays such threads in a somewhat legible manner. Many instances on the fediverse won't. Even if the very same mind that cursed one instance software with that idiotic 500 char limitation, would implement something to that effect, nine out of ten instance softwares won't.

     Just write more. Find a place that does not infantilize you down to a guppy brain caveman conversation. Or, well, stay with those short grunts. But don't thread. Please.