Notices by Aris Merquoni (aris_tgd@mastodon.sandwich.net)

@inthehands Aw, Susan Collins got me the tackiest possible 40th Bday gift. Thanks, senator!

@metrogn0me_gr @TechConnectify "Abuse worse than twitter" has been the experience of Black users on this site, from the reports I've seen--the problem is that it's diffuse abuse from sources most people can't see (because of federation) and moderators can only do a little about (you can't kick someone off an instance you don't control.)

@Weirdaholic @metrogn0me_gr @TechConnectify There are things that an instance moderator can do and things that an individual user can do, but they are less effective against a diffuse or persistent campaign of abuse (or both.)

There's also a lot of gaslighting where people talk about abuse and everyone who doesn't see it goes "Really? Are you sure it's that bad?"

@metrogn0me_gr @Weirdaholic @TechConnectify this is why I mentioned that people are working on these problems, but those systems are not in place now, and people's livelihoods depend on having them. If one system doesn't provide them, people will look elsewhere.

The answer to why people are using social media networks other than Mastodon is that their needs aren't getting met here and they don't have time to wait.

@TechConnectify I've written some similar thoughts, but I agree with most of this. Mastodon was created with "safety in obscurity" as one of its primary goals, which makes un-obscuring for reach and moderation more difficult.

There are some people working on solutions to some of these problems, and some things have improved (search, community moderation,) but there are many issues remaining at present.

@siege it's a testament to the power of that ending that I have a photographic memory and saw the show twice in theaters and didn't remember that was how it ended until you told me.

@siege as a former hot bisexual/heteroflexible woman who had a lot of threesomes my usual up front requirement was "I'm friends with one or both of you and have probably slept with at least one of you before"

But I mean, that's a different sport entirely