Notices by Kevin Davidson (metalsamurai@mas.to), page 2

@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.

@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.

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

@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.

@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

@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.

@user8e8f87c @atomicpoet @fediversenews This seems much cleaner than spotting a random word in someone’s bio and letting other people opt you in. It was definitely your choice.

@sashafox @dalias @sam @atomicpoet @fediversenews It’s terrible. If it’s a real word it might be there by accident. If it’s a word shared between different search engines with different policies and you have that magic word, what’s to prevent someone *else* entering your username as permission for a search engine you don’t want to index your posts?

@obale @fediversenews
Geocities used the word “neighbourhood”, but that’s not quite right either and probably triggers negative reactions from anyone who’s encountered their neighbours on Nextdoor.
“Community” could be either like a commune or a gated community. Both are possible in an anarchic Fediverse.

@Stark9837 @obale @fediversenews Either we make up new words, which sometimes goes well and people catch on quickly, but often causes confusion. Or we reuse existing ones and deal with the baggage and people’s (wrong) expectations.
Now is probably the time to decide on language with early adopters, but we may end up with another toot/post split. Anarchy. It’s cat herding. Or followers of the holy gourd vs holy sandal.