@oliphant
@HistoPol @snarfed
@snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @fedidevs @fediversenews @chronohart @activitypubblueskybridge
I’m wondering if that means there may be a functional difference between blocking the bridge vs adding the #nobridge tag?
@oliphant
@HistoPol @snarfed
@snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @fedidevs @fediversenews @chronohart @activitypubblueskybridge
I’m wondering if that means there may be a functional difference between blocking the bridge vs adding the #nobridge tag?
@jamie @snarfed.org @oliphant @HistoPol @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed a boost in this case will operate the same as with normal ActivityPub, in which case the block should remain honored. It’ll be the exact same as someone boosting your post and whether someone you blocked on AP can see that post.
I’ll note however that the bridge should not be a concern if you’re worried about that, instead you should be concerned of the thousands of instances like mine (Friendica and Hubzilla) that will natively support Bluesky. If we boost your post, then it’ll be copied over to Bluesky with no actual connection to you in the network, so your blocks will not apply and you will have no control over the post afterwards.
@shiri
“…Friendica and Hubzilla) that will natively support Bluesky. If we boost your post, then it’ll be copied over to Bluesky with no actual connection to you in the network,…”
Besser another question, as so far, I had been in favor of #Friendica;
Does this mean if I were 2 use these 2 platforms, I could never prevent my posts / content from being seen on #Elmo’s PayPal platform?!?
Or is there really no difference?
@jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed
@HistoPol @jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed The gist is that if you want to prevent your posts from being shared outside of screenshots and quote-posts (where the contents of the post are just copied) the only option is to join a whitelist-only server.
These are servers that federate only with explicitly approved servers, ie. if someone tries to connect from any instance not on that list they’re blocked by default.
That’s kinda the root of the argument here where a great many people have a false assumption that the fediverse is about control of your data when it is quite the opposite. It’s like trying to protect your art from being used by others… by marking it Creative Commons.
The entire design of all federated systems is around open sharing, you can only get control over how your posts spread in a closed system with little or no federation.
As far as whether or not you use those platforms, my example was regardless of whether you’re a user.
My server federates across multiple different protocols, if I boost your post then your post is probably being made available to multiple different networks automatically.
The protections and control involved in federated networks is not in how your data is shared, but in how your access is controlled.
In the fediverse you don’t have to worry about a bad admin blocking your access to everyone you know, you can freely move accounts between instances. If you piss of Elon for instance, you’re cut off from Twitter and everyone on it… full stop… but if you piss off your instance admin, you just move instances and can still connect with everyone.
It’s also control over your experience in that you’re not relying purely on what their algorithms think you should see. If the instance your on has an algorithm set up that you don’t like, then you can move instances to one that has the algorithm you like.
You also have protections against enshittification (the process by which those other networks will draw you in with great features, and then once you’re locked in slowly shut down or degrade those features). If features that are important to you start getting shut down on your server… you can move to one that keeps them. If a platform developer does it, another developer can fork the project to keep those features alive.
You also have choice in terms of clients and experiences. You’re using Mastodon and I’m on Friendica (I know your instance type because Friendica shows me a little icon beside posts). I vastly prefer the Friendica experience, and I have the choice to use that. And I can use that without forcing you to use the same interface.
@shiri @jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed
(1/n)
I think I owe you a quick #INTRO, as I have not been in contact with you before, so you might better understand my concerns.
I am a political commentator, as well as an activist. This is why I cannot remain silent:
This is a global super-election year. #Democracy is up for grabs in about 50 countries.1)–This is how the billionaires and the #autocrats like #Putin and #Xi see it, or how #YoelRoth…
@shiri @jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed
(2/n)
…former head of #Twitter’s Trust and Security department, might have phrased it. 2)
We have all seen what has happened to #Twitter. What many still don’t know, is why he is supposedly burning a lot of money with the purchase: 3).
#Musk and his #TESCREAL 4) adherents from Silicon Valley are vying for world domination. #Elmo already is the world’s most…
@shiri @jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed
(3/n)
…influential fascist, just considering his market power regarding #SpaceX 5) and the “voice” he has as #X owner. By turning off his #StarLink service in #Crimea, he has successfully prevented potentially victorious strikes by #Ukraine against #Russia’s invasion force.
But they are not the only #billionaire group vying for even more power. The most…
@shiri @jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed
(4/n)
… successful has so far been the #FederalistSociety in conjunction with the #CenterForNationalPolicy (#CNP), among whose major feats are putting #Trump in the #WhiteHouse and hijacking the #US #SupremeCourt. 6)
#Autocrats like #Putin and #Xi trying to gain influence through military and economic means are the other group of people trying to destroy #Western #democracies by disseminating…
@shiri @jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed
(5/n)
… #disinformation and carrying out #CyberWarfare.
And, last but not least, another, even more dangerous #PayPal of #Elmo, #PeterThiel, is enabling governments around the globe to get rid of opponents. The dangerous spyware he owns, #Palantir, is being used e.g. to hunt down investigative journalists in #SouthAmerica 8) and elsewhere 7) and for #discriminatory…
@shiri @jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed
(6/n)
…#PredictivePolicing. 8)
*2024 certainly isn’t the year to remain silent:*
#Poland lost and regained its democracy twice already.
The *US* might lose it to a ruthless autocrat in 2025.
And #Ukraine is fighting tooth and nail for its #democracy.
//
FOOTNOTES:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/12/2024-elections-around-world/
https://mastodon.social/@HistoPol/111086529042597457
https://mastodon.social/@HistoPol/110079043525873237
https://mastodon.social/@HistoPol/110565890923413442
…
@HistoPol
For someone like you, you would probably want to post publicly, to as many platforms and protocols as you can, so you reach a wider audience. But you would need to choose a platform with better permissions and moderation tools.
For example, you would want to control who can comment on your posts and be able to delete comments that are toxic. Mastodon does not have this capability, but most platforms that have threaded conversations give you that ability.
@scott
" But you would need to choose a platform with better permissions and moderation tools.
For example, you would want to control who can comment on your posts and be able to delete comments that are toxic. "
Very true.
However, I have a very strick block policy and in 98% of cases, the threat of using it, helps.
I always wonder a little bit what happens, after I block s.o.
My understanding is, that his/her posts remain, but we cannot see each others posts anymore (counter-block, mostly)
@activitypubblueskybridge
AP-AT-BridgeGroup
Very interesting, how is it possible that you boosted my #Intro thread, even though I have #NoBridge in my bio and am not even a member of your group?!?
@shiri @jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed
It’s because that’s not the bridge, that’s a Friendica group about working on such bridges. Friendica supports group accounts that you post to by tagging the group.
Group accounts work by boosting every post that tags them.
The initial post was made to the Fediverse News, Fediverse Developer Discussion, and AP-AT-Bridge Group groups, which is why you’ll see them boosting almost every comment throughout this entire thread. Anyone who didn’t explicitly removed them from the references is posting to that group as well.
The bridge will not appear as a single account. The bridge will translate accounts through it, so if I made an account named Shiri on the official bluesky server, then followed you through the bridge you would see a follow request from shiri:bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy (name formatting probably will differ slightly), likewise that would be the name that would appear for everything I do through the bridge with your account.
If you wanted to block my specific bluesky account from accessing your account, you could block it as normal and it’ll work just the same as it always has.
With # NoBridge in your bio, when I go to look up your account through the bridge I either won’t get anything at all as if you don’t exist or it’ll tell me that you’ve opted out of the bridge.
@HistoPol @jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed
@shiri
Thanks for the explanation, Shiri.
I pay attention to such thinks, but even with hindsight, I do not see such a group reference.
On #Mastodon, groups are also possible, but I forgot how to use them, as I used them so little.
@jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed
@shiri
#Bluesky #Block
Very concerning, indeed.
How would I go about this?
Would I need to block any and all friendica and hubzillla instances?
“you should be concerned of the thousands of instances like mine (Friendica and Hubzilla) …boost your post, then it’ll be copied over to Bluesky with no actual connection to you in the network, so your blocks will not apply and you will have no control over the post afterwards.”
@jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed
@HistoPol It is my understanding that boosts won’t be passed on if you block the bridge or add
#nobridgeto your profile because the boost still has you as the original author. This would be true no matter which software a person is using.But if someone quotes you (on any platform, not just the ones mentioned) or takes a screenshot of your post, that would not be blocked. And people can do that now without the bridge. Windows comes with software that allows people to take screenshots. So do phones. And most other fediverse platforms other than Mastodon allow quoting.
The fediverse has over 100 different projects and multiple protocols already connected to it. If you are concerned that people will quote you or boost you on other networks, you might want to consider a whitelist servers where you only allow approved Mastodon instances.
With or without the Bluesky bridge, you are about to be outnumbered by Threads, WordPress, and other projects coming online. ActivityPub is an open network, after all. Always has been.
But the nice thing is that you can control who you connect with by blocking or whitelisting. In your case, being on a whitelist server would probably address your concerns.
@scott
Thanks a lot, Scott.
I am aware of several of these things. A friend of mine, https://stefanbohacek.online/@stefan, created https://jointhefediverse.net to remedy this lack of undesirable for newbies and no-nerds.
I know what #whitelisting is general, but how would I go about this on #Mastodon?
The whitelist, if I don’t want to do everything manually (no-go,) would need to be “intelligent” and able to discern the platform s.o. is using for his handle…
I can live with the screenshot issue.
@HistoPol
I don’t use Mastodon, so I don’t know for sure. Some people have mentioned that there is a whitelist mode that is called “limited federation mode” or something like that. The admin would have to turn that on since it is for the whole instance.
If you don’t want to use whitelist mode, people have been talking about blocklists that can be imported into Mastodon. I am not familiar with how they work. Maybe someone who uses Mastodon could answer this one?
@scott In short, it’s just like blocking one-by-one but as batch-action. Admins can also block domains using wildcards, I think.
However, either would not work to block specific software. You would indeed have to use an instance in limited federation mode, where each connection is checked one-by-one, to avoid federating with Friendica and Hubzilla instances that could copy your posts over to other protocols.
@Qazm There are other options, like using a platform that has privacy, access lists, permissions, and better moderation tools. Mastodon only has block lists, which limits user’s control over their own posts.
For example, on Mastodon you can block someone so you can’t see their posts, but you can’t stop them from replying to posts they have already seen. On Hubzilla, you can actually turn off commenting on your posts so no one can reply or so that specific people can’t reply, and can even delete other people’s replies to your thread. You control the conversation in your thread. You can’t do that on platforms like Mastodon.
Also, on Hubzilla, it is all about user choice. So if Hubzilla implements the Bluesky protocol, both the admin AND the user would have to opt-in. Users would have to actively turn on the Bluesky addon to federate with Bluesky. Otherwise none of their posts will ever be sent to Bluesky. I am pretty sure Friendica will work the same way.
So Hubzilla and Friendica would actually do a better job at blocking Bluesky than the bridge does. And the bridge actually has a lot of options for blocking Bluesky.
So instead of blocking Hubzilla and Friendica, you probably want to start using it instead, since it gives you better protection against Threads and Bluesky than Mastodon does.
@scott I don’t think so. Other Hubzilla or Friendica instances that receive a Hubzilla post over AP can still boost it over there, right?
The reply control from your instance won’t stop Mastodon users from replying either (though it will stop you seeing those replies, and to some extent will reduce the visibility of replies).
I think it all comes down to what’s outlined in https://foggyminds.com/display/c6ef095f-1165-ce77-d6de-73f618365846 (saw that post a little after my reply above) and open federated social media in general being built around own-access-choices rather than data control, outside of posting modes with very limited reach which *should* be implemented with more privacy than they are.