• shiri@foggyminds.com
    0·
    8 months ago

    For journalists the value of the fediverse is in not getting silenced. It’s here to amplify voices in that fashion so that nobody can be silenced, for good or ill (ie. you can block Nazi instances so you don’t see them, but you can’t stop a Nazi instance from existing or sharing content).

    If you operate in a “I control where my message goes” manner, then you’re operating in a manner that can be very easily silenced. It drastically limits your reach.

    It’s one of those fundamental things where you can’t have it both ways, control over your reach is inherently limiting to your reach.

    And when talking about the fight against fascism, uncontrolled spread is very much preferable as they can’t silence you. If you are careful in your security you can post from an account until the fascists shut down your server… but the post will still be out there floating around. And you can just as easily stay on the network by starting a new account every time they shut down a server… they’d have to shut down the whole network to stop you.

    Bridges make it even harder for them because then you can also jump between platforms and if they can’t shut down your server they’d have to shut down every single bridge… which new ones can be started with trivial ease (a lot less work and resources than starting up normal instances).

    There’s nothing they can do to you over a bridge that they can’t already do without a bridge, in fact they have less control through a bridge. But you on the other hand have your voice amplified even further.

    Additionally the whole fediverse gets stronger as it encourages development on both sides, if one starts lagging behind in features/quality it permits users to move without “leaving” the fediverse.

    If Bluesky starts pumping hardcore propaganda and silencing leftist voices… then the bridge offers a light, showing the abuse and giving them a way out that doesn’t involve starting over from scratch.

    @HistoPol @jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed

    • HistoPol (#HP)@mastodon.social
      0·
      8 months ago

      @shiri

      (1/2)

      “If Bluesky starts pumping hardcore propaganda and silencing leftist voices… then the bridge offers a light, showing the abuse and giving them a way out that doesn’t involve starting over from scratch.”

      How so? I have not read that you can migrate you #BlueSky account to another #Fediverse platform, say, #friendica

      However, for me the single biggest #exit barrier is, that I…

      @jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed

      • shiri@foggyminds.com
        0·
        8 months ago

        @HistoPol @jamie @oliphant @snarfed.org @luca @PCOWandre @chronohart @snarfed missed this earlier, but the way out isn’t usually account migration, that’s a very specific and non-standard function that Mastodon implemented (Mastodon has a bad habit of only half-implementing ActivityPub and then rolling out it’s own features and forcing everyone else to comply with their non-standard nonsense… they’re kinda the internet explorer of the fediverse)

        The way out is because you can leave without severing connections. I’m not saying you won’t have to re-add people… but that you still have the option to re-add people. If someone deletes their Twitter account… they lose access to everyone that’s only on Twitter. If Bluesky is bridged (and no ifs ands or buts, open bridges will exist despite people’s complaints) and they delete their Bluesky account… they’d still have access to those same people.

        The whole reason Facebook sticks around and maintains enormous power is because so many people don’t have the option to leave without making themselves second class citizens in their communities. (Literally the only reason I have a facebook account… if I could access them over fedi, I’d delete my account in a heartbeat)