This individual has been popping up periodically on SDF making these unsubstantiated claims about “Steven” Jones (hint: that’s not his name), ranting about Soviet perverts or whatever, and claiming they’re the rightful owners of SDF now. Yeah, right. Guess they have made it over to the EU box as well.

There is nothing to see here.

Sure, they are fiercely anti-competitive and seek to eliminate their competition. Such is the nature of the publicly held corporation, whose literal only purpose is to maximize profit to their shareholders. To the extent that Meta sees their competitors as stealing their potential profit, they will and in fact must fight. It cannot be helped.

I believe this community is strong enough to resist attempts to snuff it out. I believe the technology is well-developed and well-situated to survive such attempts. Those who choose to use it will continue to use it, whatever Meta does. Those who see us as a bunch of misfit losers who just want to be different will continue to hold that view, whatever Meta does. I think the opportunity lies in finding the people who want something different than what’s on offer from the “mainstream” Internet, showing them what we can do, and giving them the chance to join us. And I think cutting off Meta, as defensively or strategically well-intended as it might be, hurts that.

I’m an optimist because being a pessimist drives me into dangerous depression. I understand not everyone shares my optimism. There are already plenty of people who have made the decision to cut off Meta from the servers they maintain, and will not reconsider. That is unfortunate, but that too also cannot be helped. I hope SDF won’t go that route. If they do, I’ll still stay here; the people I want to communicate with are here. But I just hope we don’t cut off people simply for being on Meta’s app. That’s all.

I’m saying if a good and decent person uses the Meta tool to interact, they should not face summary justice for doing so. If they use the Meta tool to abuse, harass, be an asshole? Yes, ban them. If they use it to introduce themselves gently to this community, learn its ways, become a valued or even trusted member… why deny them that opportunity simply for what is really just an unfortunate choice of app?

We agree that Meta is not good. Let there be no dispute about that.

Edit: removed response to portion of previous post that was itself removed. #GoodFaith

Do you believe people who use Meta tools are complicit in crimes against humanity? If so, I’ve got some bad news about the Internet.

Give people a chance. Who knows; maybe some of them will drop the Meta tool and pick up the one you prefer.

I did not say Meta, a corporation, is people. I am saying the people who will use this tool, including people we all know, are people and don’t deserve to be presumed guilty of Crimes Against The Fediverse for exploring it with any particular tool.

Meta is going to do Meta things whether we make it difficult for them or not. “Preemptively” saying no one who dares use a Meta tool is welcome in the “Fediverse” is guilt until proven innocence and collective punishment

I find it very hypocritical to say, in one breath, “we need open standards and federated sites so that no one party can be a gatekeeper” and in the next “no, Meta, we as gatekeepers have decided we don’t like you and you’re not welcome here.”

If you block all of Meta just because they’re Meta, not only do you punish countless potential valued contributors who have done no wrong, you also embolden Meta to engage with the Fediverse in less legitimate, more underhanded ways. Which they will do, as I said, no matter what blocks are put in their way.

Let’s focus on building affirmatively and consciously the community we want instead of walking around with chips on our shoulders. If bad actors appear, they can be dealt with individually without banning large parts of the rest of the world.