Ya know, right now would be an AMAZING time for Mastodon's leadership to break bread with the Black programmers that really wanted to help make this place less racist.
-
The failure is evident in who isn’t here. It’s just not diverse and there are a lot of reasons for that that go well beyond the concerns of Black users— The few black people who are here are all deeply nerdy& aligned with STEM/FOSS/left-tech communities: we make bad ambassadors. But *all* the ambassadors are bad and there is even a deep cultural current of NOT wanting ambassadors since it’s a secret nerd club and some people like that.
I used to try to swim up stream on this issue. I tried doing outreach (going to local non-profits to help them get set up with accounts) but I got only a few kind words and no real help.
I’m looking at the corporate capture of the concept of the fediverse and I’m so sad and disgusted. You sign up for bluesky and they pay lip service to “other servers” no one but the most dialed in nerds can even tell what the difference is.
-
I used to try to swim up stream on this issue. I tried doing outreach (going to local non-profits to help them get set up with accounts) but I got only a few kind words and no real help.
I’m looking at the corporate capture of the concept of the fediverse and I’m so sad and disgusted. You sign up for bluesky and they pay lip service to “other servers” no one but the most dialed in nerds can even tell what the difference is.
And most of why this has happened is due to bluesky having more money. I wonder when they will start manipulating users with an algorithm and pushing ads? They have already shown who matters and who doesn’t— but your average liberal doesn’t see it yet and won’t see it until the whole place goes the way of twitter.
The power to control social media is important. User “consumer activism” will always be weak in the face if this problem.
-
The failure is evident in who isn’t here. It’s just not diverse and there are a lot of reasons for that that go well beyond the concerns of Black users— The few black people who are here are all deeply nerdy& aligned with STEM/FOSS/left-tech communities: we make bad ambassadors. But *all* the ambassadors are bad and there is even a deep cultural current of NOT wanting ambassadors since it’s a secret nerd club and some people like that.
I've already noticed the sudden return of "Welcome new users! Here are ten totally unnecessary tips for how to use Mastodon, as if you can't figure out a social medium by yourself"
-
And most of why this has happened is due to bluesky having more money. I wonder when they will start manipulating users with an algorithm and pushing ads? They have already shown who matters and who doesn’t— but your average liberal doesn’t see it yet and won’t see it until the whole place goes the way of twitter.
The power to control social media is important. User “consumer activism” will always be weak in the face if this problem.
So I’ve been coming to terms with the need to be in two places at once.
I do feel sad and hurt the the urgency to make a place like the fedi more than a fun secret STEM club isn’t something many people here understand. And it’s not like I don’t enjoy the club. I do.
But I’ve always dreamed it could be something bigger.
But you have to meet people where they are. Maybe there will be another chance for it to happen in the future.
-
I've already noticed the sudden return of "Welcome new users! Here are ten totally unnecessary tips for how to use Mastodon, as if you can't figure out a social medium by yourself"
At least those posts make new users seem like something we want?
You know? maybe I’m being too crabby. There is a kind of slow growth that happens as more people discover that alternate networks are viable. In a way “blacksky” is part of that even though I wish it could have been on a real open protocol. So I will be here and there. I’m mad that more people could not help build what was already started but I won’t be so stubborn as to make the same error myself.
-
At least those posts make new users seem like something we want?
You know? maybe I’m being too crabby. There is a kind of slow growth that happens as more people discover that alternate networks are viable. In a way “blacksky” is part of that even though I wish it could have been on a real open protocol. So I will be here and there. I’m mad that more people could not help build what was already started but I won’t be so stubborn as to make the same error myself.
We can point at the abuse of power on bluesky all day and say “I told you so!” and we will be the most technically correct people in the universe but there are protests to organize, information to be shared, teaching and learning that needs to happen and people who need material support and no gold star will be given for doing it the most correct way if it never happens, right?
-
@futurebird
Youre one of my favorite fediverse people, and one of the few black fedi people on my follows. I hear from others how much racist stuff black people have to deal with here, but I dont see it. I mean, one post in a thread you were doing a month ago and it was like a slap in the face to me. Horrible but also notably unusual, the literally only time ive seen slurs and so forth in 3 or so years.So, its hard I dont know details of what's wrong. I believe
@crocodisle @literalgrill@futurebird
The stories when people say "theres so much racism and misogyny" I dont think they're lying. But how do we combat a thing that we can't know the details of? Yet I hardly want to ask people to relive the details... I honestly dont know what needs to change. I did see several black people leave fedi because of active horrible harassment, but I didnt see a single one of the harassing posts. Not ONE
@crocodisle @literalgrill -
The failure is evident in who isn’t here. It’s just not diverse and there are a lot of reasons for that that go well beyond the concerns of Black users— The few black people who are here are all deeply nerdy& aligned with STEM/FOSS/left-tech communities: we make bad ambassadors. But *all* the ambassadors are bad and there is even a deep cultural current of NOT wanting ambassadors since it’s a secret nerd club and some people like that.
@futurebird
Youre one of my favorite fediverse people, and one of the few black fedi people on my follows. I hear from others how much racist stuff black people have to deal with here, but I dont see it. I mean, one post in a thread you were doing a month ago and it was like a slap in the face to me. Horrible but also notably unusual, the literally only time ive seen slurs and so forth in 3 or so years.So, its hard I dont know details of what's wrong. I believe
@crocodisle @literalgrill -
@futurebird
The stories when people say "theres so much racism and misogyny" I dont think they're lying. But how do we combat a thing that we can't know the details of? Yet I hardly want to ask people to relive the details... I honestly dont know what needs to change. I did see several black people leave fedi because of active horrible harassment, but I didnt see a single one of the harassing posts. Not ONE
@crocodisle @literalgrill@dlakelan @crocodisle @literalgrill
What needs to change is the proportion of people who *feel* the lack of diversity as an accute problem— to me this network has a massive hole in it— I feel cut off and totally out of the loop unless I constantly go to other much more annoying networks to get news.
This isn’t, to me about having more perfect moderation or about any individual needing to feel bad about not being nice or saying the wrong thing.
-
@dlakelan @crocodisle @literalgrill
What needs to change is the proportion of people who *feel* the lack of diversity as an accute problem— to me this network has a massive hole in it— I feel cut off and totally out of the loop unless I constantly go to other much more annoying networks to get news.
This isn’t, to me about having more perfect moderation or about any individual needing to feel bad about not being nice or saying the wrong thing.
@dlakelan @crocodisle @literalgrill
It’s this much bigger obvious systemic flaw that creates all of these smaller choices that help people to wall themselves off from other communities. And there are some people who want that more who don’t care and worst of all there is big money on the side of keeping everyone siloed.
The way twitter was with the crossover between these communities was very powerful and very dangerous and awesome.
