I rejoined Reddit, and I already have over 1000 followers in less than a week. I find myself, more active there this past week, and as silly as it sounds, I enjoy buying people Reddit Gold every once in a while. I get a little smile when someone does the same. It's meaningless, but amusing.

I stopped all funding to Mastodon. That upset someone, since my funding of Mastodon was not just a small little contribution, but significant enough that someone reached out.

Kind of had my own personal laugh when they realized who I was, but that doesn't change anything. The indifference is real

The gatekeeping isn't one on one, but you -vs- an administrator. And upsetting an admin means, now your account is hidden from 20,000 people who have no idea what is going on. Completely unaware that they cannot see you.

How is that different from Elon Musk?

I’m all for keeping out Nazis — 100% anti-Nazi myself.

But the gatekeeping on the Fediverse isn’t just aimed at hateful individuals. Disagree with someone significantly, and you’ll see calls for people to Fedi-block you.

You cannot disagree with anyone on anything without it being deeply personal.

I also recall that ordinary people aren’t going to wait around for you to get out of bed and approve their account.

Bad-faith actors, however, most certainly will. Those trolls have no life — or, more accurately, trolling is their life. They have all the time in the world.

#Fediverse #Forums

Continued

I remember forum communities. The more effort we put into keeping jerks out, the harder it became for ordinary people to join and participate. Meanwhile, social media made it easy for anyone to jump in.

That was the fundamental flaw of forums. History, may repeat itself.

#Fediverse

And the only way I and others are able to overcome that nonsense is to have more than one account.

In fact, many 3rd party Mastodon or Misskey Apps allow you to sign in to multiple accounts specifically for this reason.

#Fediverse #Mastodon #Misskey

The Fediverse's problem, beyond the scam issue, is how fragmented it is.

You're on site "A" but you cannot follow people on site "B" because a long time ago, your admin and their admin got into a fight or disagreement 1x, and now 10,000 cannot communicate with each other.

#Fediverse #Mastodon

... continued ...

I have no doubt that they're harvesting my data, but I can call a spade a spade, so long as I'm not making it my everyday mission to do so.

Calling out scammers on either an Asian site, or Corporate site yields better results.

I also have a new-found respect for some corporations.

-- I know, I know, that's crazy talk, right?

Mr or Mrs Nobody, is going to be more anal and picky about anything you say or do. But the corporation ironically, so long as you're not posting hate speech, is going to mostly leave you alone.

I really dislike mob rule.

The mob is not always the majority; rather, it is often the few who pull strings behind the scenes or sway the masses without their knowledge.

I joined the Fediverse on May 30, 2023, and have collectively donated over €4,800. So, I am neither a freeloader nor a mooch — but I’m also not foolish enough (though I can be sometimes) to create my own isolated platform. However, I will gladly support someone else in doing so.

How do I know all this?

Because during 2020–2022, when most people were dealing with the pandemic, job layoffs, cutbacks, and a recession, I was helping others.

I learned a lot and discovered just how easy it is to help a stranger. 💜

4 of 4 — How to Help Someone Without the Risk

Most medical debt collectors don’t care who pays, only that it’s paid. A simple generic bill number is enough — no personal info needed.

No middleman. Money goes straight where it’s needed.

#Charity #MutualAid

3 of 4

How to Help Someone — Without the Risk

With Instacart, DoorDash, or Grubhub, you can send food or household supplies anywhere in the country. You only need an address — no personal info.

No middleman. Everything goes straight where it’s needed.

#Charity #MutualAid

2 of 4

How to Help Someone — Without the Risk

Electric, gas, heating, and phone companies don’t care who pays — only that the bill is paid. You don’t need accounts or personal info. Utilities take payments with just an address; cell phones need only the number. No middleman.

#Charity #MutualAid