How can a mastodon user tell if their account is "hidden" or "limited" ?
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How can a mastodon user tell if their account is "hidden" or "limited" ?
https://www.reddit.com/r/Mastodon/comments/zjh6vq/hidden_profiles/
I see this a lot with accounts I want to follow.
1. Can admins do this without notifying the user?
2. Is it possible to see the reason accounts have been censored?
If the answers to any of these two questions is "no" then it seems mastodon is subject to abuse from biased/rogue admins and moderators.
cc @FediTips
@charlesdelavalleepoussin @FediTips
Of course moderators can moderate which includes hiding and blocking. It's a feature.
"Default user moderation decisions will notify the affected user by email. The user can access an appeal page, where they can submit one appeal within 20 days of the decision. Moderators can approve or reject the appeal."
But don't forget: "Moderation in Mastodon is always applied locally, i.e. as seen from the particular server."
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"How can a mastodon user tell if their account is "hidden" or "limited" ?"
OK: assuming you do mean your own account:
1) Copy your profile URL and open a private window (Firefox terminology)
2) Paste your profile URL
You're now seeing your profile as any random member of the public
3) Does your profile show up?
Yes: not hidden
No: guess what...
Seems to work well enough for general diagnostics
Can't help you with any apps on any phones...
cc @FediTips
thanks that's a useful tip to use a private window
how can I tell *why* other accounts have been hidden?
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@charlesdelavalleepoussin @FediTips
Of course moderators can moderate which includes hiding and blocking. It's a feature.
"Default user moderation decisions will notify the affected user by email. The user can access an appeal page, where they can submit one appeal within 20 days of the decision. Moderators can approve or reject the appeal."
But don't forget: "Moderation in Mastodon is always applied locally, i.e. as seen from the particular server."
ive heard from several people who have not been emailed a reason
(I too on previous servers had my account disabled completely with no reason and no response from the admin/owner, and also no reply for GDPR requests given they were based in the EU)
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How can a mastodon user tell if their account is "hidden" or "limited" ?
https://www.reddit.com/r/Mastodon/comments/zjh6vq/hidden_profiles/
I see this a lot with accounts I want to follow.
1. Can admins do this without notifying the user?
2. Is it possible to see the reason accounts have been censored?
If the answers to any of these two questions is "no" then it seems mastodon is subject to abuse from biased/rogue admins and moderators.
cc @FediTips
Each admin is responsible for what goes on on their server, they are paying for it and keeping it alive. It is entirely their prerogative who they block or limit. People who disagree are free to move their accounts to other servers or set up their own.
If you think you've been blocked or limited unfairly, you can email the server admin using the contact email on their server's About page (for example your server's admin email is listed at https://mastodon.social/about ).
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Each admin is responsible for what goes on on their server, they are paying for it and keeping it alive. It is entirely their prerogative who they block or limit. People who disagree are free to move their accounts to other servers or set up their own.
If you think you've been blocked or limited unfairly, you can email the server admin using the contact email on their server's About page (for example your server's admin email is listed at https://mastodon.social/about ).
but they don't reply
and also "go find another server" is like "this restaurant is racist? go elsewhere". it puts the onus on the victim not the perpetrator
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@charlesdelavalleepoussin @footils
The email notification is only if it's your own server admin limiting/suspending your account.
Blocks from other servers do not generate any emails.
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@charlesdelavalleepoussin @footils
The email notification is only if it's your own server admin limiting/suspending your account.
Blocks from other servers do not generate any emails.
my own admin on a previous server blocked me completely with no warning, no explanation
and no replies to emails
and no replies to GDPR requests
who holds the admins to account?
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but they don't reply
and also "go find another server" is like "this restaurant is racist? go elsewhere". it puts the onus on the victim not the perpetrator
Most accounts that are blocked are things like spambots, trolls, scammers etc. If admins were unable to block accounts against their will, the entire network would become toxic and unusable for everyone.
It's up to each admin to decide what is acceptable on their server, and users can decide which server to join based on what is acceptable there.
Being blocked doesn't make you a victim, it just means that that particular server doesn't want to communicate with you.
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Most accounts that are blocked are things like spambots, trolls, scammers etc. If admins were unable to block accounts against their will, the entire network would become toxic and unusable for everyone.
It's up to each admin to decide what is acceptable on their server, and users can decide which server to join based on what is acceptable there.
Being blocked doesn't make you a victim, it just means that that particular server doesn't want to communicate with you.
I'm not communicating with that server. I communicated with people I followed and who followed me.
Your privileged rationalisation of victimhood will age badly.
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@charlesdelavalleepoussin @footils
I am not a lawyer so I cannot comment on GDPR requests.
Admins are held to account by other admins, rogue servers that behave badly tend to get defederated and isolated. For example when the far right server Gab tried to join the Fedi, servers mostly defederated it.
Each server is independent by design, there is no central authority imposing a particular set of rules. A central authority would bring its own dangers of Musk etc taking over such an authority.
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@charlesdelavalleepoussin @footils
I am not a lawyer so I cannot comment on GDPR requests.
Admins are held to account by other admins, rogue servers that behave badly tend to get defederated and isolated. For example when the far right server Gab tried to join the Fedi, servers mostly defederated it.
Each server is independent by design, there is no central authority imposing a particular set of rules. A central authority would bring its own dangers of Musk etc taking over such an authority.
have you not noticed how un-diverse mastodon is?
have you not questioned why?
a bunch of self-regulating bros? what could possibly be wrong with that?
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Who are you suggesting should regulate it? Elon Musk? Mark Zuckerberg? Donald Trump?
Every time there has been a centralised authority running a social network, it has ended up in the hands of billionaires that support hatred.
The idea of this place is to give the grassroots control of their social networks. If you would prefer social networks to be corporate, there are already plenty of corporate options.
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I'm not communicating with that server. I communicated with people I followed and who followed me.
Your privileged rationalisation of victimhood will age badly.
I'm not completely clear how an account being limited is victimhood?
What are you suggesting social networks should do instead, not limit accounts at all?
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I should have looked at this profile before interacting with an antisemite. Bye.
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@charlesdelavalleepoussin @footils
The lack of diversity on here is a serious problem but it's not going to be solved by allowing everyone to post whatever they want without ever limiting or blocking anyone.
There needs to be MORE moderation on here, not less. People need to be protected from hatred, not exposed to it.
We need more tools like reply controls and automatic alerts for moderators when bad keywords are used.
No one should be seeing hatred in their feeds due to lax moderation.
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@charlesdelavalleepoussin @footils
The lack of diversity on here is a serious problem but it's not going to be solved by allowing everyone to post whatever they want without ever limiting or blocking anyone.
There needs to be MORE moderation on here, not less. People need to be protected from hatred, not exposed to it.
We need more tools like reply controls and automatic alerts for moderators when bad keywords are used.
No one should be seeing hatred in their feeds due to lax moderation.
@charlesdelavalleepoussin @footils
I follow a lot of people critical of the Fediverse on my personal account to keep tabs on how bad the problem is and what exactly is going wrong.
The main issue raised is too many purveyors of hatred being allowed to attack members of minorities. Allowing hate puts people off staying here, accounts posting hate need to be banned.
If you removed all limits on what accounts could say and do, it would make the situation much worse.
