✅ Servers on Mastodon and the wider Fediverse use tried-and-tested methods to connect to each other, similar to the technologies on email and the world wide web.
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@FediTips I don't think it's a question of point of view. The point of view of your audience is that they don't know much about the Fediverse, and will tend to trust what you say. <insert Spiderman quote about power and responsability here>
You're talking as if there is one effective message that is appropriate for everyone, but there isn't.
If you were promoting health in a country with good water treatment, a good message might be "Water is the healthiest thing to drink" because the main danger is unhealthy drinks with sugar or alcohol.
If you were promoting health in a country with poor water treatment, your message might be a warning instead about the dangers of water and their potentially deadly impurities.
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Servers on Mastodon and the wider Fediverse use tried-and-tested methods to connect to each other, similar to the technologies on email and the world wide web. The network's servers are almost all run by non-profits supported by user donations. The network's software is free open source and designed for the needs of the people who use it.
Servers on Mastodon and the wider Fediverse DO NOT use AI, LLMs, blockchain, cryptocurrency, algorithms, trackers, ads or anything like that.@FediTips One thing I saw no one mentioning is that it's weird how the meaning of the word "algorithm" shifted from "a set of instructions to solve something" to "a non-open-source recommendation system made to make users addicted to a platform". In the original sense Mastodon has lots of algorithms, and in the newer sense it has recommendation algorithms (like the who to follow and the trending tab) but those are open-source and not meant to drive addiction.
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@FediTips One thing I saw no one mentioning is that it's weird how the meaning of the word "algorithm" shifted from "a set of instructions to solve something" to "a non-open-source recommendation system made to make users addicted to a platform". In the original sense Mastodon has lots of algorithms, and in the newer sense it has recommendation algorithms (like the who to follow and the trending tab) but those are open-source and not meant to drive addiction.
Yeah, "algorithm" is a tricky word because it has very different meanings to different audiences.
I'm using the word in the sense that most people use it: an opaque set of hidden rules that hide stuff or push stuff or move stuff around usually without your knowledge or permission, a mysterious force.
Obviously this isn't the definition that compsci or developers would use, but the FediTips account is aimed at a more general non-technical audience.
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You're talking as if there is one effective message that is appropriate for everyone, but there isn't.
If you were promoting health in a country with good water treatment, a good message might be "Water is the healthiest thing to drink" because the main danger is unhealthy drinks with sugar or alcohol.
If you were promoting health in a country with poor water treatment, your message might be a warning instead about the dangers of water and their potentially deadly impurities.
@FediTips I'm really confused now, because I feel like you're now turning the argument around: you are the one who posted one all-encompassing message about all servers being safe.
The water treatment of the fedivese is quite good, but there might be bad puddles around, that look just like clean water. Hence why I was (still am) arguing for a more nuanced message. -
@FediTips I'm really confused now, because I feel like you're now turning the argument around: you are the one who posted one all-encompassing message about all servers being safe.
The water treatment of the fedivese is quite good, but there might be bad puddles around, that look just like clean water. Hence why I was (still am) arguing for a more nuanced message.I don't know what else to say except that I am trying to achieve a public good by explaining complex things in simple terms that are easily understood by someone who is new to this place.
I don't know of any Fedi platforms that use LLMs or blockchain etc. It's even less likely that a new person without Fedi experirence would use such a platform.
In theory there might be, but it's not helpful to assume that when it's so unlikely. In theory any water could kill you.
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@FediTips I'm really confused now, because I feel like you're now turning the argument around: you are the one who posted one all-encompassing message about all servers being safe.
The water treatment of the fedivese is quite good, but there might be bad puddles around, that look just like clean water. Hence why I was (still am) arguing for a more nuanced message." I'm really confused now,"
I'm making the point that the biggest dangers aren't from some obscure Fedi platform that no one has heard of which might theoretically do tracking, LLMs etc.
The biggest dangers are that new people go back to some corporate platform like Facebook, Twitter/X etc that definitely does really bad stuff like tracking etc.
You tailor your message to take account of the most likely dangers your audience faces, rather than every theoretical danger.
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Servers on Mastodon and the wider Fediverse use tried-and-tested methods to connect to each other, similar to the technologies on email and the world wide web. The network's servers are almost all run by non-profits supported by user donations. The network's software is free open source and designed for the needs of the people who use it. Servers on Mastodon and the wider Fediverse DO NOT use AI, LLMs, blockchain, cryptocurrency, algorithms, trackers, ads or anything like that.
@FediTips What do you mean by "do not use ... algoirithms"? Algorithms are a building block for all programming. Even how you display a chronological timeline is an algorithm. The trending functionality is an algorithm.
It's giving "our organic farming doesn't use chemicals" (however, objectively, water is a chemical).
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@FediTips What do you mean by "do not use ... algoirithms"? Algorithms are a building block for all programming. Even how you display a chronological timeline is an algorithm. The trending functionality is an algorithm.
It's giving "our organic farming doesn't use chemicals" (however, objectively, water is a chemical).
Fedi.Tips is using a connotation of Algorithms based on Sci/Fi where they envision a persona embedded into code that usually has nefarious intent. Most developers have an issue with such a connotation as it is so far departed from the actual meaning.
The way I see it we can either buy them all a copy of Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs by Nicklaus Wirth
or we can just ignore their improper usage of the term. Though you are quite correct. One does not write code without algorithms, whether they are good, bad, intentional or stumbled upon (the most common) is irrelevant. Expert developers always design their algorithms based on the data structures. Though to many non-developers Algorithms is always going to mean an ugly nefarious intent embedded in code. Sad, but unfortunately, they do not care about actually understanding what an algorithm is.note: for the record organic is a marketing term started by the fertilizer companies and has little to do with health when one examines the regulations they have established. It is just another way to market a product. There is no actual guarantee that a product advertised as organic is any better for you than one that is not.
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Fedi.Tips is using a connotation of Algorithms based on Sci/Fi where they envision a persona embedded into code that usually has nefarious intent. Most developers have an issue with such a connotation as it is so far departed from the actual meaning.
The way I see it we can either buy them all a copy of Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs by Nicklaus Wirth
or we can just ignore their improper usage of the term. Though you are quite correct. One does not write code without algorithms, whether they are good, bad, intentional or stumbled upon (the most common) is irrelevant. Expert developers always design their algorithms based on the data structures. Though to many non-developers Algorithms is always going to mean an ugly nefarious intent embedded in code. Sad, but unfortunately, they do not care about actually understanding what an algorithm is.note: for the record organic is a marketing term started by the fertilizer companies and has little to do with health when one examines the regulations they have established. It is just another way to market a product. There is no actual guarantee that a product advertised as organic is any better for you than one that is not.
I'm well aware that "algorithm" in a technical sense means pretty much anything on the internet.
But my account is aimed at a wide non-technical audience, so I use language in a non-technical way.
I am using the word "algorithm" the way most non-technical people use it, to mean some opaque hidden code which moves stuff around, hides stuff you want to see, promotes stuff you haven't asked to see and generally messes around with your timeline without permission.
