Meanwhile, one of my favourite features of #Mastodon: "Hide boosts from XY" (behind the 3 dots of a profile). I had to do it with people who boost every single post of crazy 60-posts-threads.
If you want to boost threads, it's enough to boost the first post! Or only post No 35. If they are numbered or signed with🧵 we can look for the rest ourselves! Please don't flood timelines by boosting every single post!
These are the guidelines that I follow about boosting or not boosting something. These guidelines make sense to me. I do not care if they make sense to you or not. I also reserve the right to make rare exceptions when I see it fit, but I have to warn you that I don’t need to be consistent with my exceptions, and that a post has to hit a specific note for me to ignore my rules.
Also, I’ll note here that your popularity elsewhere, or even in the fediverse, does not matter. I regularly don’t boost posts by celebrities who do not use hashtags.
Ultimately, you don’t get to decide how I apply my rules.
Understood?
I try to be a considerate booster. If you know me at all, you know that I don’t like people who have nothing to say but boost all the things. Ironically, I eventually catch on to their shenanigans and end up muting them, so I don’t see all the things that they boost, and they want me to see so badly. If I follow you, it is because I’d like to hear about you. Conversely, I’m selective in my boosting, for the reasons given above.
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By far, the most common case in which I see a post that I would like to boost, but don’t, is when it has no hashtags. This is not merely my own itch that I’m trying to scratch here. Some people do not want to see certain types of contents. Proper tagging helps them know what your content is about, and helps them filter out this content if they don’t want to see it.
For these people, this filtering is self-care. When you post a post without tags, then they cannot care for themselves.
I also don’t boost posts that are merely “boost this post if you [something banal.]” Things like “please boost if you like cats,” “please boost if you are above 50,” etc. Note that I do not include in this group well written posts that ask to boost for awareness. Boosting for awareness is generally worthwhile, whereas boosting for the platitudes I put above ain’t.
Furthermore, I no longer boost posts that are from objectionable sources. Fox News is the prime example here. If it is newsworthy, there is certainly another source you could have picked. If Fox News is the only source, it is most likely a lie. In fact, I don’t even see these posts anymore because I filter them out.
Finally, I don’t boost posts that are just a link. Oh, maybe the link itself gives an idea of what the page I’m going to find at the other end is all about. Maybe I even follow that link and think what a great article! I won’t boost. I hate naked links in posts. Tell us why you agreed or disagreed with the article you link to.
I probably have more rules, but they are not coming up to mind right this moment, and are likely not as important as the rules above.
I'm trying to buy tickets, for a concert in #Tokyo. But on the website of the group, there is no link to the website of the group, but the venue also doesn't appear to have a website.
So where can I find those tickets ? Is there some third party website like TicketMaster in Japan? And do they accept non-Japanese credit cards ?
👀 Canada's premier political cartoonist Michael deAdder is pushing back..
"I'm sick of these tactics. I see journalists [& cartoonists] bullied by the right. Conservatives are bullying their way into power."
"When I draw a #Conservative cartoon you don't realize that I've drawn almost the same number of Liberal cartoons. I've probably drawn more Liberal than Conservative because they are in power. You just see the Conservative cartoons and cry unfair."
We should do that thing where when you like or boost something someone else has boosted they get a little notification, "Hey, I liked that thing you boosted"
My year with Mastodon (#MastodonWrapped)
I celebrated my first #Mastoversary a few days ago. It’s been a good first year on Mastodon for me; I like the #Fediverse idea, I like people here, and I like the calm vibe this place offers.
Also, I ditched all of my other #SocialMedia accounts. All but one.¹
As I say, Mastodon is a good #platform to be, however there are a couple of things I’ve been struggling with the whole time. I’m going to put together a brief summary below in hope that someone can help me with them.
¹ I still keep Instagram to exchange cute pics of sloths and pandas, and ice-hockey reels with my sons. 😁
2/
The thing that buggers me the most is boosting.
I know boosting is important because it’s the only way to spread the news around as there are no #algorithms here to force-feed us what they “think” is good for us, and I’m quite a #booster myself, too. But I’ve cut back a bit recently for a simple reason: I can’t hide boosted posts from my #profile.
I mean, when someone views my profile I want them to see my toots first so they can get an idea of who I am and, conversely, when I visit someone else’s profile I prefer to see what they have to say.
If you’re a generous booster but not so creative in the “#ContentCreation” department, just like me, you get a profile full of re-blogged posts where your original #toots are hard to find. And no, #Pinned toots don’t do the trick.
If there’s a #hack to work around this, I would much appreciate if you share it here.
The thing is, any feed or search result is "algorithmic." "Just show me the things posted by people I follow in reverse-chronological order" is an algorithm. "Just show me products that have this SKU" is an algorithm. "Alphabetical sort" is an algorithm. "Random sort" is an algorithm.
--
If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
Facebook started charging publishers for "#boosting" - not just for inclusion in algorithmic recommendations, but to reach their subscribers.
Enshittification is modern, tech enabled, monopolistic form of #RentSeeking. Rent-seeking is a subtle and important idea from economics, one that is increasingly relevant to our modern economy. For economists, a "rent" is income you get from owning a "factor of production" - something that someone else needs to make or do something.
I am still optimistic that the #Fediverse will eventually proof to be the best social network to connect special interest communities that currently disintegrate on the birdsite.
People just need to keep in mind that THEY have to replace the algorithm that used to drive the conversations, which means #BOOSTING generously and putting some effort into #tags for improving findability.
And don’t forget to sponsor your instance, which is a much better deal than having your attention monetised.
Don't you find it annoying when your #timeline#scrolls just as you were about to press a mouse button and you end up either #favouriting or #boosting some random post completely by accident?
Why yes, this is my lewd alt in fact. Why bother with such a thing? Several reasons, but most of all:
Respect for others. Just because I enjoy talking about sex and sharing/boosting nudes doesn’t mean everyone does.
I don’t hide who I am here or there. You can see my unfiltered face in media posted on both and I use my real name. I am who I am, not some character I made up.
Sex and nudity is great and all, but have you ever practiced empathy for those who have different preferences?
@DamnedMichele Well said & absolutely. Said countless times, I always try & support others on here by #boosting their toots, sharing posts ect. I've no issue repeating their, or my posts. If people take time & trouble to create posts, share images etc, least I can do is to show kindness & #boost#favourite. I'm always honest, cost me dearly in the past, but it is what it is. I utterly respect those with different opinions & preferences. I always look at bios & profiles. 😊
Why exactly is a #game#store (#steam) the only big company that refuses to sell products with #ai#generated (aka stolen, melted and mindlessly reassembled) #artworks? Am i missing something?
We would have no problem assuming at the same time that there is value in the derivatory, transformer-produced art. While still recognising that unless dues are paid, the system will not develop into a healthy back & forth between originals and remixers.
I would love there to be something akin to a famous EDM artist remixing an unknown one, #boosting their visibility, also happening (automatically) with #AI art remixes.
I've seen more cool #photos on #Mastodon in about a month than I have on #Twitter since I've been there, despite hollowing fewer people. It seems to have a lot to do with the #boosting culture here on Mastodon. #photography
👆Found this old crowdfunding post. Never got out. Hope I will escape abuse this year.
I’m too sick to figure out where govt income cutoff but heard it’s now very low. EGift cards are good for basics and count and gifts not income. Some start at $5. Plus it’s my birthday soon.
You might find other cards you prefer but here are some suggestions:
Amazon Australia egift card giftz.com.au/deal/amazon-eg…