mike

mike, 6 months ago to random

Frankly, I don't care if the "Big Names" of social media bypass Mastodon. What I care about are the poets, sports fans, community activists, academics, nerds, geeks, anime fans, old movie buffs, music fans, philosophers, environmentalists, photographers, bloggers, cat people, dog people, hosers, bloggers, sci-fi freaks, astronomers,biologists, and the marginalized souls that can't find a haven anywhere else. I want authentic egagement with real people.

mike, 5 months ago to random

I think a simple change in nomenclature could help Mastodon incredibly. Servers is an inaccurate term and instance is unfamiliar and vague. Both create tension for new users.
Why not simply call Mastodon instances what they are: Communities.
Ask users which Mastodon community they'd like to join. Have community rules, community policy, and community leaders. Not server rules, instance moderators and administrators.

Let me start. Everyone is welcome at our community, https://thecanadian.social

mike, 10 months ago to random

I'll relay a story a friend of mine just told me.
She was at the store and noticed security had detained a person. They were going through a backpack and acussing the person of stealing cans of food. My friend went up to them and pretended to know the person. She then said "I was going to pay for these items, I must've forgot, let's go pay for them now" security reluctantly allowed her to pay for the persons items and let him go.
$22.00, was the cost to feed someone and keep them out of jail.

mike, 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago) to random

I've said it a thousand times, corporate stock buy backs should be illegal. Just watched an interview with Sully Sullenburger re the situation at Boeing.
"They spent a lot of money on stock buybacks instead of re-investing in safety and engineering"

Stock buybacks were at one time illegal because it creates an artificial market environment. It's insider trading on steroids. Governments everywhere need to stop abdicating their regulatory responsibilies. It's literally killing people.

mike, 7 months ago to random

Congratulations to Travis Dermott of the Arizona Coyotes for being the first player to defy the NHLs pride tape ban. Everyone else screw your f@$kin head on straight! 🏳️‍🌈 :NHL:

mike, 11 months ago to random

It occurred to me that there were two groups of people that came to Mastodon in November. The first thought Twitter was literally going to shut down and needed virtual methodone for their social media addiction. The second were users dissatisfied with what Twitter had become and jumped at an alternative. I believe it's the second group that have stuck around.

mike, 10 months ago (edited 10 months ago) to random

Threads loses half it's initial sign ups. Where's the tech articles on how Threads is a failure?
https://mastodon.online/@9to5Mac@mastodon.online/110791529982151238

mike, 10 months ago (edited 10 months ago) to climate

Ways to fight climate change.

Easy:
Buy less stuff.
Re-use more stuff.
Fix broken stuff.
Burn less stuff.
Eat local stuff.

Feel free to add to the list.

Non ideological answers only.

#ClimateAction #ClimateChange

mike, 5 months ago (edited 5 months ago) to random

What are your thoughts on self checkout at retail stores?

mike, 11 months ago (edited 10 months ago) to Canada

If you're new to Mastodon and are looking for a 🇨🇦 Canadian instance run in Canada by Canadians consider moving to https://thecanadian.social
Our sign ups are open and moving is easy. We can help.
#Canada #NewToMastodon

mike, 8 months ago to random

Prediction: If Elon starts charging to use Xitter, 90% of journalists will write long scathing articles and then imediately pony up the cash.

mike, 9 months ago (edited 9 months ago) to random

Our fellow 🇨🇦 Canadians in #Yellowknife may need access to resources and information. Please post under the #Yellowknife or #YZF hashtag.

Govt of NWT public safety web page. Important evac notices are here: https://www.gov.nt.ca/en/public-safety-1

CBC North news web page: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north

Canadian Red Cross Wildfires fund: https://donate.redcross.ca/page/131920/donate/1?locale=en-CA&_gl=1

mike, 9 months ago to random

Unpopular take: Search on Mastodon should be opt out, not opt in.

mike, 9 months ago (edited 9 months ago) to random

Should search on Mastodon be:

mike, 8 months ago to random

🇨🇦 Canadians have taken their health care system for granted for far too long. It's time to stop voting for provincial governments that would like nothing more than to dismantle what once was a world class system. If you currently vote for these policies, stop now while there's something left. If you have voted against these policies it's time to speak up to your friends an neighbours!

mike, 9 months ago to random

Once again, the ancient saying is proven true: If you're going to take a shot at the king, you better not miss.
https://news.sky.com/story/ten-killed-in-private-jet-crash-north-of-moscow-wagner-leader-yevgeny-prigozhin-on-passenger-list-12946006

mike, 6 months ago to random

Conservative strategy for eliminating social safety nets:
🔹 Take over administration of service.
🔹 Gut and suffocate said service of funding.
🔹 Wait for complaints to roll in. Cry poverty and point to the incompetency of those working in the ministry.
🔹 Present privatized solution as more efficient and less costly. Invite private sector to take over service.
🔹 Eliminate service.
🔹 Leave politics and take board position at related private corporation.
It's a grift disguised as ideology.

mike, 6 months ago (edited 6 months ago) to Canada

:flag: If You're from #Canada , where do you reside? What instance did you choose?

mike, 9 months ago to GenX

#GenX humour.

mike, 1 year ago to random

1. It's been my observation that in general terms there are three moderation styles on Mastodon:

🔥 Wild West: Anything goes.

☯️ Balanced: Give users a wide berth but bans extreme content and mandate content warnings for suggestive material.

🪂 Safe Space: Tightly moderated, ban extreme content, ban aggressive content, ban pornography, require content warnings for all suggestive/adult material and language.

Should there be other categories?

mike, 9 months ago to random

What's in the DNA of tech journalists that makes it so hard for them to use Mastodon? I've never seen any other group run head first into so many pitfalls. It's not hard, create an account, follow as many people as possible, interact. If you want the deluxe experience ask around about the best third party app and install it.

mike, 4 months ago to random

If you're a Canadian Citizen I'd strongly suggest you sign this petition to create a parliamentary fediverse server.
"We, the undersigned... call upon the Government of Canada to enact policy and dedicate budgetary resources to enable the Parliament of Canada to provide an open, trusted, federated, social media presence for use by all members, senators, officers and other employees of Parliament as appropriate for communication to all Canadians."

SIGN HERE: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4769

mike, 1 year ago to random

The toughest part of sheparding new people on to Mastodon is de-programming them.
🔸You are not gaming any algorithms here!
🔹Your follower to follow ratio means nothing here. There is no cred building, follow without fear!
🔸You have several tools for muting and blocking along with better access to your admin. Again follow without fear!
🔹Engage without fear. Post freely, with better moderation here you're in a safe space. If you're unhappy with the moderation move instances. You have options

mike, 8 months ago to random

Congradulations to Wab Kinew on being elected the premier of Manitoba. He is the first indigenous premier of a Canadian province. 🇨🇦

mike, 7 months ago (edited 7 months ago) to random

Would you be in favour of algorithmic content if you controlled the criteria? Eg. You control the frequency, the content,the chronology,etc.