GONADS125 @ GONADS125 @lemmy.world

Abandoned this profile due to lemmy.world's federation with Threads. I have

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2 yr. ago

I disagree on user support. Look at the posts heavily discussing the matter, and also pay attention to the vote counts.

Also, it's not a hypothetical when there is already a systemic issue and the company has a notorious history. Look at my comment here for my fleshed out argument on this subject with citations.

I wasn't intending on debating the issue here; I was only looking for recommendations on alternative instances.

Nice strawman attempt! There's no reason for me to even argue with you when your argument is a fallacy and automatically invalid.

Using your ridiculous logic, you must think the vast majority of lemmy users don't hold any value or merit? Because the vast majority of us are not hosting our own instances.

Being an active and constructive user, creating and moderating communities, and fighting misinformation are positive qualities for online communities.

Edit: I've also been donating to Ruud since my first week on this platform, so that's yet another reason your argument is totally incorrect. But I'll definitely be stopping my donations if Threads ends up being federated with.

I disagree that they aren't selling out.

I consider it to be as such when this move isn't supported by most of their userbase, they misframe that blocking Threads is a viable solution for the rampant issues with hate/extremism, and the decision puts their users at risk (both in the form of extremism/harassment and exploitation by Meta).

It's an inch towards becoming mainstream, but the costs outweigh the benefits IMO. I believe it's hypocritical to defederate from exploding heads and then turn around and federate with Threads.

I think misleading users into believing they can block Threads (only the posts), making a decision against the majority of their community's wishes, and instead subjecting them to potential harassment, misinformation and exploitation is selling out.

Except for time, money, and technical knowledge...

Also *blackjack and hookers!

I created !vans@lemmy.world and have been planning on trying to revive my efforts to grow the community, but I'm sure hell not doing that if Threads is being incorporated. I'm instead going to strip the community of all of the content I posted.

I also want to create a community for my city, but I'm never going to do that on an instance that allows Threads/Meta incorporation. Also have wanted to recreate r/OldSkaters from reddit.

If I wanted to deal with Meta, I'd make an account on one of their privacy/rights-infringing platforms.

As established already, blocking Threads does not block user comments from showing up. Even if it did, I still would not host a community on an instance federated with Threads unless there was a way for the communities themselves to fully block Threads interaction.

But the only way to fully block Threads is by defederating from it.

No, that's a half-measure at best... It only blocks Threads posts from showing up in your feed. It does not block Threads users comments from showing up on federated instances, even if the individual user personally blocks them.

I am legitimately fearful for LGBTQ+ users, as their community members have already been harrased on Threads by the far-right.

That's such a misinformative false 'solution' people keep peddling..

No, blocking Threads on the individual user level does not stop comments made by Threads users from showing up on federated instances, even for users who block Threads.

That means users who block Threads will still see hate/extremism and are still subject to potential harassment by toxic Threads users.

Hillary vs trump was the first election in which I could vote, but I refrained on account of not wanting to vote for a giant douche or a shit sandwich. I will never make that mistake again...

I'm not a Biden fan, but I voted for him last election and will eagerly do so again this next cycle.

I also want to point out that the gap between the "lesser of two evils" has turned into the Grand fucking Canyon following trump's attempts to overthrow our government to remain in power, and platforming on literal fascism...

It's a vote for democracy or neonazi fascism. Period.

What kind of battle over cognitive dissonance must people like this face?..

Dude must have an Olympic gold metal for mental gymnastics...

Most instance admins are federating with Threads/Meta. Even if you block the instance yourself, it doesn't prevent you from seeing Threads users' comments and the hate, harassment, and extremism on that platform from spreading throughout federated instances.

Edit: Since so many people are misinformed: No, blocking Threads on an individual basis is not a solution. This only blocks posts from Threads showing up in your feed. It does not block Threads users' comments from spreading hate and extremism throughout federated instances, and lemmy users will still be subject to potential harassment from Threads users. (See the harassment of the LGBTQ+ community on Threads for examples...)

Here's a comment of mine that states my argument against federating with Threads.

Also, I was not trying to debate the issue here. I was looking for recommendations for alternative instances... I'd appreciate anyone actually responding to my comment.

Original comment: Anybody have recommendations on a decent instance that won't be federating with Threads? Maybe one that allows community creation but isn't full of tankies?

I'm jumping ship from .world if they go through with federating with Threads. Such a shame to see the effort put into building this great instance come undone.

This place decided to disregard what the majority of their users want and turn the neighborhood to shit way faster than reddit. I thought we'd at least have a couple years before instance admins started selling out to such a shitty company that's going to make the fediverse a less safe place for their users.

Meta will also do anything they can to EEE and I'm not convinced the fediverse is as invulnerable to such exploitation as some users seem to be.

There's plenty of justification not to federate beyond the extremism, from the unethical experiments they conduct on their users to their aiding in genocide.

I think your position is very reasonable. I want to point out that I don't hold any malice towards the instance admins. I have thought .world admins have been great. But I fundamentally disagree with the decision to federate Threads and want to voice reasonable dissent.

I am personally invested in this platform and community, and I am impassioned in stating my case. I don't want my assertive arguments to be taken as anger or malice.

There's no reason to wait.

Look right now, and see that there's enough justification to say no to federating with Threads.

What's more concerning is the hate, extremism, and misinformation that will be coming from Threads.

That is the actual problem and where the level of concern and majority disinterest in Threads federation stems from.

Ah yes, how could I have forgotten!?

They are seriously comic-book villain level evil, and I find it mind-boggling that federation with Threads is even a consideration, let alone the plan...

I wanted to add that repetition is key in the process with which people are radicalized. It typically involves an individual who is in a vulnerable state (job loss, interpersonal hardship, injury) and the individual is exposed to repeated misinformation/extremism, and this is then reinforced by the radical in-group. [1]

Radicalism spreads through a social contagion effect, and social media (including lemmy and reddit) can act as a catalyst which facilitates the spread of extremism. [1]

This information is covered in this article I published on my blog explaining how people become radicalized. (I have ads turned off and do not benefit in any way from my blog. It's purpose is to share information.)

I wrote that article partly selfishly to wrap my head around family I have lost to Far-Right radicalism. It is essentially a literature review, and it's well-cited and thoroughly explains the process of radicalization. I'll also add that this is in my field of study/career, and I'm working on my Master's in Clinical Counseling.

It is very relevant here, as the federation with Threads will allow for the extremism permeating Threads to seep into our instance, even if the individual user blocks them. (Remember, blocking Threads won't stop Threads users' comments from being displayed here.)

This opens the doorway for vulnerable individuals in our instance to have their rationality chipped away until they lose their self-identity and experience identity fusion with a radical group. [2]

If instances federate with Threads, they are deciding to put their users at risk, and hold culpability in the loss of self-identities, fractured families, extremism, and real-world consequences that could subsequently result from federation with Threads.

I forgot about that quote haha. That's such a great retort to this "wait and see" approach.

Pay attention @Ruud, this is what Mark Zuckerberg thinks of you.

Voice your opposition before the decision is implemented. I know I'm jumping ship if Threads ends up being federated with.

I see many people purporting that users blocking Threads on an individual basis as a solution, but it's not... Blocking Threads will not prevent Threads users' comments in federated instances from showing up.

Even if you block Threads, you will still see hateful, harassing, and extremist content and misinformation.

Furthermore, even if it did block Threads engagement entirely on an individual blocking basis, it is still a failure on the instance admins to adequately protect their users and cultivate a healthy community.

.world admins defederated with exploding heads due to hate, harassment, and extremism/misinformation. Why would they then federate with Threads which harbors the same toxic users?

It's a move to bring more users into the Fediverse, but it comes with costs and risks that do not justify the short-sighted gain of more users and inching towards becoming mainstream.

Threads has been subject to mass amounts of radicalizing, extremist content, and there have also been instances of users having personal information doxxed on Threads due to Meta's information-harvesting practices. [1]

Threads was marketed to be open to 'free speech' (read: hate speech and misinformation) and encouraged the Far-Right movement to join, who have spread extremism, hate, and harassment on Threads already. [2] Threads has been a hotbed of Israel-Palestine misinformation/propaganda. [3]

They fired fact-checkers just prior to Threads' launch [1], however they claim they will have 3rd party fact-checkers next year. [4]

Meta/FB/Instagram has a rampant history of illegal and unethical practices, including running experiments on their users which affected their moods and induced depression in many uninformed, non-consenting subjects. [5] Such unethical experiments could affect federated users as well.

(Edit: As @massive_bereavement reminded me, Meta also assisted in genocide! [6])

Meta/FB/Instagram also have a strong history of facilitating the spread of misinformation and extremism, which contributed to the January 6th insurrection attempt. [7]

If exploding heads was defederated with because of this sort of toxic extremism, why would they want to federate with a platform plagued by that same content? One known for shortcomings moderating it? And one which comes from a company with a long history of unethical and illegal practices regarding users?

Due to these issues and Meta's rampant history of unethical and illegal business practices, there should be no federation with Threads for the well-being of the users in this instance.

I have donated to the .world instance since my first week here, but should they continue with federating with Threads, I will be cancelling my donations and finding an instance that won't undermine the safety and well-being of their users for a boost of (largely toxic) new users and an inch towards being mainstream.

The gains are immediate but minimal, and come at great costs which do not warrant federating with Threads (IMO).