10 votes

Mastodon now has a Quote Post feature

9 comments

  1. [9]
    JXM
    Link
    Can someone explain why so many people are upset about this feature? I’ve seen talk about harassment being an issue with quote posts but I never got the connection. From what I saw, you can simply...

    Can someone explain why so many people are upset about this feature? I’ve seen talk about harassment being an issue with quote posts but I never got the connection. From what I saw, you can simply disable the ability to quote your post, so if you do that, nothing really changes?

    2 votes
    1. [4]
      Fiachra
      Link Parent
      In my experience some of the worst behaviour on Twitter was enabled by quote tweets, I assume it's related to that. I can disable quoting my own posts because I don't like it, but if there are...

      In my experience some of the worst behaviour on Twitter was enabled by quote tweets, I assume it's related to that. I can disable quoting my own posts because I don't like it, but if there are enough people around me that do like it, I would still expect that to become a more toxic environment.

      2 votes
      1. [3]
        JXM
        Link Parent
        Like what? I got on the Twitter train extremely early and got off a long time ago so this is one area of the internet I know nothing about. The only thing I can think of is directing people toward...

        Like what? I got on the Twitter train extremely early and got off a long time ago so this is one area of the internet I know nothing about. The only thing I can think of is directing people toward a specific post and telling them to harass someone. But you can do that with a screenshot and an @ mention.

        1. gpl
          Link Parent
          Quote posts (in my experience) tend to lead to a culture of "dunking" in which people broadcast their reply to some post via a quote as opposed to a direct reply, fragmenting the conversation...

          Quote posts (in my experience) tend to lead to a culture of "dunking" in which people broadcast their reply to some post via a quote as opposed to a direct reply, fragmenting the conversation while also tailoring the audience to be a more favorable one to their view/reply since the quote is primarily seen by followers. This can direct more quotes/dunks at the original post even without a specific call for harassment. While you can do this with a screenshot and an @, having a quote feature lowers that barrier even further (its essentially a screenshot and @ hotkey). I also think people feel less inhibited to be assholes when they're talking about someone via a quote as opposed to talking to someone via a reply.

          I think detaching quotes is a good remedy for these issues, for what its worth.

          4 votes
        2. BeanBurrito
          Link Parent
          The smallest of inconveniences on social media, particularly on mobile, will deter people.

          But you can do that with a screenshot and an @ mention.

          The smallest of inconveniences on social media, particularly on mobile, will deter people.

          2 votes
    2. [3]
      pxl
      Link Parent
      Are Mastodon users ever not seething?

      Are Mastodon users ever not seething?

      1. BeanBurrito
        Link Parent
        Eh? I've been on Maston for a few years. The users tend to be mellow. Older crowd, more international crowd, more diverse crowd, mostly IT people.

        Eh? I've been on Maston for a few years. The users tend to be mellow. Older crowd, more international crowd, more diverse crowd, mostly IT people.

        3 votes
      2. albinanigans
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        In my defense, I stopped seething when I moved to a better instance with superior moderation. These days I'm merely mildly perturbed!! But on a serious note, I'm forever amused that this feature--...

        In my defense, I stopped seething when I moved to a better instance with superior moderation. These days I'm merely mildly perturbed!!

        But on a serious note, I'm forever amused that this feature-- one that for some, has negative connotations as described below by Fiachra and gpl-- are a higher priority than actually reigning in all the bots, trolls, and harassment that come from those two "flagship" instances that will likely use Quote Post for evil.

        2 votes
    3. BeanBurrito
      Link Parent
      On Mastodon, yes. At least before I quit, I don't think that feature was on Twitter.

      From what I saw, you can simply disable the ability to quote your post

      On Mastodon, yes.

      At least before I quit, I don't think that feature was on Twitter.