Lizzy (@mousebumples) @Mousebumples@social.cleverlibre.org

#PTVInTheWild c/o JillEBean/FB. #Georgia voter says thanks for #GetOutTheVote #PostcardsToVoters. #GAPol #GASenate #WarnockForGA #Warnock4Senate #RevdUp #postcards #craftivism #democracy

I've been thinking a lot about the discourse around moderation, Black folks' experiences, and the culture here. This is a longer post to dig a bit into how we can discuss and change the culture here to be more inclusive and equitable and just.

First step is to stop doing band-aid solutions. Folks who keep saying "we're a community of builders" in response to social critiques or saying "just make your own server or move" need to take a step back and consider that is coming off as ignorance at best and racist at worst. It's a band-aid solution that doesn't truly solve the inherent problem that impacts the network as a whole.

People shouldn't *have* to move servers. The server ought to change and be more inclusive, which means tackling the culture of that server and how it moderates. And if they do decide to move servers, they shouldn't have to deal with it again there either. It's the overall culture that contributes to the harmful bigotry people may face in a server.

Culture exists everywhere, including in a "community of builders." If you don't deal with the culture that causes harm to some people, then you can't claim your culture is "inclusive" or that there is an "engineering" solution to a cultural problem.

Dr. Flowers (shengokai@zirk.us) made some excellent threads that analyze the situation on Mastodon -- specifically social side of it. https://zirk.us/@shengokai/109380372543079977 Is one of the critiques. Go read them all! He spoke with folks who been here a long time and dug deep for his analyses.

Now, is there a solution to the issues of culture here that have consciously or not caused harm to marginalized folks?

Yes, there can be by coming together and having these discussions.

However, only engineering solutions isn't gonna cut it. Although Mastodon does need some engineering solutions (the moderation can be improved upon greatly with some better engineering. The protocol is wonky that could be improved too), but that will not fix the culture.

What fixes the culture?

Discussions like these. People willing to listen, to be uncomfortable, to confront harmful attitudes, and unlearn and build up new ways of being.

That's part of what being in community IS. We need to unlearn all the time. We need to listen, be uncomfortable, be flexible, be willing to change.

Change is necessary. It is not either good or bad - it's a neutral force that can be weaponized in a bad way (see Elongated Musky's twitter takeover) or in a good way (people building more just, equitable, sustainable, and accessible platforms).

But change is needed. Change needs to be done on a tech level, a culture level, and on a personal level.

So think about behaviors witnessed here -- behaviors you do too -- think about what norms Mastodon users, especially those who helped build it or been here a long time, enforce.

Some of the norms are good. Such as people defaulting to using alt-text for their photos and video screenshots (thank you!).

Others are a good idea that can be weaponized in painful ways

For example the CW: first situation I'll use to discuss this is: its utility to avoid triggering panic or pain for those with trauma is good. This is being mindful of those around us and seeking to create a culture of care.

Second situation: people trying to force Black folks and other marginalized identities to cover their posts because it made the person uncomfortable is harmful. This puts the marginalized person in a position of having to CW all their posts as the oppression faced often colors their interactions in most spaces, so trying to write about their experiences without mentioning it would be difficult. (It's difficult for me as a disabled nonbinary person, and I don't have to deal with the intersection of race too.)

In the first CW situation, the poster makes a conscious choice to be mindful of others - the poster makes the decision and holds agency over it. Their decision is theirs alone.

In the second CW situation, readers with more privilege (thus more power) try to coerce the poster with less privilege (thus less power) into a specific action to lessen the reader's cognitive dissonance and uncomfortable emotions. This is a power imbalance, and if numerous people with more power and privilege barrage the poster, the power imbalance tips into harassment.

If we examine who gets targeted the most for the "put a CW on this" when sharing experiences, we can also see an imbalance where marginalized populations get hit harder - this is a consequence of the power imbalance within the culture itself.

To be clear, for someone with less privilege, they hold less power in these situations. So asking a poster to put in alt-text on an image would not fit the second situation I described above. The less privileged individual is seeking access to what everyone else already has. That is not and should not be equated with someone who seeks to silence or cover-up the story of another regardless of intent.

That power balance inherent within privilege is also a cultural aspect that needs discussed. I used CW as a way to model thinking about how norms within a culture create power imbalances. Mastodon is not immune to the wider cultures of people's home countries, and there are many countries across the world that privilege specific groups over others that can be replicated into Mastodon's culture consciously or unconsciously. That needs examined too.

Norms of how discussions and change ought to go also need examined and possibly changed. Think about interactions here, think about whose voices get heard the most, think about who moderates, who owns servers, who writes the code, etc. All of these factors have a role in building and shaping culture.

And yes, even code can be biased as it is written by human beings, and we're biased beings. (There is an excellent book by a Black author that discusses this actually called
Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code by Ruha Benjamin).

These are important questions if we are to build a community that is equitable, just, consensual, accessible, sustainable.

Yes, this seems like a lot! But that's why we do it through conversations. With actions that build up over time. Nothing can or should be done all at once. Community building takes *time* and commitment.

Make sure to listen to those most marginalized. When we care and uplift our most vulnerable, giving them access and support, then we help all of us.

Thanks for reading!

Call me old-fashioned but when it comes to COVID-19, I'd still prefer not to f*ck around and find out.

Some folks insist that wearing a mask in crowds and inside public spaces is an overreaction— this despite a preponderance of evidence showing microvascular damage from even mild COVID infections.

I'll keep wearing my mask, thank you very much.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2033369

A gentle reminder to be extra kind to service industry folks for the rest of the year.

Stress and tempers run high during the holidays and it’s not easy to face a stream of it all day long ✌🏼✌🏽✌🏾

@56blackcat

I hear new people noting how chill, tolerant, and pleasant Mastodon is.

Mastodon isn’t chill or tolerant or pleasant. It’s a tool… a foundation on which to create and maintain a culture.

It’s those who’ve been on Mastodon, run servers, and served as admins who did the hard work and created the culture you now enjoy.

Now, it’s your turn. The only way it stays tolerant and chill is by us doing the work to keep it that way.

A good example of, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Doing 5 at a time from here on out. #PostcardstoVoters #RevdUp

@QasimRashid

We are a non-profit food bank based in New York City, and we’re sending you one of our favorite dad jokes in the hopes of getting a boost.

A customer walks into a shoe store and approaches the sales clerk. “I need a pair of those orthodox shoes, please.”
The clerk responds, “I think you mean orthopedic shoes.”
“Oh,” said the customer. “I stand corrected.”

Please follow us if you’d like to help promote #FoodJustice in #NewYorkCity. We may even tell the occasional #DadJoke.

Reloaded on runoff-specific #postcardstovoters from my favorite Etsy seller (Dogmatic Designs)

Let's all encourage, inspire, and motivate our friends in Georgia to get back to the polls and vote in the Georgia Runoff Elections.

Early voting begins tomorrow, Saturday November 26 and ends Friday, December 2. Many counties have early voting available now. Election Day is on December 6.

So many races this year are coming down to a small amount of votes between the totals for each candidate. Georgia voters, your vote counts. #Georgia #GeorgiaElections #GeorgiaRunoffs #VoteGA #Vote

Here's where to find voting information.

I Will Vote
https://iwillvote.com/?state=GA

@evan @markallerton @ks

I do agree that centralization is coming to the fediverse, but not for any of the reasons that most people on here think. That centralization is coming for the exact same reasons that centralization came to email, and it's a reason that many folks that would like things to stay decentralised keep ignoring.

And that is user safety.

A lot of Mastodon fans keep pretending that Mastodon is inclusive. It's not. But it could be.

🚨SATURDAY VOTING🚨

Tomorrow, Nov 26, these GA counties will have early voting. If you cannot vote M-F next week and you live in one of these counties, make your plan to vote tomorrow.

Share this with 3 of your Georgia friends!

iwillvote.com

#WarnockforSenate #warnock Let’s get this done! When we vote, we win! #Democrats! Show up at the polls in numbers too big to manipulate.

While following a lot of people can populate your Home feed significantly, sometimes people (like me) end up boosting a lot and that can unexpectedly hinder your own experience.

So if you like someone's specific posts and don't want to follow their boosts, you can go to their profile under the [...] button, and select the "Hide boosts from account" button.

There is no algorithm on Mastodon. You have ownership and control over every filtering decision instead of some robot.

#TwitterMigration

This is what we #Resisters need, mockery memorabilia for every single stupid thing that the red hats put out. This is the response to the Gadsen flag.

20 more #PostcardsToVoters making 400 I’ve sent to 🍑Georgia Dems asking them to vote for #SenatorWarnock in the Dec. 6 runoff. #VoteBlue #WarnockWorksForGeorgia #EveryElectionMatters

“As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.”

—Arthur “Big Guy” Carlson

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

The railroad workers may strike soon, which will decimate the US supply chain. Before you complain that you can’t find your favorite crackers or shampoo at the store, please acknowledge the reasons why rail workers are striking:

· The rank-and-file workers that run the trains have been on call, 24-7 for years due to the new normal of skeleton crews. Trains are running with crews of one or, in some cases, none as remote control (yes, you read that right) is now allowed. They can’t plan to attend their daughter’s birthday party or their brother’s wedding.

· Currently, under their present contract, they have zero paid sick leave. They must give 30 days notice for a doctor’s appointment or family emergency. The Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) contract terms proposed by the Biden admin gives them 1 paid sick day.

· Railroad companies’ profit is soaring. Rather than sharing that windfall with the rank and file, profit is paid out in stock dividends or used for stock buybacks (a practice that artificially boosts stock performance).
Railroad company profits (for 3-month periods, not yearly!):
- Union Pacific $1.84 billion in - 2nd quarter 2022
- BNSF $1.66 billion (up 10%) in 2nd quarter 2022
- CSX $1.11 billion (up 15%) in 3rd quarter 2022 on 2% more freight

One more thing – If the railroad workers do go on strike, Congress is likely to vote to force them back to work. Historically, these types of resolutions have seen high levels of bipartisan support because Congress is not pro-worker, they are classists that protect the interests of Wall Street and the stock ownership class above all else.

#Solidarity #union #unionstrong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv_vG9i8AmQ&t=1s

#PTVInTheWild from Vermont to #Georgia voters, parents of a #PostcardsToVoters writer! ✍🏼❤️🗳📬✅ #WarnockWorksForGA #postcards #Warnock