expect this to be spelled out in more detail later, but genuine #FediTips for #NewHere users:
moderation on Mastodon isn’t about what content we can see, but about who gets to see us. our goal is not to shield our users from objectionable content, but to protect them from objectionable individuals.
“objectionable” means: • nazis • cops • replyguys • scrapers • people who cite posts without asking permission first • people who want us dead • people who damage the integrity of our communities • people who want to make money off of us
these people get the boot. if we want to read what they have to say, we can always create an account somewhere else. they don’t get to read us.
what this means for YOU, new fedi instance owner, is that your priority should be not on ensuring your users have produced Appropriately Formatted Content™, but rather on ensuring that you can keep US safe
if you are, say, an instance dedicated to journalism, and you don’t have specific policy guidelines for ensuring that your users won’t do things to put our users in jeopardy, bye
hint: the ones who care about safety are the ones who say things like “you’re a cop? goodbye”