This post about Mastodon's failures from @u2764 reads a little weird to me - there are casual mentions of POC, disabled people, other marginalised groups being driven off or discouraged from contributing to Mastodon about the same way as the queer developers that originally started it, but somehow ONLY the queer devs get mourned here? Like they were the most important minority group?
https://medium.com/@alliethehart/gameingers-are-dead-and-so-is-mastodon-705b535ed616
Were there no QPOC, queer disabled, queer + some other identity developers involved in the start of Mastodon? Were there no other non-queer minorities involved in the development of Mastodon? Is their erasure part of the reason Mastodon comes off as being very VERY white?
The "politics needs to be hidden" comment certainly comes off as being very questionable.
Is this (rather bizarre to me) hostility towards discussing politics on Mastodon to the point that ROT13 became some sort of "solution" the reason I got dogpiled to hell my first weekend here after talking about racial dynamics on Mastodon? What was the full story behind this? What sort of culture thinks talking about politics needs to be behind a content warning? Is me talking about the intersections of my life & society in need of a CW because it's political? what the hell?
There is no solution which satisfies everyone, I guess.
(Science nerd: not even aqua regia.)
@Algot this seems like a rather dismissive response to my queries. I don't know if you were intending that, but it's not even just "well you can't satisfy everyone!!". These are serious questions around culture and systemic barriers, especially on a project that touts itself as more welcoming of diversity than other social media networks.
I apologize. No dismissive intent. Snark fails almost universally in print, even with the addition of emojis.
The chemistry thing was a joke and clearly failed horribly.
Please bear with my old-brain farts.
@Algot like, snark in this case wouldn't really have been appropriate no matter the format, since it's a White person snarking at a POC talking about race, which is usually a dismissive measure.
One of the real draws of Mastodon is its opportunity to develop a more direct connection with others from many cultures and backgrounds.
I clearly need to develop a more effective approach.
Please help me to analyze my mistakes so I may improve.
Thank you.
@Algot I think it's great that you're learning about this from the things @creatrixtiara is saying. But keep in mind that you're learning from her, for free. This is stuff that she could be teaching at a university level and be getting paid. This is her lived experience. Her trauma. She is being so generous to share with us. You should thank her and then seek education elsewhere, not ask her for MORE free labor.
@Algot always a good idea when it comes to oppression you don't face. I hope you will seek out more POC and TQPOCS to follow and engage with. I also hope you talk with your white friends. Research and learn together about racism and white privilege.
@Tehfraga @Algot
Social media is amazing because it gives people the opportunity to listen to conversations we wouldn't have otherwise had access to. If one is someone who is used to being centred in conversations, it also affords an opportunity to get used to listening rather than speaking.
Before I reply to things, I have to ask if I'm communicating new information to ppl in the discussion. Very often, I'm not.
