this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2023
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Asklemmy
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This is one of the best explanations I've seen. Thank you.
Slightly off-topic, but your example actually helps lessen my concern with what I understood about "defederating."
I almost "noped" on using Lemmy because I saw defederating as removing the choice from me as an individual. Instance admins can, at any time, remove my option to engage with users in another instance. Welcome to the echo chamber.
But your example helps me see defederation in a slightly different light. I still get why it's called "the nuclear option," but it's maybe more like "We don't talk to Nazis, even if they don't bring up white supremacy while discussing beekeeping."
So while I still don't think the decision to defederate by Beehaw makes sense, I do have less concern about defederating as a concept. (Although I still want the ability to transfer my posts and comments to a different instance, should my instance admin make a decision I disagree with.)
Thanks again!
So, 'to defederate' means a server made an choice not to communicate with another.
For example, if an instance turns into a cesspool for hate groups - then admins of Kbin or Lemmy.World or even Mastadon can chose to block that instance and all their users. They are 'defederated from...' the standard instances.
If every major Federation platfrom does this to one instance, they are essentially 'cut off'.
My best understanding is that Beehaw made a temporary choice to defederate from lemmy.world because world allows open registration. Beehaw administrators want to create a uniquely 'positive' online experience and that's difficult to do when you have a limited mod team and tens of thousands of users from a very open instance pop in. Beehaw's plan (if not already) is to refederate when they get more mods.
The whole point is to have choice. Like the gaming example in my previous comment, there may be people you can't access in the Federation because they're not open to you. Like Nintendo Switch and XBox gamers not cross-playing.
But you're always welcome to create a second or third account in other instances to get a bigger range of connections. The iOS app betas that exist for Lemmy allow or easy account-switching for this very reason.