I think there’s a fundamental misunderstanding still of how the Fediverse works.
Any instance, mastodon.world for instance, is NOT Mastodon itself. Mastodon is JUST the software that was chosen. Each instance is allowed their own rules. Each community is allowed their own rules within the instance. If you get banned, think of it more that someone has asked you to leave their home and doesn’t want you there.
We have to get away from these ideas of that every instance of Mastodon or Lemmy or whatever completely reflects the entire Fediverse.
This comes with a big caveat. I think the world still sees us this way. And I think we HAVE to do a better job of, “This is a platform and if you’re banned you’re gone.” Instead we should help folks understand, if you’re kicked off an instance, there are a dozen others. There is a community for everyone. Hell, run your own or ask and folks can run one for you.
I will 100% disagree with a LOT of folks on a LOT of issues and I’d never want to host socials for the majority of folks. BUT I will absolutely defend your right to exist on the Fediverse and even help you, to a point, set up your own instance. But everyone needs to be mindful, that those places can and will still ban you. But you can at least get your message out to your community.
I don’t know what was said as I don’t speak German. I also don’t know why he was banned. But that is .world’s right to eject anyone from their community they don’t want. If the person decides to leave and not come back at all, that really sucks. But they also have the right to start their own community and continue interacting.
I’ve banned someone from TubeFree.org. I’ve blocked folks. I’ve refused to allow someone to create an account on TubeFree.org. Am I censoring someone? Maybe, but I’m attempting to build a specific community.
I’d absolutely LOVE to see any of these big instances have communities start their own instance. We shouldn’t have monoliths in the fediverse. The more diverse the network, the better. Honestly I’m trying to help communities run their own for their own community. I’ve even been talking with folks and attempting to work with folks on a spin up your own image to run from a business or home that is plug and play.
We NEED people to run their own, control their data, manage this themselves. We’re not there yet, but I honestly think someday we will be and everyone will just have a presence on the Fediverse. A community blocks you? You won’t even notice because YOU control YOUR digital identity.
I know lots of folks look at this and see a shattering of the what they expect. The Fediverse is NOT a platform. Lemmy.world is NOT the Threadiverse. Let’s break these bonds. I left a server because I was suspected of being a CIA plant. I went to one that was more welcoming. I found they were too strict for me on their rules. I left that. I’m not on piefed.social. I’m planning on running my own piefed for ME and MY family/friends hopefully SOON^TM. If someone defederates from me, that’s ok, they didn’t want me to be a part of their community. MY community still exists.
These aren’t platforms that are out there trying to save the entire world. They’re building a community that interconnects to other communities. Don’t like how they’re doing it, you can literally spin up your own for dollars per month.
Yes, if you want your stuff to be found you have to advocate for it.
I think the Trek communities are stand outs of how this works and how it should be done. Think of like old Forum days. Normally folks would create a forum for a specific topic and other thigns would go other places. But now those forums connect and you can run your own and connect to everyone.
Break this idea that this major pillars disconnecting are fracturing the fediverse. IMO the more small instances we have the stronger the network.
So build a Piefed/Lemmy/Mastodon/GoToSocial/Bonfire whatever for your community and then allow those to connect out to others.
The idea of this change is scary though. And maybe I’m wrong. Maybe we can’t exist the way I hope we do. But I think humans strive for community and communication and we have a new way to provide it to them.