Fedi.Tips 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

You can optionally restrict and screen who follows you in Mastodon by activating the follow request system. Here's a guide about how to do this:

➡️ https://fedi.tips/restricting-who-can-follow-you-in-mastodon

The guide answers lots of questions about follow requests. If I've missed your question, post it in the replies 🙂

You can also combine follow requests with the followers-only post visibility setting to lock down your account completely, more info at https://fedi.tips/who-can-see-my-posts-in-mastodon-how-do-i-send-dms-in-mastodon

#FediTips #Mastodon

@kauer

I'm mainly posting because a lot of people think the "automated" label is some kind of detection system rather than a self-applied label.

The flag means that the creator of the account is explicitly saying it is an automated account. This in itself shows that the creator is not trying to fool anyone about how the account operates.

The creators of the problematic accounts are disguising GenAI/LLMs as humans, so they aren't going to use the flag because it would give the game away.

p.p.s. Just to clarify, there are good bots and bad bots. Report the bad bots, but don't report the good bots!

❌ Bad bots are usually GenAI/LLMs and are disguised as people.

✅ Good bots *aren't* GenAI/LLMs. Good bots are labelled "automated" by the person who created them, so that people can see it is a good bot. Good bots do things like relay weather reports, play chess, post quotations from books etc.

p.s. Mastodon admins may want to switch off invitations entirely as the AI signups seem to be exploiting the invitation system. The setting for user invitations is a bit hidden but you can find it with this guide:

https://fedi.tips/inviting-people-onto-mastodon-and-the-fediverse/#AdminInvites

There has recently been a wave of AI-generated accounts signing up pretending to be real people.

Server admins are trying to ban them as quickly as they are discovered, and some servers have temporarily closed sign-ups while they deal with it.

If you spot an account you think might be AI-generated, click ⋯ on one of the account's posts and select "report". Remember to give your reason for reporting, so that the admin knows what to look for.

#FediTips

p.s. The websites I run are:

https://fedi.tips - Easy-to-understand guides to using Mastodon & the wider Fediverse

https://fedi.directory - Recommended accounts to follow, sorted by topic

http://fedi.garden - Good, well-run servers to join or move to, sorted into categories

https://fedi.video - Highlighting the best videos & video accounts on the Fediverse

https://growyourown.services - Encouraging non-technical people to start their own servers

I am an unpaid volunteer running 5 websites and 5 accounts helping people use Mastodon and the wider Fediverse. I pay their bills every month.

If you want to help these sites & accounts keep going, you can buy me a coffee:

➡️ https://ko-fi.com/fedithing

(No registration, choose any amount, all currencies work, one-off or monthly donations)

Alternatively become a patron:

➡️ https://liberapay.com/FediThing

All support greatly appreciated! 🙂

❤️ @FediTips, @FediFollows, @FediVideo, @FediGarden & @homegrown

GoToSocial is a type of Fediverse server which emphasises user safety and being lightweight to host. It's really good, and is particularly popular with those who self-host their Fediverse accounts.

The developers of GoToSocial's software are currently trying to raise money to keep the project going. You can help by donating at:

➡️ https://opencollective.com/gotosocial#category-CONTRIBUTE

Here is more info about what the money is needed for:

➡️ https://gts.superseriousbusiness.org/@gotosocial/statuses/01KW9ZZ72ZQTFH6AWR020VXWH9

You can follow them at @gotosocial

#GTS #GoToSocial