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I don't feel as strongly about quote posts as I did in 2018. Personally, I am not a fan, but there is clearly a lot of demand for it. We're considering it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I hope you don't add it, but if you do, at least give us the option to block quoted posts from people, please.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I would love it. I miss it when I want to point out a toot and when I feel the need to add something to it why I want to point that toot out.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Not sure how to feel about this. Depends how people will end up using it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

You're never going to make everyone happy. I'm happy with Mastodon either way. Keep up the good work
in reply to Eugen Rochko

You could wonder why people keep having the need? Is it because they don't understand how mastodon works?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

call 'um toots the way the gods intended coward. 'posts' my arse.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

TY! It was a very useful feature to be able add to a conversation without feeling like we were spamming ppl's replies. But I can see why you chose not to have it here given the way ppl abuse it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

please consider the idea of giving consent to be quote tweeted.

Thanks for all the hard work and happy new year.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

If you do add it, you should make it so people can opt to have their posts “quote posted.” If the setting is on, people can do it. If not, then they can only boost.

You can even have it apply per post settings as well. Just a few suggestions.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

the ones demanding it are all from twitter.

Quote post isn't engaging, its used in an inflammatory way in most cases.

Those that want it should learn how to engage with the posters, not quote post.

In my opinion, I would not want to see the environment be altered here due to twitter migrants who want what they had there. But hey thats just my opinion.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

They are just links with good previews. Instead of creating a separate concept for it, make link previews work better! scott.mn/2022/12/30/quote_toot…
in reply to Eugen Rochko

If we did do it we'd like to make it something you can opt out of, in a similar way to how we plan to allow disabling replies. It's not entirely trivial.

reshared this

in reply to Eugen Rochko

exactly what i was thinking! opt out makes quote tweeting more viable.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

i think people are just used to having what they are used to, maybe invent something new that achieve similar goals without the drawbacks?

I’d rather not have it
Reasoning here: mastodon.social/@kangaroo5383/…

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I personally don’t use them for sport, or direct my approach or message through them or that way… that’s just me…

It may feel a little “busier” on the feed, but if there is a way we can opt out of seeing them/having the feature… then I’m that person.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

yes, I really think enabling that feature while allowing users to opt in or out is the win. ✌️
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think not having quotes is the best thing about here. On the bird site my time line was full of people quote tweeting the extreme right to rant about how bad they were. This massively increased the rights reach. Without quote toots my time line is calm and I can believe the human race is not totally lost
in reply to Eugen Rochko

opt out as the person being quoted or the person following an account that uses quotes?
Also kudos, I personally like (and miss!) Quotes and respect that you are revisiting your position! 👍
in reply to Eugen Rochko

In that case: also the ability to turn on a notification if toots are quotes.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think this "quote toot" option, whatever it is, should be OPT-IN rather than opt-out. It should not be on by default.

I still think it isn't needed. You can link to any toot via URL anyway.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Do you think having quote-replies enable by default or disabled by default would be best?
Would it be an account-wide setting that could be changed on a per-post basis as well?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I liked an idea I heard from @alasaarela where he considered being able to do either a quote-boost (above) or a comment-boost (below), depending on the situation.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

donc l'un des fondateurs/développeurs de Masto revient sur sa pensée initiale et pense mettre en place les citations, comme sur Twitter, mais avec la possibilité de ne pas les autoriser individuellement...
Pourquoi pas...
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Providing an opt out option is a great idea. It is an important feature to give the original post more power. It will also reduce negative use of the #QT.

Yet ANOTHER feature #Mastodon has over #Twitter_Exit

in reply to Eugen Rochko

add the ability for users to filter them out and they can just go on as if the functionality was never added
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Overt harassment is one of the reasons quote-tweets are harmful.
Opt-out could solve this, but ONLY if it's retro-active, and deletes already existing quote-toots.

The other, far more common, way the feature is harmful to Twitter is that it encourages people to believe that amplifying harmful voices is the correct and proper way to respond to them. But in practice, Twitter has shown that amplifying harmful voices, even to criticize them with a brilliant bon mot, normalizes the harmful voices and helps them gain acceptance.

I don't think that opt-out solves that problem, because the most harmful voices are the ones most eager for any kind of attention, so of course they'll opt in.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

it's not trivial at all! Doing it safely, will take a lot of people hours to actually moderate, and software support for actually doing that moderation... and more!

The reasons for not having them are valid. So are the reasons for having them.

I would strongly suggest seeking guidance from folks like @timnitGebru and others she recommends.

We can make a difference and build software that supports human efforts to do better. We just need to listen, and listen again.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don't know how I feel about that.

We don't want to become like Twitter. Or do we?

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Could you start with quote-posts for only your own posts? That would already be quite useful
in reply to Eugen Rochko

the problem I see is that if someone posts something spiteful or disgusting it gets amplified. Even though lots of people will QT with stuff like 'I can't believe they posted this' it still gets seen by more people than it deserves and the hate poster is happy that they're getting attention.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I hope you won't add it. It will not make Mastodon a better place.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don't personally use it but thank you very much for designing it with the possibility of us having the option of opting out of it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I appreciate you and your team listening to the discussion and reconsidering your position. I hope you'll be able to implement the multi-level permissions that have been suggested — not just on or off, but the ability to limit QT to followers, followed, and/or mutuals would be greatly appreciated as well, but if that's too difficult, just a simple on-off setting would be better than nothing.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

urgh.. so this is the start of pandering to the crowd that just wish Mastodon was a perfect clone of Twitter instead of being something different >_<
in reply to Eugen Rochko

great!

I hope those.

- opt-out per posts and default setting
- option not to get mention by quotes and default setting
- option not to fetch quotes by following and default setting

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Question out of interest: What is the argument against an opt-in solution? So that by default the quoting of posts would be disabled (so the current state) and the administration of a Fediverse instance must activate this?😅😇😊
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thank you so much. I came into your replies to ask for an opt-out, and you've already considered it.

You have my thanks, and I complement you on being a thoughtful (and apparently good) developer

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Fantastic! Honestly that's all I need. I get that it has useful purposes but not all of us like going "viral" from QTs
in reply to Eugen Rochko

:fistbump:

Hell, it may have been as trivial as to make quoted posts appear above the booster. But I'm not sure myself. Good to have you on board with changes!

Sorry to see people bashing your old toot. Apparently, they are yet to learn that opinions are not immutable.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'm still not a fan tbh, but we'll adapt like with any change. Personally I strongly favor an opt-in rather than opt-out. Maybe run a poll on those options? 😎
in reply to Eugen Rochko

can it be made into a fifth level of visibility, a bit like:

Quotable
Public
Unlisted
Followers-only
Direct

That way, If I want to allow something to be quoted far and wide, I can set it accordingly.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

this seems like a measured and reasonable approach, thank you. As a Johhny-come-lately, QT is the one thing I miss the most from my near decade on the birdsite. In my fandom community, we mostly used it to boost while gushing over the thing we were boosting, or to add our perspective to a thing we saw. I get that it can be abused, but with the real live moderation here, that kind of bs can be nipped in the bud, and we could be free to gush in peace. 🥰🥰🥰
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I sympathize with the argument I've seen that it feels like the added portion to the quoted post adds very little, usually. But I think that it's no less trivial than any given random user's sparsely viewed posts anyway, and alas, I and clearly many others are still trying to find a way to share posts and our replies to them in an intuitive way.

One way I've seen is someone replying to a post and boosting their reply. On birdsite, replies and QTs were super separate threads, but maybe on Mastodon they could be implemented as a type of reply that simultaneously boosts (at least from a UI design perspective) both posts together? What I mean is a reply that shows in my followers feeds and displays the replied-to post above it, thread style. Perhaps this could also help with the issue of implementing permissions controlled by the original poster.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I would leave, quote posts are a tool of bullying and harassment, and nothing more
in reply to Eugen Rochko

can you opt out seeing quote toots? Because they often are performative acts of anger. "See how angry i am about this toot". Not seeing this kind of content is the main reason for me to stay here.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

But I think that's part of why it's important to implement it. There are plenty of people, including myself, talking about putting in some sort of patch that server owners can install to allow this sort of quote-and-reply boosting, and even a couple of implementations that have been done. One of the problems is that people who for whatever reason don't want that happening can't opt out, and another one is that there isn't a standardized method for it. I think having the central repo add it would do a lot in terms of setting a standard, even if people continue to make alternate versions: at the very least, I think we'd respect that opt-out feature.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

if anything, make it opt-in. I still don't think we need it though, I like the current pattern of reply + boost, it keeps it in the conversation.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

haven't read ever reply but I would suggest, if one one has already, to implement an option for admins to disable such feature for an instance. Maybe even prohibit other instances from quoting.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'm surprised. I would have assumed that post-Gamergate (2015) insights about the undesirable social use of QT to encourage dogpiling etc. would become solidified following the Infodemic (2020), Jan6 (2021), and the disclosures made by FB civic integrity PM and whistleblower Haugen (2021-2022). Just last week, this article specifically pointed to QT as a problem, and to decentralized social platforms as our hope: theswaddle.com/how-the-interne…
in reply to Eugen Rochko

agreed that it's not entirely trivial ... glad to hear that you're looking at it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Saw a somewhat charming approach some days ago. Instead of embedding the other post, the original post was shown prior in the feed, and the „quoting post“ as a response. This way it is possible to refere to another post in a direct way, but the initial post is still prioritized. This could be a good compromise from my view.

In this case this was a solution on the App side, which just worked when reply and boost were in the same timeframe.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I can guarantee that those complaining there isn’t a QT feature will not be happy if they’re not able to QT because that person had opted out.

But 100% agree that we should be able to opt out. I expect most people will be switching it off.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thanks for looking at this, I'd like to have it, but also agree with concerns about it being a vector for dog-piling.

Its a complicated one, we can link toots now, but quoting definitely changes all the human behavior around it.

Maybe also let instances enable/disable posting quote toots, and enable/disable if the quote is shown or just a link?

in reply to Eugen Rochko

The negative effects of enabling this will far outweigh the positive.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Please consider using opt-in as a default approach rather than opt-out. It is so much cleaner for new people to first understand what the ramifications of certain features are before opting in, than having a laundry list for new people where you say "quick turn of search engine indexing, quoting, this that and the next thing". Opt-out makes onboarding more daunting, and it is used so cynically on commercial offerings to extract value.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

QTs strip context. If we do QTs, they should probably note whether quote is part of thread or discussion.

The goal should be to show the right amount of info to emphasize that the reader should look further and not simply take the most immediately quoted toot at face value.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Shouldn't notification by quote be opt-in rather than opt-out? I've once seen a screenshot by a victim who was bullied through a QT on Twitter by someone who the victim doesn't know. The first notification seemed to be enough to make a big damage to the victim.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

it’d be great being able to opt-out it on account-level, as well as post-per-post basis
in reply to Eugen Rochko

How about this for QuoteToots?

By default only posts with hashtags can be quoted (after all, they are intended to be fairly public).

Accounts can change to AlwaysAllow if they are, for instance, a news or campaign organisation or just want their Mastodon experience to be more public.

Accounts can change to AlwaysBlock if they are concerned about abuse or wish their Mastodon experience to be more intimate.

#QuoteTweet #QuoteToot #QuotePost #Mastodon

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'm fine like this, but in case you will change your mind, would you please consider the option of a feature enabling admins to disable quote replies at instance level? This will allow to remove at local level a potentially toxic feature whose absence was wisely enforced by design up to now. Thanks!
in reply to Eugen Rochko

QTs weren't something that I thought about until coming here and reading your and others thoughts on the negative points about them. Which convinced me to be opposed to them.

So if you so add the feature I'd prefer an opt-in rather than opt-out.

I'm not sure opt-in would work though because I guess people wouldn't opt-in in enough numbers to make it useful for those that do want it.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

thank you. I don’t want that hot take culture to take over here.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'd strongly prefer an opt-*in*. With the fast growth of Mastodon the risk of misuse might be bigger, so switched off as standard seems safest.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

> If we did do it we'd like to make it
> something you can opt out of, in a
> similar way to how we plan to allow
> disabling replies.

I think, I would be annoyed by not being able to respond. Could we have a filter for this kind of toots?

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I've only seen journalists asking for it, so opt-in would make sense I guess?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

disabled replies is one of the more frustrating features of Twitter.

On Mastodon, you can already only ask the people who are following you. Disabling replies leads to public posts with questions you can’t answer.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

personally not a fan of quote replies, being able to opt out of them sounds good in theory, but then if a user opts out they then run the risk of losing possible engagement on a toot, from someone who might only engage because of the quote reply function.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Why not simply expand the preview of a link to a toot so that it also shows the text within Mastodon?

Like for this one. It should not only show your name and photo but also the toot text:

mastodon.social/@Gargron/10962…


I don't feel as strongly about quote posts as I did in 2018. Personally, I am not a fan, but there is clearly a lot of demand for it. We're considering it.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Perhaps you can have an opt-in system that allows quote boosting if the quoted writer allows it. The settings could be:

Allow quote boosts...
* Always
* Never
* With my approval

in reply to Eugen Rochko

THANK YOU. This is really important to make Mastodon safe for all users.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think this would be a bad idea, and for exactly the same reasons you ruled it out before.
It seems to me those looking for this are new here (as I am). They are just the loudest voices, as no one shouts much to retain a status quo. It's not needed, if they want they can put the direct link to a toot in their text.
It will be used to dunk on users. Of that there's no doubt
in reply to Eugen Rochko

's plan to modify Mastodon to disable replies strikes me as profoundly misguided and likely to make fighting disinformation and lies more difficult.

No one who makes a public statement should have either the right or means to constrain replies -- whether positive or negative. If it is within one's right to speak, it is certainly within another's right to respond.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I wish you wisdom. I do personally not miss the functionality and am, after eight weeks of tooting, quite convinced that your arguments for not implementing it are as valid now as they were then and increase the value of the platform. Just my two cents, mind.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

There is clearly also a lot of demand to *not* implement something like that.

#QuotePosts

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I prefer the ‘opt in’ alternative. Let those who want it get it, don’t force those who don’t want it to get rid of it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Just a suggestion: An opt out/in setting not just with "allow/disallow" but with the values "allow all users, only allow followed users, only allow mentioned users, disallow all users" as an account setting with the option to change it per toot.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

please consider this approach which could solve many of the cons of this feature: mastodon.social/@bigzaphod/109…
in reply to Eugen Rochko

This is the right thing to do. Add the feature and allow users to disable if they so desire ✅ 👍
in reply to Eugen Rochko

His can you opt out of it? That doesn't makes sense given that you can just link it as a workaround.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

But please.. please.. not like Twitter does.

It seems so bad that if other people take the content of the original poster and gets more reach with that without some 'credit' or something..

On Twitter it was always the 'famous' people who ripped the tweets of others and got popular with it.. That seems so wrong

in reply to Eugen Rochko

This sounds like a good compromise. I'd like to have a quote function. Then I can explain, why I boost something and it's helpful for people who follow me to engage with me as well.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I do believe that the absence of quote-tweets is something that really makes a conversation healthier here. I still remember Twitter introducing quote-tweets and it starting slam-dunks from all sides of the spectrum.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Honestly, I'd be more for quote posts than turning off replies. Turning off replies is how people put disinformation out while limiting the ability of others to comment. I think its one of the more problematic things the bird site ever did.

I see corporations and hateful people limiting replies far more often than I see it from any other group.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Sounds great! An account wide preset combined with granular control on each post would be nice.
It's sad that quoting on Twitter was often used in a bad way, but sometimes I just want to post a "Hey, look at this artist!" with a bit more context for my bubble. It works without quoting but it feels like when you're in a conversation and can't pull out your phone to quickly show people what you're actually talking about.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don't have strong feelings either way. I tended to use it on Twitter in a positive way: perhaps to support an opinion, or often to boost a new initiative or book, giving my opinion on why it's worthwhile. However, I have seen too many pile-ons started by QTs, and I quite understand why many people here are against them.

So if it is introduced, I think the default should be opt-in. Make it as easy as possible for people to have a good experience.

Thanks for listening.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

More than just opting in on having your posts quoted, I hope we will be able to opt out of seeing them in our Home timeline. One of the under discussed worst aspects of quote tweets is mutuals using them bring stuff you try to avoid into your timeline. Like popular accounts you don’t necessarily want to block or mute, but don’t follow, but since folks want to add their two cents there they are.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I am making good use of the filter to hide bird site links and would really appreciate a tic-box there to opt out of seeing quotes or being (ab)used via quotes. I appreciate that others would see it more positively though.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

as a victim of harassment, I strongly support quoted posts.
Users will always be cited by people at other instances by copying and pasting the post URL. But if I am not warned about it, I cannot check if the quote is a loyal comment or plain defamation.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

As a first-pass, the privacy setting of the post should be sufficient: if the post is public (i.e not unlisted, not followers-only), then it's fair game for QPs. If, for whatever reason, the original author wants to limit access after-the-fact, then changing the privacy setting for the post from public -> unlisted would achieve the desired effect

From an implementation standpoint, QPs could be implemented as a fully-rendered embed of the output from the /embed API endpoint

in reply to Eugen Rochko

But in true 2022/2023 fashion... Make it a poll that only Patreon members can vote on.

(This is a joke btw, please do not draw your pitchforks 🙏 )

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Not sure how that would help, you can still quote post with a screenshot and that doesn't address if someone retracts or edits a post. I'd rather have that chance to fix or clarify a post the someone quotes then just blocking it.

What's the logic in blocking quote posts?

in reply to Eugen Rochko

yeah I would expect it to take some time to implement this in a better way that adds the right friction / boundary-control points
in reply to Eugen Rochko

could you also please make it so that a quote-boost of a public toot CANNOT be locked/private or instance-only? I think that would do the most good toward reducing harm and discouraging the negative use cases seen on Twitter.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Could instances choose to disregard the opt out setting though? Then it becomes moot with all the issues that can follow? I get that quoting is convenient but the same can be achieved with a bit less convenience and by using the link to a particular toot?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Please look at issue 20673. It's got a lot of noise but good work on how the logic for this could work. See my comments (buried somewhere near the middle at this point) for good summary.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Does this need a change in the ActivityPub protocol or can this be a mastodon only change? (Sorry my technical understanding here is limited)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I remember why you did not want the quote posts and I still think you was right.

I understand that Twitter users feel more comfortable to be on a similar "environment" but this is not Twitter and some of us we are here exactly for that.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

that would be great! Then people who don’t want it can duck the downsides and it can foster communication, growth, journalism, etc. I’m delighted to learn you are considering this!! Please do it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

That's a brillant way appropriate to the culture of Mastodon! Thanks for your thoughts, efforts and for all of your great work! 🌟🙏🏼
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I’d wait out the current moment. I joined, and said ‘where’s the quote post?’ It’s not necessary, and if someone really feels the need, they can comment in their own toot and post a link. There are a lot of new users who need to live with/use the app as it is before deciding. Demand may fade.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

What about making them a #QuoteReply (roughly equivalent to a repost with additional reply text)? This avoids the problem of splitting the conversation, instead encouraging interaction with the original poster. See here for proposal and discussion: fediphilosophy.org/@keithwilso…
in reply to Eugen Rochko

is there any way to make it easier to see the captioning for the visually impaired, when composing it? I have visual issues myself and find it hard to see the letters when composing. They seem to be partially covered by the keyboard and the white font makes it difficult for me to see on top off the image. I’m new here and it could be the way I have set it up. Thank you 🙏
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Great!

I advise it to make it opt-in by default and make the opt-out/opt-in question configurable for server admins in config/setting.yml. I also would make bots always opt-out.

I also have a related idea about account presets. That people can choose at sign-up (or later if they want) what kind of account they want with associated settings. The account preset 'journalism and media' would e.g. enable QT's, enable discoverable, enable search indexing, etc. On the other site will the account preset 'as private as possible' enable all privacy features, post visibility to followers only, lock account, etc. Just an idea that popped out in my head. Maybe I need make it a Github issue.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

rather default setting was off for that feature with an “opt in” option. QT is not that desirable. If you’re going to re-blog a post, commentary should come after the “RT” not as a header as is current with QT on the bird site. And remember, we called them Re-Tweets and had to copy paste and append RT manually.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Much respect for considering this!

As a long time consumer of online communities, my sense it that the real danger with Quote Posts isn't harrasment (which can happen plenty of other ways), but they help basic misunderstandings to accelerate into angry conflict.

Giving the user the choice should greatly address that concern w/people who don't want that drama. The worst dog pile I was under came via friendly accounts after one person amplified one misunderstood one post in a thread.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

good. Everyone I've communicated with who wants it also wants it to be opt-in, on a per-post basis.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I would say stick to no explicit quote tweet behavior but handle it however you handle the preview of links to mastodon posts and potentially allow masking of the preview
in reply to Eugen Rochko

A user-controlled option would be wonderful. Thanks for considering!
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Also, please include a feature to stop seeing any further QTs of a given post. If everyone is dunking on the same awful post, I don't want to have to see the same awful post over and over again
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I clicked on the OP to suggest that you could definitely implement it in such a way that would uphold your original reasoning for not including it. Glad you've already put thought into it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Question: what happens if someone quote posts a post that from an instance that has been banned on my instance?

Is this going to become a method that people use for #fediblock evasion?

What about quoted posts of people I've muted / blocked?

I think this is a much more difficult feature to implement in a large scale federated environment.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Just to raise a question, as I don't know enough about the technical aspects even to speculate properly. Possible for "disallow quotes" be retroactive? If the option is on & a post goes unexpectedly out of control, could users have the option to make the quote-posts vanish? Maybe not as effective as just deleting & maybe overly complicated. Not sure. This is just brainstorming. But it's often incredibly difficult to predict what goes viral--or even a few steps in that direction.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

how can anyone possibly know how a quoted toot is going to be recontextualize in advance of allowing or disallowing it to be quoted.
Consent is meaningless when outcome is unknowable.
Retracting consent or consenting per quote is impossible / impractical.
We have a garbage website for dog-piles, it’s garbage.
Please not on #mastodon
in reply to Eugen Rochko

thank you! I'd really like to have a quotable feature, and that's a great idea to make it opt-in.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

This helps make Mastodon and the #Fediverse an improvement over the failing bird site. I missed being able to quote-toot when I first arrived but it didn’t take long to realize it was just a habit and adjust. I’ve seen numerous others saying similar. The folks who are the most vociferous on this appear to have not even tried to adjust, they just want the other site without the new order/owner.
A very granular (toot-level) opt-in function would be ok, but not just an on/off per account…
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I remember seeing a thread by a social media researcher saying your worry of QTs was justified by the data. So maybe keep that in mind.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

An opt-out seems like the way to go. I personally do want QT but I think good faith users wouldn’t be looking to QT those who opt out anyway.

Mainly I think people (not looking to harass others) want to share posts that expect/want to be shared (news, articles, this thread) to their own followers and just add their comment or context.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

PLEASE make this opt-in by default. Also yes on being able to turn it off.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'll take it. Hell, here's one further suggestion:

Make it per-profile-optional. Toot itself contains a hint that it's a QRT, and each profile itself has a choice in their options to "Show Quoted Toot", "Show 'Show Quoted Toot' Buttton", or "Do not show quoted toot" (so, combo box).

in reply to Eugen Rochko

make them opt in, not opt out. And quote posts are not able to be hidden from the original poster.

I still think they're terrible and encourage poor behavior.

Instead of conversation, people just start shouting. Encourages clout chasing, etc.

It's nice here without them.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think this is the key. Make it at least semi consensual, or have the ability to lock out QTs.

Focus on positive conversation moving boosts, not dunks.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I like that you can’t quote post here. Definitely should be an option to opt out if changes are made.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

The joy of Mastodon is that it is a conversation not a soapbox or clout platform. Replies are central to conversation, the distancing of a QT is not. If really needed, a link works fine. I’m new to actually being active here (set up an account in ‘17 but didn’t use it) and seems to me we should spend some time getting comfortable with the culture that’s been built before insisting you move the furniture around.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

displaying the quote above the responding text, allowing people to choose not to allow themselves to be quoted, and notifying the quoted user of the quote would together make a compelling difference from Twitter usage and solve real problems.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

If you do allow QTs, I'd like to see them automatically inserted in the replies to the toot being quoted. That way, people would be sharing the OT while also contributing to the conversation rather than derailing it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Developer Chris Wetherell built Twitter’s retweet button. And he regrets what he did to this day.

“We might have just handed a 4-year-old a loaded weapon,” Wetherell recalled thinking as he watched the first Twitter mob use the tool he created. “That’s what I think we actually did.”

“The biggest problem is the quote retweet,” [head of Product] Goldman told BuzzFeed News. “Quote retweet allows for the dunk. It’s the dunk mechanism.”

buzzfeednews.com/article/alexk…

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thanks for putting thought into this

One of the most important features is visibility into "who is linking/quoting to my post [within ActivityPub]" to enable someone to block the primary source of harassment. But especially on a decentralized protocol like ActivityPub, that's nontrivial to say the least, and most (but not all) approaches would be inevitably incomplete.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thank you for this careful approach.

I am not keen of quoted posts because I like the idea of a platform that forgets.

Quoted posts would take the control over my posts out of my hand.

Editing, deleting, reposting - all these dearly loved features of Mastodon would be at risk.

I am very happy without quoted posts 🤷

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Sounds perfect! It would be great if replies, boosts and quotes were all toggleable on both account and individual toot level.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I spent a while today on the birdsite. QTs seem to be used almost entirely to stoke outrage. I can’t say I miss them, or the constant “be offended by this!” noise.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

The only way I'd like to see this happen, especially if you're going to let people opt-out of replies, is tie quotes to replies.

If a reply is boosted it should quote the post it's replying to for context when you see the boosted reply by itself in your feed (without having to click through to see the OP). That would allow people to quote post only by boosting a reply, which would also preserve your original argument against quoting in favor of replying.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

doesn’t really make sense to allow opting out unless you ban images, since many quote posts are screen captures.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

"quote posts" should be a type of reply. ie: quoting a post doesn't escape the thread, it just boosts the thread in your own TL at the same time as replying.

That's my only objection to a "quote" feature: it encourages drive-by comments about another thread, rather than promoting discussion within the original.

example UI: a tickbox when writing a reply which says "also boost", and on your TL it boosts the OP while also making your reply visible. Call it a boost-reply.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Hey, Eugen. I think quotes are a nice feature to have, it allows users to speak about topics without losing context. Yeah, quotes could be used to harass someone but having settings to handle them should be a must. Personally, I hate quotes from private accounts where you cannot reply.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

@Gargron@mastodon.soc ial

Sometimes I've found quote posting helpful to explain, praise or contextualise something. I agree that it should be manageable, to minimise abuse.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Why don’t people just use a link to a toot with their comments added?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thank you. I'm glad you're thinking carefully about it. That's even more important than the added features - that you're considering the impact. This is such a friendly place!
in reply to Eugen Rochko

the opt out feature would be great. Although I’m sure this would not be simple either - another modified option would be the ability to quote our own prior posts. It would allow everyone to quickly reference things we have said before that we want to add on to, without imposing the feature on others.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

That is the perfect compromise!

Opting into maybe? Instead of out of? ☑️ Quote Boosting Allowed (on this post).

Possibly only allowing it at the level of the OP?

in reply to Eugen Rochko

You can provide an opt out position on quote posts. But that doesn't address the fact that it can be used to help both the quote poster and the one being quoted. If someone insists they can't be quote posted they'll simply have their words provided without proof the entire meaning was provided. If someone thinks they're not being treated fairly by a quote poster they can complain and if they don't get satisfaction, they can block the offender. That seems a better approach to me.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

you could push quote toot responses into the thread.

So, allow people ( subject to opt ins/outs) to quote a post, but if someone replies, then it forms part of the original thread, rather than some off kilter side shoot. Might need a little label maybe (user x quote tooted) or some other indicator.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Given that one can already reply and then boost one's reply, could QT on Mastodon merely combine those operations into one step? QTs elsewhere are toxic because the original author has no visibility or control/influence, whereas replies (such as this, which I'll boost) could be the way to go. #QuoteToot #QuotePost #MastodonEvolution
in reply to Eugen Rochko

what about disable _notifications_ of your post being quoted, not the quote functionality in other user's UI.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Maybe an accountwide opt in, that could be overwritten by an opt out at postlevel would be something that everyone could live with.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Disabling replies I mostly see as commercial, corporate broadcasting platforms & #BillGates.

Small bug: I lose the top of my menus in a desktop browser. This is vertical 900 pixels screen in Chromium/Linux at about the middle of the screen:

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Good afternoon. Happy New Year’s. I hope all is well. I wanted to share some false news that is being spread on Mastodon. May you please look at what disclose.tv on Twitter is posting about us. Thank you. I am absolutely outraged by this behavior. It appears they are posting this information to hurt us. I posted the link. Please take a look at what this individual has posted. Have a good day ser.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

A fine compromise. My bet? After 6 months, not even 5% will opt-out, and that number will shrink quickly as people realize that much of the "abuse" was never a real issue (the moderation was). But your better reason, imo, that it promoted a lesser kind of engagement, may still prove accurate. I personally doubt it, but it might. Either way, it will be what it will. Time will tell. Thanks for revisiting it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think this would be a good mix, having the feature but letting people opt-out of having posts quoted. That way, if someone is very much against the feature or has been trolled by people using it (as many of us have experienced on Twitter), then we have the option to disable that feature.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Please do enable an opt out or make or opt in to start with. Have not missed numerous quote posts with eyeballs or a thread emoji.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think any form of quote toot would kneecap the platform's appeal to me. On the one hand you've got the timeline filling up with posts from like, parlor.toot because some well meaning doofus wanted to quote it and get their dunks in, on the other hand if you can toggle it off, you miss good people using it to hype up other good people with glowing reviews or recommendations.

Just let your boost be boost and toot be toot.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

My gut feeling tells me that that demand is coming mostly from people who came over here from Birdsite last year. Because the other site had it is not a good reason for introducing it - you should look at the quality of the demand, not the quantity.

One of the things that makes the conversations in this place more friendly is that we to NOT have this feature. Individually opting out will not fix the problems it introduces by people talking ABOUT instead of TO each other. #mastodon

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Do not collapse into another site's UX just from pressure. Please consult the UX research on how such a feature impacts discourse, and make the choice, either way, with eyes open.

It may well tilt interactions here toward animosity.

The addition of quote boosts is unlikely to significantly increase adoption.

Let new features improve things, not merely mimic.

A noisy constituency should not rule the day just because they're loud.

Thank you for all your hard work. #ux

#UX
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Honestly, I don't think mastodon is nicer because of the lack of quotes, it's nicer because there's no profit driven company behind it.

I think quotes will be just fine, although it would be very nice if we'd get control about who can quote our posts.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

It seems that on the bird site there are two main kinds of quote tweets: the equivalent of a boost but with an extra comment from the booster, and the "dunk", the "look at this idiot" quote tweet. Perhaps the software could provide the feature but moderators could rule out the second kind as abusive.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I felt it was missing when I joined as part of the great #twittermigration but now I find I interact more with people by responding. It is much better to have a discussion with someone about what they say, rather than to start a conversation away from them saying ‘guess what X said…’
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thank you. This is how a platform that values community should develop. As the needs of the community evolve, thank you for being open to new views. Making it optional is a good way to let the community decide whether to use the feature or not depending on how it works in the real world.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

For me why it is a valuable option is sometimes a post triggers a thought that is adjacent to the topic and a reply seems like the wrong way to enter the conversation. Sometimes it’s useful as linking to evidence or fact checking to a point you’re making. It’s can be valuable tool.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

The thing I like most about it is that often you get so much more useful context in a QT
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Don’t. Hold on to your manifesto. Copying the link is enough.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

as a former fan of the quote post I think it'd be a bad step for the platform. Rarely does it encourage debate and more often than not it's used primarily to snipe at other users without having to engage with them.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I am so happy! Clearly you have an open mind 😊 Thank you VERY much for both recognizing the strong demand for #QT and reconsidering this feature. This is one of the many values I connect with through #Mastodon !
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Have y'all done user research on a feature before? What metrics do you track for decision making? Do you share that data publicly?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

This is cool. If you do end up implementing something, I think it’s a great opportunity to rethink how it works rather just copying over the Twitter feature. (Personally, I’m in favor of making the quoted post more prominent and the “commentary” less so.)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

in a federation how would you ensure independent instances honor the opt-out
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I like the idea of opt in/opt out quote posts. It keeps the original poster in charge, while allowing the option of nuanced discussion.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I missed it when I first joined back in 2019, but now I get the resistance.

I've been saying for a while now that it's important to think about how the features of an application influence the use of the application.

Quote posts are definitely at this category. I believe they have (unintentionally) promoted a less healthy environment that leads to dog-piling and brigading, and detract from direct conversation.

I feel this would have a seriously negative impact on Mastodon.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Like this?


IMHO the central question is, if these should be "contextualized" boosts or just posts on their own, linking/embedding another post like we have it on #friendica.

On #birdsite quoted reposts keep a link to the original post for metrics so it became a special kind of reply. If it is just a quote, perhaps the quotee should get some notification (by mentioning) and the link is put below the comment. But those are just my two cents.

@[url=https://mastodon.social/users/eugen]eugen[/url] Rochko

@Gargron@mastodon.social:

I don't feel as strongly about quote posts as I did in 2018. Personally, I am not a fan, but there is clearly a lot of demand for it. We're considering it.



in reply to Eugen Rochko

love that you’re considering this and giving users more agency over how their content is consumed and shared at the same time.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

@Sanjuktampaul@mstdn.socia

Ok, wholly apart from my support for quote posts, this is a great general attitude for a developer to have!

Especially one who is now playing a big leadership role in a vast, fast-growing, and unruly community. Nice, @Gargron
I’m impressed.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

cheers, a good move IMO. Usually I want to add some context to posts before sharing; and the lack of quotes makes me boost less and share less
in reply to Eugen Rochko

no. Just leave it the way it is. Please. Don’t give in to the vocal minority.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

It seems like a big part of the abuse potential of the QT is that the “quoter” appears above the “quoted” which allows them to recontextualize the quote - the reader sees the new context and the “quote” is boxed in to some uncharitable reading. QT with the quoter beneath the quoted might make a difference?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I use quote posts for curating: adding local context and making connections, in order to interest people to investigate ideas/articles that may not be obvious from the original poster's text. I'm a bumble-bee, I cross-pollinate and spread ideas into new fields 😀

With a quote, both my addition (as a pointer) and the original (the substance) are visible; but here, doing it inelegantly with Reply, the substance is hidden in the timeline :-\

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thanks for considering it. #QuoteReply instead of #QuotePost might also be an option. Whether displayed above or below OP, replies won't get forked. Moreover limiting and/or hiding replies would be great.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

thank you for listening to the community! Quotes are an essential part of multi-party conversations, and conversations are a much richer way to communicate than people reacting and boosting a few influencers posts. Because Mastodon doesn't have algorithms that optimize for toxicity, the threat is smaller.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

please don't. One of the reasons users came to Mastodon before birdsite exodus was the absence of echo chamber. I read the discussions to add quoting but to my understanding it was requested just to make Mastodon as similar to users' former platform as possible. Mastodon stands out as a social platform of its own strengths. Please let's not drag in baggage of other sites just to make it less diverse.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Please, use the same values that already exist with other softwares.
"quote_id" when posting and "quote" like for "reblog" in status object.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

There we go. "opting" is for few. The rest will be Twitterisierung. But as a newbie, too, I should not have a horse in the race. The silent bad faith actors will enjoy how loud "good" actors are helping them. But difficult of course simply by loud demand in the wave of gentrification by (us) twitter movers (and workarounds punching holes). "I want" vs restraints normally has a forseeable outcome.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Please don't, this lovely place would likely turn into another rage-inducing hell like Twitter.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

...make the ability to be QT'ed an opt-in feature, granular? Never, Always, or Selected (Follows, Followers, As Hoc)?
This entry was edited (1 year ago)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Since pretty much moving to Mastodon 100%, I haven't missed them one little bit. Whenever I do do dip my toe back into the other place, I'm confronted with retweets of the worst people (who I'm here to get away from), amplified in order to decry them. It's to get precious likes and follows, of course, but it means the worst tweets get the most amplified by both followers and detractors.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

better make it smth to toggle because quote retweets were used to incite harassment. As in, if i want my post to be quote-posted then i should be able to turn that on/off.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don't like the quoting feature, that kept me out if Twitter. Please, if you set a quoting feature, make out/off the default for our toots, and give us some control over quotes showed in out timeline, it could become endless.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I still don’t really like the idea of quote posting. I think it makes the platform less social. When I was quoted on twitter it felt more like someone was pointing me out in a crowd to make some comment to their friends (whether it was positive or negative). Replies are just inherently more conversational which based on my priorities is better.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

please make sure we can opt-out from reading them too (just like we can hide boosts from certain people).
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Not a fan either. If anything, could it be done in such a way that I would have the choice to turn it off?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Perhaps changing the format for quote posts is something to consider, I think the way Twitter does it highlights the original post far too much.

It should give enough context for the readers without attracting too much attention to the original post.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

If you can choose to opt-out, this feature could be huge! 👍
in reply to Eugen Rochko

That's real cool to hear! One of the things that I disliked about Mastodon when I first encountered it about 5 years ago was the lack of an ability to boost someone's post while writing it on your timeline, or to put your own reply on your own timeline with their post for context when you wanted people to see it. I think any sort of functionality that allows that sort of interplay, even if it's just the ability to link replies to your own timeline and have it show the post you're replying to for context, would really facilitate that sort of content.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

please don’t. We all survived for many year at the other place without QT but the place went downhill fast when they were introduced. The journalists especially can do their jobs without and report what a person has said rather than stick an editorial rider above it. And organisers of pile-ons can’t direct their troops onto the hapless — a bit of inconvenience is a small price to pay for eliminating that grotesqueness.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Please don't. It's a slippery slope to recreating just another Twitter clone.

The great thing about Mastodon is that people actually engage in conversations with each other. The lack of quote posts encourages that.

How about a "Boost and reply" button instead so that people can boost a post and reply to it with a single click.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I am incredibly against them as they breed toxicity and just act as a way to try and put people out of context to your audience
in reply to Eugen Rochko

maybe it can be done differently. For example „boosting comment” - so somebody is commenting, but marking field and orginal post is apearing on their timeline with their comment as new toot, and same comment is under orinal post as part of discussion? Just a thought 😅
in reply to Eugen Rochko

by coincidence, I just wrote a blog post yesterday analysing some of the most popular arguments for QTs. Maybe this is of interest.

write.as/ulrikehahn/scrutinisi…

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I see both sides. I think it has a lot of negative effects but I do miss commenting on things I share that aren't dunky/flamey.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

That's great. Your original statement about why you rejected them makes no sense and doesn't fit at all with the direct experience of many users who have experienced the worst online harassment. Quote-posting was *not* the driver of harassment you think it was, and serves many, many useful curatorial and educational functions for scientists, as just one example.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Time and again I feel that I need quote posts here, but eventually I find it exciting and refreshing to deal with them missing.

Because they sure will surface some bad behavior of me... Maybe you should be able to toggle off quotes for yourself, too, so you have a threshold and are less tempted.
Maybe it should ask you before quoting if you are about to say something nice, and if not if you wouldn't rather just block the person.

But I am happy for all those quote enthuasiasts if the feature is coming. Thank you for your efforts anyway 😀

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Although I used quote tweets on the bird app, I usually only added an actual quote from articles I was tweeting. However, I did get trolled by quote tweets--so I'd like to be able to block trolls from doing that on here.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I've been here about 6 weeks now and I've adjusted to the space I have opted to join.
There's a lot of demand for sugar but it doesn't make it better for us. I'm wondering how much extra work it may it may not create for site moderators.
Not that I know an awful lot.
Moving to Mastadon has reminded me how basic my IT skills are. I'm okay with being humbled.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thanks! I'd suggest 3-fold support:
- Users can opt-in to allowing quote posts (in general)
- A user can allow a quote-post on an individual toot
-If a user feels a toot is being abused through a quote-post, they can disable it for the post retrospectively & revoke any quote-posts that had been done.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I’m sure you’ve heard this from others, but would love if you considered making them tumblr-style reblogs, where the commentary goes below the original post! Feels a lot more collaborative that way ❤️
in reply to Eugen Rochko

my two cents: this feature should not be added unless it is supported by ActivityPub. Breaking compatibility with the rest of the Fediverse defeats the primary goal of the project.

If that means getting the standard updated first, so be it. There is no rush. We've been making do without this feature since the beginning.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Must confess I used Twitter on a daily basis for several years and never even knew quote tweeting was a thing. (If you wonder how that's possible, I had a standing rule to never read replies there.) But here, it would have been handy on several occasions when I wanted to respond to a particular idea someone posted. Threads get chaotic and difficult to follow, so the ability to quote would be useful. I made do the old-school way, with copy and paste.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

often people want to have things that are more evil than good, when you think about it twice
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don't really need them & I don't mind them. But recently I have realized that sometimes people might want to boost something that is in another language and translate it into the main language of their audience. In such cases, that feature would be very useful.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

There is no need for it for the software to work. I hope you do not add it.

I get the feeling the demands are mostly from (ex)Twitter users who haven't had the time to get used to here and want to keep their habits.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Please don’t. Having been active here for a little while it has become increasingly obvious that there is nothing that quote posts add that cannot be achieved in other, more constructive ways.

You seem to have found an elusive behavioural ‘nudge’ that encourages engagement while discouraging polarisation and tribalism. Don’t let the Twitter influx persuade you to turn Mastodon into another Twitter. Thank you!

in reply to Eugen Rochko

It's no secret that bad actors on the bird site get their controversial (and often quite vile) posts in front of more people using QR's - how will Mastodon tackle this? My twitter timeline is virtually unreadable because of QR's from well meaning people boosting the worst of the worst, I don't see how limiting who can QR your own tweets isn't going to stop this on Mastodon
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I like quotes as they are the meat of a book or what someone said.
It is a good way to learn something in condensed form.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

would it be possible to give the person quoted some degree of control? For example, if they blocked the quoter, maybe they would no longer show up in the quoted post.

This seems like a compromise that might mitigate the bullying problem a bit.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think it's now effectively a referendum on changing the culture to something with the risks and benefits of Twitter. It seems to me the core aim is to make it easier to use social media for influence, clout, and manipulation vs than "same-level" communication. It'll always be claimed to be for the greater good of course.

One question is whether you want the responsibility for mitigating the known risks of empowering that culture. Or is the next step "helpful" volunteers taking over?

in reply to Eugen Rochko

nice! And please concise network - wide hashtag search. So much content gets lost in some corners here
in reply to Eugen Rochko

can you start by improving link previews for posts and makes sure that links to Fediverse content federates correctly? This alone would fix much of the issues of QT even without a specific UI
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don't much care about quote toots, but boy, I would love to have a better indicator that a post is a reply in a conversation.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thanks, I think they’d add context and texture to discussions here.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Hmmm. It took me quite some time to get used to the fact that you can't quote posts.
Now I'm quite happy, that we don't have it here ...
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thank you! As an artist, I love Quote retweets to gush about how amazing a piece of art is, and I also love ot when people QRT my work
in reply to Eugen Rochko

please consider the effects of QTs - for example those who use it are often those who don’t want a proper conversation, because you can’t follow the conversation easily. It is commonly used by right wing journalists and MPs to encourage a pile on. Not having it is refreshing!
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Ethical concerns about quote posts and full text search seem resolvable by letting users opt in. What am I missing?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

please, by Default opt in. Some of us do not need quote posts. Or that the Option is available only to people who activate it on settings. Something like that
This entry was edited (1 year ago)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Another thing I still miss is to get some sort of "view" of what is actively spoken about on the network, or at least in *my* network. I know I can search for / follow hashtags, but something like a wordcloud of frequently used terms in my network would be nice.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'm not a fan either. I was a Twitter user before quote tweets were introduced and I really think it changed the platform. I think opting out will only work if we can opt out of seeing other people's quotes. Thanks for all you do!
in reply to Eugen Rochko

please don’t do this, quote tweeting is mostly folks trying to dunk on one another with bs hot takes, there’s no need for that here and Mastodon is better without it.

If folks want to quote tweet, let ‘‘em do it old school style and copy/paste with rt tag.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I donate to #mastodon project mainly to get quote posts.

When you eliminate the #algorithm that incentives nastiness to generate more impressions for more ad revenue then it removes incentive to abuse quote posts.

Unknown parent

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Quoting would be a nice feature for various reasons, but it could also be an unnecessary torture. I feel that it's okay to be quoted when someone wants to boost + express their opinion in one post without taking part in the conversation. Not having to be notified, or see, that someone quoted you (at least as an option) would save a lot of mental work and energy to people getting upset, having to block, mute, get back at, etc. And it prevents active misquoting, right?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

quoting posts is my most missing feature in Mastodon.
I don't like share toots without adding a comment why I want to share it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don't like them but I also don't care that much about it.

My view is that Quoting detracts from the original post and puts the focus on the quoter. Any boosts or likes on the quote are not reflected as boosts or likes on the original, unless you make some interesting technical decisions 😅.

Knowing the reach and effect of your post is useful and quoting will dull that ability. It will effectively give a tool for influencers and trolls.

This feature should be known as Quote Boost.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thanks! It's great to be able to add a few own words to stuff you boost to help give it some context.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I find the absence of quote posts contributes a lot to the nice atmosphere here. It’s a feature I don’t miss.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don’t see any good reason to enable quote posts and some strong reasons not to. I’d go even further and crack down on screencap posts that are used for the same nasty hatchet job.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

simply don't!

They just want you to clone #birdsite with its negative effects.

in reply to Billie

@Billie
Please don't, the Fediverse and also Mastodon have developed like this so far and after years here you also notice the positive effect precisely because of the lack of it.

Yes, the demand for it comes back with every wave and it makes you tired, but we should still not introduce it.

It is precisely the lack of it that makes for better discussions, and those who have good reasons for it can do so easily by another means.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I have a question concerning governance and guidelines: Who actually decides on this exactly? According to which criteria?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

people post links to toots and bypass to achieve the same outcome… I dislike quote tooting, too, but a managed approach is preferable imho
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I like mastodon for how it encourages original posting not making remarks on other’s post. Personally not a fan of quote boosts. May make citing easier so people can comment on toots on timelines when needed?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

it'll be hundreds and hundreds of quote-boosts that just say "yep" "this" "same" . It will dilute out the actually interesting, unique content that makes this place special now. If they say they're "thinking about it" then it's already going to happen, which is really too bad. It was one of my favorite things here.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I believe there's an item in the tracker for it? And it includes settings in the account "allow quote posts" and per toot settings "account default/allow quote/disallow quote"?

That would be giving people options.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

how about opting in or out (which would also show/hide QTs from display) and auto opt out if you have less than certain number of followers, and maybe a trial period.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I recently read that the lack of this feature is responsible for the other demeanour of people here. You can't toot just to your bubble, everything you toot is visible for all, this makes it harder to rally warriors against others. With that in mind, I think it's better to continue to do without it.

By the way: Thanks for this wonderful platform. I'm amazed about the decent and civilized exchange here. For me, this makes it a place where I like to take part in. 🙏 🙏 🙏

in reply to Eugen Rochko

When I follow a new person on Birdsite, the very first thing I do is disable rebirds by that person.

I hate people boosting something without adding their view or opinion on the matter. If I follow you, I want YOUR opinion, not that of a stranger.

Contrary to most, I think quoted boosts should be the only kind of boosts allowed. I would definitely appreciate the option to see only quoted boosts and hide all others.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

to date not having QT is the best argument I use to persuade people to join Mastodon... It really helps to make people thing about talking To rather than About someone else.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don't know about this specifically, but there is a bias for change. People that are happy with the status quo are less likely to post about it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thank you for considering it! can you also consider how to make mastodon's version if you implement it work interoperably with the rest of the fediverse that already has it? it would be great if it could display properly across platforms.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Genuine question: What's the practical difference between a QRT and just linking to a toot?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don’t want quote posts, if you decide to add it, please let us choose show/not show this option, thanks!
in reply to Eugen Rochko

One benefit is that people see straight off the bat, that the quote really is from the quoted person. Not just propaganda. I see this as an improvement against dis- and misinformation.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

The point of adding a quote-post feature is to allow users to add context to items already shared on Mastodon servers without having to go through extra steps. Some prefer to limit discussion by hiding behind the lie that the tools create the culture, when it's the other way around. Those insisting on being able to opt out or prevent their posts from being quoted ignore that such can be done by simply going to followers-only mode.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

the lack of quote tweets makes for a calmer and friendlier network, I've found, with less focus on engagement and the negative effects of pile-ons. I hope it's not added.

But if it is added, I also hope there's an option to turn that off, and turn it off in bulk.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'd be more interested in Mastodon exploring new ways of communication than copying old bad ones.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Hi, people here should be widely consulted before deciding.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Can we at least make it more like Tumblr's reblogs so no context is cut off? should work better with activitypub too afaik
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Please don’t. After initially missing them, I’ve realised it’s much better without them.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

in a way it already works,
pasting in a link,
speeding that up would be very much appreciated 🙂
in reply to Eugen Rochko

listening to the consumers is good. But don't listen to their every demand. Especially the ones from #twittermigration. I personally want the ability to follow someone but not see their posts on my feed cause I want to add them to separate lists and only look at them at decided times
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Please don't. Mastodon ran well for years, apparently, nobody seemed to want it. Then with the sudden influx from Twitter (me included) there is a call for quote posts. Can't we just give it time beofre making changes? It seems to me that people want to make it twitter v2. Exepct an increase in bullying etc... sigh...
in reply to Eugen Rochko

in some ways it sounds a bit like the weapons debate. People say the tool is not the problem, people are. I am a good person so I should get to have the tool,which is fine arguement. However, if no one has access to the tool, the ‘bad’ people will be less of a problem because they cant abuse the tool. And maybe the ‘good’ people will find a more ingenious tool?
footnote: this is just a thought. I do not wish to open a debate on tools of any sort. only table saw vs circular saw.
in reply to Archaide :verified:

That is an interesting point. Downvotes exist in other applications in the #fediverse like #friendica. But #mastodon seems to interpret them as favs, so the original intent of the downvote is suppressed, reversed by mastodon. I am not arguing in favor of implementing downvotes, just want to highlight that it might be in the data but is not presented properly by the service.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Having the quoted post shown first might already take the edge from dogpiling quote posts.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don't see the interest. It's a micro evolution! What is the view? What is the overall direction????
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Demand doesn't necessarily mean something is a good idea though?

There's a lot of demand for centralisation, but that would be a really bad idea.

in reply to FediTips has moved!

@feditips precisely… if they’re fresh from the battleground and it’s all peaceful here in comparison… why is complaining about a quote post the first thing they try? I could not find one thing to demand or complain about at all when I arrived in Nov last year. “Sure is peaceful here, let’s screw it up, PRETTY PLEASE” is not really okay with a lot of us…
in reply to FediTips has moved!

@feditips Is there really a high demand for centralization? People don't want to be isolated on their Mastodon instance, sure, but I don't really see anyone saying "make it into one server!"
in reply to FediTips has moved!

@feditips I agree. And I'm not yet invested enough in this as a platform to say for certain I'd stay, if they introduced one of the other place's worst features.
in reply to Deurman@fosstodon $ :idle:

@deurman
We aren't just individuals, we are all part of a community.

If the community turns toxic, we all suffer.

Features which encourage toxicity harm all of us, because they affect how people around us behave. Toxicity promotes aggression, suspicion and stress, it makes the world a nastier place to live in.

in reply to FediTips has moved!

@feditips
Honestly, I don't really see how it was used in such a toxic matter. I'm not saying it wasn't, just not my experience. That might also explain why I don't have such a hard stance against it. Then again, I didn't truly experience how toxic Twitter could be for myself up until recently. I never really posted or replied there tho, that might be why too. I just mainly watched some gaming news accounts and YouTubers and such. I never got into politics much there.
in reply to FediTips has moved!

@feditips I suspect QTs are worst when someone with a lot of followers/reach is “punching down” on someone without that audience … especially when an algorithm is likely to promote it even more. But either way, there’s no way to auto-ban “negative” QTs.
I wonder if the community could organically enforce a standard of etiquette with them? Like with spoilers? If an algorithm isn’t massively juicing the reach, seems like it could be called out & shamed into less of a problem?
in reply to FediTips has moved!

@feditips Odd analogy. Decentralization is the main structural aspect of the Fediverse and Mastodon, quote boosting is just a possible feature. And if the latter is abused by bad actors, moderation will be much better than on the other site; if a whole instance is a problem, defederation takes care of it - something impossible on Twitter. Not at all different from like now when users write abusive posts. QB won't make things worse and are good for context.
in reply to FediTips has moved!

@feditips You’re making a bad-faith, fallacious argument. Whether centralization would be good or bad has absolutely zero bearing on whether QTs would be good or bad.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I missed QTs when I first moved from the fowl site, but have since come to think of them as net negative.

I wonder if an all-in-one option to reply and then boost the reply would cover the need? (IOW, on reply, offer toot/toot-then-boost)

in reply to Eugen Rochko

please don't.

I think that most people who ask for it don't understand what #mastodon is about, that quote toots would change one of the most important aspects here: we talk with/to each other, not over/about others.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I hope you don't. Too many people chase clicks instead of actually engaging with people. I like it here as is.
People need to stop being lazy about how they interact with people.
Social media needs to be more social, less antisocial narcissist. 👍
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I have to say it is the only thing I miss about the bird site. I used to use it as a way of positively endorsing something someone was saying and possibly reaching a different audience
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I hugely appreciate your willingness to listen and consider users' feedback.

All platforms are evolving on daily basis. Status quo is not set in stone as if some kind of founding fathers' constitutions. Discussion is necessary and beneficial to create a better platform.

For the record, I belong to the camp of "No" to QT and think QT generally a bad idea. However, I also firmly believe the best user experience is always to give users *more control* how to use it.

Thanks again.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

every single time I want to quote a post, it’s better and kinder if I don’t. I feel less bad about myself as a person when I’m not ripping someone apart on the Internet.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

That's excellent news. With proper implimentation, it will be a great benefit for many discussions.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

If it must happen, I hope "Turn off boosts" won't make an exception for quote boosts, the way it does on Twitter.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

It's a storytelling device. In journalism, it serves a function similar to being able to quote others in the middle of a narrative which the journalist themselves crafts. The journalist being able to contextualize the quote and author the narrative around it, is important.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

is there some way to do a/b testing on it to see the effect on the quality of conversations?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'm watching lack of QTs make an AMA substantially more difficult to host and read. To me, opt out seems to be the best overall option.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I personally don't see any problem in just replying/commenting on a post to make it visible to more people.

People need to get used to that #mastodon and #fediverse in general is and should be different to centralized social networks.

In this case, just click on a post with a @mention, a check the original post. It takes only one more step, but it definitely increases communication and engagement.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Initially was disappointed to not have it, but as I used the platform more... Honestly is a gift. Even "good" creators fall victim to creating dogpiles through qrts. Worst one I saw was a trans creator clapping back at someone who misgendered her, and the person apologized and used the right pronouns very quickly after being corrected before the qrt, only to have that person get dogpiled by thousands of well meaning on lookers. This will happen again if we let it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

No, please do consider it, and deny it. Quote re-tweeting, or re-tooting, is just a very sad mechanism .
This entry was edited (1 year ago)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

"One model fits all" approach created some major issues on other social media sites. Considering that features like quote posts have been asked by many, including journalists, having the possibility to opt-out/opt-in will help others to configure Mastodon according to their needs.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

honestly, I’m loving Mastodon without quote posts. It is lovely here without the dog-piling, especially as I was a victim at the other place. I feel safer here.
If you must do it, consider how to back out. Consider how to record incidents of it being misused.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Why not make a QT/QP a function of a reply? An additional option when you reply to a post to quote the original. Then you get the same “protection” of a reply, but with the ability to include the quote if you want to.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'm glad to hear this. People who wish to add a comment to a Boost should have access to such a feature. People who would abuse such a feature should not have access to the system at all.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'd be satisfied with a "boost with added CW" option. Lots of posts out there that I've had to opt out of sharing only because they lacked an important CW.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

The demand comes exclusively from those who want Mastodon to be Twitter.

Mastodon is not Twitter.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thank you for listening to the feedback while taking into account the concerns of dissenters!
in reply to Eugen Rochko

hope you decide to do it. I think it's a great feature of Tw1773r!
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Who is "we"? That seems to be the core issue with Mastodon, no one is in charge. So how do improvements get into the software? Who decides? I've seen a site for suggestions, but it expects the person suggesting to be an experienced Mastodon developer / tester.
Unknown parent

Himmelssohn
@srevilo I totally agree, also because quoting intentionally breaks conversations. It is very sufficient to see the discussion toots in your feed, from which I can follow the original discussion, if I wanted.
@Oli
in reply to Eugen Rochko

So how about the ability for "commented boosts": you can attach a reply to your boost, so that your timeline afterwards shows your reply, with the boosted post as a "quote".

That way you would still reply inside the thread (ie. talk _to_ the original poster, rather than _about_ them), and you would boost the original post; but your followers would mainly see your comment (and also the boosted post, for context).

(cf. chaos.social/@ollibaba/1095903…)

#quotePosts #qt #quotes

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Please don't consider it. As you said in 2018, the system as it is encourages interaction. I can boost the toot I reply to if I want to drive further conversation under the original toot. My toot still appears to those who follow me and replies can be added to that. I don't see a problem with this or a need to add something that (in my mind) implies a popularity contest and removes the OP from the discussion.
Imagine "quote tooting" against your post instead of all this feedback
in reply to Eugen Rochko

thank you! I feel this is really missing. It’s really useful to add thoughts to a post you like or recommend someone to other people.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Please don't add quote posts. Yes, it's more work without them but it's also good to be more purposeful about our posts
in reply to Eugen Rochko

as someone who wants QTs a way round the objections would be to allow people to opt out of QTs as was an option on twitter.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

disappointed to see you succumb to the twitter masses. It’s only being requested because people are lazy and want what they had. There’s no need for it at all. If rather see work done to reduce the cache overhead on an instance. All those account headers being stored is just madness.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I would count quote posts in the repost counter. And show the reply counter the post.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I miss it only because I enjoyed forwarding good stuff to friends with ease. Flip side: It encouraged outrage-storms, and I very much don't miss those. 🤔
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think a lot depends on how they're presented at the front-end. On the bird site, it's easy for the original post to become de-contextualised and negatively framed.
Whereas if the original post was shown the same as a regular boost but with the new content as additional context, that may help keep the usage positive
in reply to Eugen Rochko

a lot of the demand would be satisfied with better inline link previews for other mastodon posts - ie showing the whole post text rather than the heavily truncated version it currently shows - which encourages people to add screen shots for clarity.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Quote Tweets drove my off Twitter.

I really do not want to see endless variations of people of one political persuasion, saying that people of a different political persuasion are stupid.

Quote tweets very rarely lead to additional incites, but does lead to timelines being filled with nonsense.

Yes toxic behaviour is generally driven by people not just technology, but people don't want to admit to their own failings. So best not to make it too easy for toxic behaviour.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I just hope the same won’t happen with big tech funding Mastodon…
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Tends toward sanctimony. I'm not a fan.

"Listen to this silly little girl" etc

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Maybe just render boosts of replies to include the original toot they're referring to. So a quote toot is essentially nothing but a boosted reply in the original thread that looks like a quote toot in timelines (connection, visibility & „moderatibility“ in original context are thus preserved).
in reply to Eugen Rochko

QT; satire

If this were Musk

QT*: @Gargron this shithead is going to brick the Fediverse

*Quote tooted satirically

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Maybe opt in. I like it but yeah, can be really nasty and insidious.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think it would be great. To me, this and the ability to have a GIF picker is what lacks in terms of functionality.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I really love to quote. But when it attracts bad behaviour it’s not so funny.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

It could be a useful feature I suppose but I would not want it to take priority over necessary bug fixes, moderator’s time, performance gains or security for example.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I would wait and reassess if/when the journalist class decides whether they’re really going to stay on mastodon, or if they’re just sheltering here until the weather at twitter quiets down. Anecdotal data, but I only ever see journalist expats whining about not having it, while the couple that I’ve seen who have really moved in to stay (making new friends, connections outside of other twitter expats, self hosting even) don’t seem to “need” it so badly. #QuotePosting
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I am against quote posts, because people have a tendency to QT bad posts merely to add a snarky comment to them and basically say "LOL, look at this idiot!". QT further the spread of bad toots.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

My suggestion would be to have a system where an attempt to quote-post results in a notification being sent to the person being quoted who can then choose to approve or deny.

That should do several things: prevents people using quoting instead of replies (because quoting is much slower), and prevent the sort of hostile quotes that are used to call in a mob against someone.

It's also anti-viral.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

on #Mastodon you can share a link to the post mastodon.social/@Gargron/10962… screen shot it, quote it in Alt text, but all takes considered time…

All ‘Quote posts’ on Twitter did was get rid of Modified Tweet - MT? It made things fast and easy!

Quote posts on #Twitter can be supportive or abusive, but the efficiency of it makes it fast. Isn’t this space a more considered, mindful space, speeding things up helps people to be less considerate?


I don't feel as strongly about quote posts as I did in 2018. Personally, I am not a fan, but there is clearly a lot of demand for it. We're considering it.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I’m glad there is deliberation before implementing. Technically it would be easy to quickly build a similar function in several different ways. The complexity is around doing it in an equitable and inclusionary way that doesn’t allow powerful accounts (with many followers) to appropriate control of a conversation from a smaller account who originally generated a thought-provoking discussion.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I look at quote-posts as preview of the post. That's, just how you can preview image and title and part of description of a web page, quote posts could be same to save that additional visit.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

please don’t introduce quote posts. On the bird site, quote retweets caused nothing but abuse, dog piling, and less conversation. It’s not a culture mastodon needs.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Could one or two individual instances try it as an experiment?
People for whom it is truly important could migrate there. Those of us who miss them, but are learning to appreciate life without them (and without the concomitant pile-ons) could stay put?
Just an idea... :ablobcaramelldansen:
in reply to Eugen Rochko

May I suggest a retroactive disabling of quoting if you do choose to add this feature? Something that would allow the OP to stop all QTing and related threads and/or remove the original content and hide/remove all the resulting threads? Additionally, it should be extremely clear in QT threads when a quoted toot has been edited...
in reply to Eugen Rochko

☹️ look at the vitriol during the quote tweet dunking on Lex Friedman’s book list and Skip Bayless’ NFL game comment just in the past week on Twitter. The two tweets dominated discussion. Tens of millions if not hundreds of millions of outrage views and angry heat posts with little substance.

It is not worth the engagement. It will change the atmosphere and the vibe on here to be far worse.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

How about the ability to edit the ALT text? Would greatly appreciate. Also, in general, just thanks for giving us a better alternative.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I am a recent immigrant from the birdsite and a convert to no #QTs, so hope you don’t add them.
What’s wrong with simply opening up a Toot reply from someone you follow to see the thread if it appears interesting? Mayba tiny bit more effort, bu it keeps timelines cleaner and less demanding of attention
#qts
in reply to Eugen Rochko

You could spend time on more important things, just saying.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

@ecological_fallacy please no. It’s a tool that makes dunking and bullying easier.

It’s for people who want to add their own ‘editorial’ comment rather than humbly reply and enrich the original conversation.

Please don’t bring in quote posts.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Strong disagree. Creates nothing but drama bait and harassment/dogpiling, as shown on that other site.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

please don't. Lots of us here hate it; it means some people can hijack our posts, or that they can denigrate what we say, without bothering with a reply, as in "listen to what this idiot is saying". Anyway, if they want to go on and do it, they can still screenshot
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I am pleasantly surprised. This is good.

I'm a big fan of quote posts but I hope you add a toggle in the FE settings to disable it, considering how many people are equally opposed to this.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

One thing that makes this site better than the bird site is that the dev team listens to users. Thank you for your hard work!
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I personally like them so you can reply to someone in a more visible way to other people. (Rather than boosting and then replying or screenshotting etc). I DO agree however that there needs to be moderation as they can be misused.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'd love to see user-moderated QPs. Someone adds to the conversation, great. Someone attacks, one click and the connection is gone, including an approval feature, a "QP request" with the attached text.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

"Considering it is next to godliness." -Benjamin Franklin, probably
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I didn’t read the comments, sorry, there are too many. I agree with somehow keeping the emphasis on the originating post. Someone one-upping everyone else’s posts and getting all the attention will be community destroying, your producers will stop producing.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

The only use I saw for it when I poked around on Truth Social for a few days (wanted to see what they did to Mastodon) was for trolling. I really didn't see an actual reason for it. I would think it's going to be a headache when editable posts are thrown into the mix.

Seems like we've been doing just fine without quoted posts 🤷‍♂️

in reply to Eugen Rochko

My experience gere so far has been overwhelmingly positive and that, I have come to the conclusion, is because the blasted "quote" doesn't exist.

Stay positive.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

can you have a virtue signaling toggle so I can diminish performative nonaction in my feed?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

the fear of many to post quoting is not without some foundation, as it can (and has been) grossly misused by internet trolls. But in my case it helped me elaborate on the quoted post or add a remark to it — I’d happily use it but I can also see why many others don’t want to.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Sometimes, I miss them, because I frequently used them to add context to a share.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

@atanas I am less of a fan. I think it encourages echo-chamber engagement. A little work (and copy/paste is very little work) to quote someone isn’t a lot to ask.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

please consider looking at "boost with note", which some have discussed around here. I had summarized it here finkasaur.us/@noah/10950944767…
in reply to Eugen Rochko

If people can turn them off it doesn't seem like an issue. I want 'em.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Discovery features with individual controls would be the (complicated) preference.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

It's your baby. You can giveth and you can taketh away. I'll still keep contributing to your Patreon account 😃
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don't feel strongly either way. But I DO feel strongly that changing ones mind (and listening to others) is a very good trait in humans. Especially in leaders - which you are, in a way.

I agree that it should be opt-out and implemented thoughtfully.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Well, you have tools for those who don't like them or for when they are abusive: we can block the abuser; we can block anyone from quoting us. Being able to quote a post with a comment to introduce your reason for doing so is a tool I like, and I personally don't use it to attack anyone. I don't quote posts that offend me.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

after reading some of these replies.. I don’t feel like theres anything wrong with quoting a post. It’s just a repost with a comment. All in one place.

You can’t really get context for someone reposting a picture or video unless you go to their profile and see if they added a follow up post like “as per my last post”.

It did get a bed rep from Twitter, but I think this feature in the hands of mastodon users would be beneficial to engaging and understanding people.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

For me, it's the one-and-only thing I miss about Twitter. 😀
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Popularity does not equate to it being a good idea. Opt-in/blockable if you do it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

When I want to quote, I do it with copy and paste.
Please do not introduce automated citations.

The rapid, often ill-considered impulse is interrupted by the effort of copy and paste.
If you want to talk seriously about a quote, make the effort.

Those who only want to react in the heat of the moment need automatisms to make it easier.

So please don't introduce something like that here on our mostly peaceful #Mastodon. 🙏

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think if QPs are introduced, it will boil down to whether they are enabled or disabled by default, as that's what most users will have. If off by default, the feature might as well not exist; if on by default, then using it will become the paradigm and users might occasionally have to circumvent the original poster's preference by linking to the post or taking a screenshot. So I think making it optional might clutter the interface for little benefit. I might be entirely wrong, though.
This entry was edited (1 year ago)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

« there is clearly a lot of demand for it » : do you have stats, or articles with stats, about this ? I am curious of the tools and of the protocol used to assert this. Thanks in advance
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I am new here but my online roots go back to running a Wildcat! BBS starting in the late 80's.

You made the right decision to not allow QT's and I hope you stick with it. Opt in just seems like it would be a mess.

I just read this whole thread and without any QT's it just flowed in a relatively focused way. I like Mastodon for this.

Would QT's increase the moderation burden on Instance Admins? That would be bad.

How many levels would be allowed? Could I QT a QT of a QT of a QT?

in reply to Eugen Rochko

IMO, the more critical part than the preview is being able to have a link (to a toot on another server) be shown on my own server, so that I can follow its author, reply, etc.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

It certainly can be useful. I think the important factor is that people get notified when they are quoted & have the ability to do something about it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Here’s a perfect example of how it is going to be weaponized:
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I would love it. It allows one to add context to a boosted post.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

My heart sank when I read that. My observation is that QT’s are significantly used for negative rather than positive reasons. This feels like a huge moment for the future of Mastodon.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I highly recommend reading this if you haven't already: buzzfeednews.com/article/alexk…

I'm not 100% against quote posts, but if implemented tactlessly they're a one-way ticket to toxicity. Let's try to avoid implementing a "dunk mechanism".

in reply to Eugen Rochko

That would be great. Quoting was one of thefeatures I really missed after moving from Twitter. It gives me the possibility to not only spreading the word of others, but commenting it at the same time and giving my opinion about it.
@apps
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think the focus is too much on harassment and not enough about what it will do to the flow of communication.

Replies: you -> OP
QT: you ABOUT OP -> Followers

It's the difference between conversation and commentary. A lot of people who like masto like that people are finally talking *to* them.

Not that I don't see value in commentary. I use Tumblr a lot. But you don't go to Tumblr to have a conversation. It's not for talking to people.

A gossip feature will change the tone here

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think an essential component of this would be, if the OP blocks the person quote-tweeting them, their post could be immediately made private to the quoter only. (Or deleted altogether, but I think making it private would work.) There needs to be some control available for the quotee. Allowing opt-outs is good but people will want flexibility after posting too.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

For what it’s worth, I feel there’s more cases against than for.

At the very least, please consider the requirement that the original poster can consent or not to their content being quoted.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

If it’s possible to build in revokable and customizable consent-to-be-quoted and the ability for readers to turn off quote posts (as we already can regular boosts) I think the downsides could be mitigated.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

there isn't a lot of demand for it. It's a small vocal minority pushing for it 😒
in reply to Eugen Rochko

a humble opinion from a new user: if I visit a country or start a new job, I work within their confines (e.g., learn their policies or their language). I don't demand that everyone speak my language or change the rules to the ones I think are good for me. If you think quote tweets aren't within your original vision, then people should just understand this. They can join or not join. Please don't make this into the new Twitter. People are here because this community is different.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think that some of the pushback is from people who think quote replies makes #mastodon "into (the worst version of) twitter" but there's no reason that will be true.

As a feature it us useful for providing context to a boost, without obscuring it.

It also could be a client side implementation with a show parent button for any reply

This entry was edited (1 year ago)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

just after I got all set to be like "QTs are pretty much how Twitter turned us into feral animals"
in reply to Eugen Rochko

@vyr the problem with Twitter isn’t that it’s centralized, but that it’s Twitter

Please don’t turn mastodon all the way into Twitter, it’s already way too close as it is

in reply to Eugen Rochko

There's got to be a happy medium where the feature is there for users and admins that want it and a way to filter out or disable that content for those that don't.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thank you for being open to ways to to develop and evolve the site.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

if this happens i'd like to be able to both not see anyone else's quote posts, and not be able to be quote posted.
Unknown parent

piofthings
@PaulaToThePeople “Allow your posts to be quoted” setting should make everyone happy?
Unknown parent

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I despise quote posts, so I’m definitely not part of the demand. Not looking forward to seeing them be used like on the #hellbirdsite. All they’re good for is hate and dogpiling. I hope there’s a way to opt out. I freaking hate them.
This entry was edited (1 year ago)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think there's a healthy enough moderation community that it could overcome the negatives at this point. Especially with opt-in.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Hoffe sehr, dass die zitierten Beiträge nicht kommen.

Die Argumente, die dagegen sprechen, sind ja weithin bekannt (z.B. Förderung toxischer Umgangston, "Übereinander reden") und ich würde allen, die unbedingt sowas brauchen, dringend Dienste wie Friendica empfehlen, die diese Funktion bereits haben.

in reply to Ückück :ueckueck:​:pd:​:af:

@ueckueck Auch wenn ich es selbst kritisch sehe und nicht weiß, wie sich die negativen Aspekte ausgemerzen lassen, aber vielleicht schafft es das Entwicklungsteam Mastodons um @Gargron ja eine Möglichkeit zu schaffen, die die negativen Aspekte bei der Implementierung aktiv berücksichtigt.

Vielleicht wäre die eine "Opt-In Funktion per User" etwas - also dass User einer Zitierung von eigenen Beiträgen aktiv zustimmen muss?

in reply to Lukas

@w4ts0n @ueckueck @M @kirschwipfel @barning @fries @ebinger @wir @milan @Cedara Ich wuerde beim Kurs bleiben, keinen Quote Tweet zu implementieren. Wer auf einen Post verweisen will, ohne direkt im Thread zu antworten, kann dies ja bereits heute mit z.B. Friendica oder per kopierten Link tun. Wer zu faul ist, den Link zu kopieren, ist halt zu faul, den Link zu kopieren.

Quote Toots sind keine Diskussionen mit den Leuten, sondern Gespraeche ueber die Leute. Opt-In ist IMHO zu viel Aufwand

in reply to ij

@ij
@w4ts0n @M @kirschwipfel @barning @fries @ebinger @wir @milan @Cedara
Dachte, dass im Moment opt-out geplant ist - Was mMn ein riesengroßer Unterschied ist.

Aber mein Hauptproblem ist ja, dass wenn es eine kritische Masse nutzt, sich die allgemeine Kultur ändert. Hin zum "übereinander reden".

Spannend ist z.B., dass ein lieber Bekannter und ich gestern getestet haben, ob ich auf Mastodon benachrichtigt werde, wenn er auf Friendica und auf Misskey Beiträge von mit zitiert. Aber da wird nix angezeigt. Mastodon hat das einfach nicht implementiert.

Wir sind also aktuell nicht nur in der Situation, dass sich Menschen nicht wehren können, dass sie so zitiert werden, sie bekommen es als Masto-Nutzer•innen nicht mal mit.
So wie es jetzt ist, ist also auch Mist.

(1/2)

in reply to Eugen Rochko

It's definitely not trivial. My observation on Twitter is that the worst part of quote tweeting is how locked accounts can do it. It makes it impossible for people to identify and block the sources of coordinated harassment.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

You had your reasons to not implement them till now. As a twitter-refugee, I trust your earlier reasoning on this issue. We can do without quotes.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I hope you will keep QTs out.

All design decisions are compromises, and yes there are valid arguments in favour of a QT feature. The arguments against QTs have the benefit of being backed by the reality of Mastodon's discussion culture, which we want to preserve and which was shaped by ruling out QTs.

9 out of 10 of those loudly demanding QTs have never asked how they might benefit from not using them. Their very loudness is the strongest argument against QTs.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I use them to say things like 'look at this brilliant post', or 'check out the hilarious comment thread on this post'. Never thought of them as an abuse tool.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

a 'show context in feed' checkbox option on replies might work? So that when I reply to a message, people can see the replied toot in their feeds, which they can override on a per user basis. I would go for opt out, because opt in might make for awkward reading if writers assume people will have context.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

For me, it's way to respond to a post in a way that doesn't hijack a conversation. Often times, my replies aren't directly relevant to the primary conversation – mostly a matter for tangential discussion.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I definitely think there's ways it can be done well. I used them a lot on Twitter to "yes and" threads I supported.

Yes, others sometimes used them to brigade, which is bad. But there are also ample good uses. Designing it in a way to maximize the good uses and minimize the bad ones is a challenge, I agree, but a worthwhile one.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

in scrolling through the replies here, it looks like it’s a culture battle btw people who have enjoyed the silo’d & quieter aspect here (along with being really techy) vs the new people who are missing a wider conversation & who have been part of big cultural movements & need/want to continue that here. Almost like introverts vs extroverts. I would say, then, that the personal and societal arguments on both sides are valid. Offering options for both is the solution, along with the UX.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

frankly, feeling strongly about it was one of your best decisions, so i'm not sure why you'd want to ruin that as well. there is a lot of demand for it simply because it is a feature people miss from twitter. people who have not had the feature for years don't miss it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

@ppatel We already have boosts you can't turn off with 3rd party apps. Maybe add the ability to filter them with the API like you can on the web interface please?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Just adding a voice to the “I’d really rather we didn’t” category. The experience of browsing mastodon vs ye olde Twitter is night and day in regards to original content.

I think it’s inevitable that QT functionality empowers folks to have endless “takes” on the same posts. Even taking the harassment angle out of it (which is quite seriously imho) it’s not good for post quality.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Once that's out of the stable there'll be no way to control it...Twitter's toxic use of it is still too fresh in people's minds;
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I’d rather copy, paste and label it myself. Like this: QT. ***I don't feel as strongly about quote posts as I did in 2018. Personally, I am not a fan, but there is clearly a lot of demand for it. We're considering it.***

I used the old AOL boards and we had convos that lasted for days at times. We all Quoted one another to keep the conversation going. People need a way to quote one another, but a complete Quote Toot is not worth the harassment it will bring.

Unknown parent

Werawelt
@eichkat3r @john
Correct: it becomes immensely complex.
What do the #moderators have to say about it?
They have the best overview of the work they already have without such a feature.
And they would certainly get even more work if something like this were introduced.
Most of them do it on a voluntary basis and on a donation basis.
I think they are being asked to do too much.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Go with your gut, Eugen. Mastodon isn't the bird site, thankfully. You've created a wonderful space here. I hope it stays that way.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thanks. Having toggles at the instance or user level makes a lot of sense. It's very useful for news and commentary, imo.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

This is why we need it. There are multiple historical stories referenced in this one post. Thank you.
newsie.social/@mlq3/1096247663…
in reply to Eugen Rochko

The #twitterexodus has slowed down. All the noobs (myself included) are getting settled in and adjusted. Let it ride for a while longer.

It's amazing how "I can't live without feature X," morphs into, "What was that feature X about anyway?" #qt #mastodon

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think I would be okay with it as long as it is something an individual account can opt out of. a way in settings to opt out of it automatically on all posts and setting on each post that you can opt in and out of or set to only people you follow can quote tweet.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

it'll be really nice to be compatible with existing implementations and
Fediverse Enhancement Proposal:
codeberg.org/fediverse/fep/src…
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Some of the worst parts of quote replies could be mitigated by including them in the list of responses, the same as any other reply. That would make them less prone to branching the responses.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

my single vote against quote posts. This clutters a timeline and encourages a lot of jumping on a specific topic which causes artificial amplification. Journalists, influencers, and people looking for quick fun miss it, yet QTs do not encourage a deep dive. Interaction with topic happens by responding to the poster. Bring in others by boosting. People like QT because they want to be seen quoting a specific post. Let them build their reputation on their own posts.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

thank you. On balance, I think they're valuable - I personally used them a lot on twitter and not for nefarious purposes.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Since joining Mastodon a couple of months ago, my opinion on quote posts has changed. I'm leaning more towards not having them. I feel that, for a very small percentage of posts, I do want to add something when boosting, but otherwise I'm fine not being able to quote post.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don't feel as strongly about quote posts as I did in 2018. Personally, I am not a fan, but there is clearly a lot of demand for it. We're considering it.
That horse seems to have left the barn, so it would be nice if we could skip the cut and paste step.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

please hold the line on no quote posts. I strongly believe the lack of quote posts is one of the reasons Mastodon is so much more pleasant and less toxic than other services. theatlantic.com/magazine/archi…
in reply to Eugen Rochko

From whom though? Folks who have been here a long time and are intentionally working against make this Twitter 2.0? Or those that swarmed here under the promise that's what Mastodon was? I've only ever seen the demand lately and from the latter. When I've seen quote posts in the wild on the Fediverse, it has always taken the form of harassment.

Not only do we have the chance to break from the past and do better, but this decision affects the rest of the Fediverse, too.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Do it. Yes, it can be used in a nasty and toxic way like @aral says. But they also can be pretty useful. Shouldn’t you be allowed to say something about the stuff you’re reposting?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

@Annalee

Should you decide to include such a #feature in a future version of #Mastdon, I’d like to suggest a companion feature to release at the same time: The ability to block #quote toots / quote posts.

Thank you for all your hard work and for your consideration.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think quote tweets are a good reason Twitter is so toxic. Just people commenting on things without actually interacting with the person.

I don't want that Mastodon becomes the new toxic Twitter.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

As a recent joiner from Twitter, who used this feature frequently, I vote against.

Most of the time I didn't misuse it. But a few times I did.

You can accomplish the same manually. The tiny additional effort gives enough pause to rethink whether referring to someone's content rather than directly engaging is the best option.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I like that they don't have them here. Over on the bird site, they are used for nothing but starting trouble. There's no good reason in my mind, given how much problem people use them to start trouble, to not just boost and then reply to the boost. It does the same thing, but without the ability to start trouble. My two cents.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I like them because sometimes I want to explain why I like or dislike the article/post
in reply to Eugen Rochko

It seems to me the simple solution would be giving the original poster the control over whether or not a post can be quote-boosted. Just a simple toggle when creating the post should be sufficient.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

We non-journalists all had to learn new things and adapt our existing social media behaviors to successfully use Mastodon. Journalists have been given far too many “Easy buttons” that they haven’t earned over the past several years. They can learn and adapt to use Mastodon too. There’s currently only one major squeaky wheel here right now, and she’s done nothing but complain since she got here, please don’t bend to her celebrity-like demands.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

there is an entire toxic culture of lazily dunking on other people's posts via trite quote tweets on Twitter that I had to unfollow multiple respected people to get away from. Regardless of what anyone here says, large accounts doing it also leads to pile-ons. It also went meta, with people posting outrageous things specifically to trick people into amplifying them via trite dunks. These things do not currently exist here, but absent a clever implementation, they absolutely will appear.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Honestly, I just want to do what they do on tumblr where if someone posts a picture without alt text, someone else can do the reply with the alt text and it shows up underneath. There are so many things I don't retoot because they don't have alt tags.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

There is a demand to make Mastodon into a clone of twitter.

Is that what we want?

If people want to fork the code or submit a patch then they could do that.

@Gargron

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Not having quote posts was jarring to me for a bit, but now I've adapted to it and actually really prefer it this way. If it's coming, could it at least be on an instance-by-instance basis?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

as a refugee from the other place, I’m strongly against it. I think it’s one of the things that lead to such negativity over there. People would constantly use it to lash poorly thought out criticisms. Boosts are boosts: simple positive. Why on earth boost something you hate? If people have a problem with the OP, why not debate with them directly via a thread of responses?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

my first reaction was to quote post.

In my short time on Mastodon vs twitter, NOT having quote posts has led to more direct interactions with the OP, and less knee-jerk reactions to posts.

Maybe quote posts could be a *type of reply*? A button that says “include original post”? Might be some benefits to that as well, i.e. in a reply to a megathread, you could quote a specific status. Or even another reply. All while in the original context.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I love it! And I think if it's possible to make it an opt-in feature per post, that would be ideal. Think of it like #Tiktok and how you can allow stitches, duets, per each of your video posts. If we could choose to allow #qt, it would likely appease most users, as those that don't want it would simply never turn it on for their posts
in reply to Eugen Rochko

It's a standard cost/benefit analysis Popularity aside as witnessed of American society that endorsed much of the hellscape we're all NOW eyebrow deep in
in reply to Eugen Rochko

every possibility, every tool is used for bad as good. Unfortunately more for bad. I hope you decide against it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Reading through the replies there are several that express how I feel about QTs.
Mastodon has a unique feel. I sincerely hope you don't add them.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

With quote posts I can provide image descriptions that the original poster did not. I can say *why* I'm boosting something. I get the reasoning behind not having it here, but I also see advantages.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

One of my favorite aspects of moving to Mastodon is that this is *not* a feature. Please don't reinvent this particular mistake, it will absolutely change behavior for the worse.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

The idea of making it an editable per post option looks like a good compromise.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Actually, I think the premisse of the argument against it is not correct. Sure, quote posts have been misused for bad behaviour. But that does not neccesarily mean that quote posts are inherently bad.

When I look at my current twitter timeline, most quote tweets I see are not used to attack persons. Mostly, they are used to give something context, to give some extra information, or to explain why it would be interesting. There are some personal attacks, but not much ...

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think a way to opt-out of quote posts would be solid. If folks want to avoid the "dunk culture" quote posting can result in, they could be free to do it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

could it be something each instance decides if it wants to support or not?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thanks for listening, regardless of your decision. My two cents: it's useful for a lot of people. I do miss it. I think it can be implemented better here.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I would guess most who want that function have come from Twitter. Over there quote tweets are a huge part of that site's negativity. Also, it's a lot easier to grab someone else's content and repost it than coming up with one's own good content. By not having quote posts here, I would argue, has elevated the content and engagement here over what we see on Twitter.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don't want them but if you do implement, please make sure they can be disabled per-instance, blocked per user, and that filters apply both to the post and the rt'd content.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think we should have it. It facilitates dialogue. People who abuse it can be blocked.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I’ve used them before without having to resort to abuse! It seems a valid way to add to content but it would be nicer if the quote-toot is together with comments, since it is just another form of comment.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'd like to throw chaos.social/@towo/10956730992… into the ring here.

Didn't get a lot of feedback on it, but to me, it might seem a reasonable compromise of being able to showcase one's contextualization (the usual "good" QP use case) and not ripping a discussion away from the original thread, as is often indicated to be a bad feature in this context.

Very much open to discussion on this, though, because I likely overlooked something major.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Yes please. It would just make it easier and neater rather than copy the share link to the toot and the quote it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Happy New Year! First of all, thank you very much for the great platform, which I have enjoyed a lot since moving from the bird site a couple of months ago. But if the quote-posts are introduced here, I am afraid it will change the culture to Twitter-like and may destroy the main arguments of why I have moved to here in the first place
in reply to Eugen Rochko

As long as there's the option to not allow your toots to be QT'd.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

What about a "captioned boost" where the boosters content is below the original? Might discourage the more "look at me and how much better I am than this person" style of quote post while letting people add context to why they are boosting?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Twitter already exists? Tell them to pound sand or go back if they want QTs. This idea is awful.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I personally feel this would be a net negative experience, but it's not a hill I would die on. If we do add it, can we have a button to see all the people who quote tooted a specific toot? Was annoying how twitter didn't make that easy.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Best compromise is to have a "make my toot shareable" button.
If that would work, technically?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

it adds an extra social dynamic, I can quote repost a journalist or publication’s post linking to their article rather than just a URL that leads elsewhere
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don't like them. Please don't do them. Mastodon is great BECAUSE we don't have quoted posts.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

thanks for this update, and kudos to the team for taking this into consideration.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

would love to see quote toots as long as you can disable people from quoting you if you want
in reply to Eugen Rochko

whatever you do, definitely make it an option users can turn off. I don't want internet assholes QTing me all day long.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

normally, I'd want to quote this and express to my followers that I'm happy it's being reconsidered and hope that people's concerns about the feature can also be addressed somehow.

Feels weird to have to address you directly.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Quote posts are basically the same thing as outside links, except that the link is to elsewhere in the Fediverse. Sometimes it isn't obvious why you've boosted/linked to it, and you want to explain. There are lots of uses for the basic function besides being mean to people. I suspect it was the algorithms that caused the problems, not the function itself.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

A 'tootquote' can serve many different positive purposes. You should put it in play.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

"there is clearly a lot of demand for it"

In that case, bear in mind that voices for change are usually louder and more vociferous than voices that support the status quo. People from the UK will know what I mean.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I thought I was an advocate for QTs when I first started using Mastodon properly. I've come to realise that their downsides outweigh the upsides.
Maybe consider that a supermajority should be required to support any decision to change.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Quote posts aren't always about snarky attacks, they often are used to piggyback someone's point or to add another perspective in context with the post that is being quoted. Or simply a reaction. I don't mind the occasional snark now and then either if I'm being totally honest 😁 Greta's clapback on Andrew Tate for instance lol.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

thank you. I think it would be a powerful addition to Mastodon.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'm glad. I think that, without an algorithmic timeline, the use of quote posts would be significantly less likely to be weaponized. The ability to opt-out would be prudent. I continue to wonder if there isn't something in the UX design that could add a little friction to the process to encourage more thoughtful, intentional use...but I'm not a UX person, so not sure what that might be, if there is.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

> I don’t feel as strongly about quote posts as I did in 2018.

tbf, your harassment inpipe may have peaked; some of the little ppl still just want a place that isn’t being lit on fire every five minutes as opposed to every ten

just saying, Eugen. there’s a lot of ppl willing to tell you whatever just to make money

but I suspect you’ve noticed that, too 🤷‍♀️

in reply to Eugen Rochko

What about allowing a quote post, but only as a response to the original post. That is, the original post first and indicating if it is itself an original toot or a response, and then the quotor’s comment underneath. It would still appear in the original posts regular flow, but appear with the instigating post in the general timeline.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think your original 2018 intuition was good and that it would be better not to do it: on Twitter it is mostly only used for insulting, ridiculing or as an egocentric substitute for the Reply option. I just hope that if finally implemented, the opt out will allow us to prevent our toots from being quoted.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I would be quote posting this with some derisive words as garnish. Alas, I can't.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

consider it quickly please so I can know whether to start looking for another social network as soon as possible. I didn’t come here to be on Twitter again.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Is there a way to add the feature and through implementation make it useful for those that wish to use it without negative effects that would not otherwise be on Mastodon? Anybody can take a screenshot of a post and attach it to a message if they wanted to, it's just cumbersome for those who want to to do so. #MastodonUpdate #QuoteTweet
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Thank you! I was unsure but I think I've been convinced. I do agree it should be optional though.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

In my opinion, qrt is pure laziness.
And has the enormous probability of becoming extremely toxic, rapidly.
I am, and always will be, for creating original content, not leeching on others' for fame.
IMO, the main reason for qrt is that people come from twitter, are used to it and cannot handle change, but Mastodon must pave its own way. Next? Algo?
Instagram put "stories" copying tiktok, and now is an endless shitstorm of videos, far from the elegant photo posting it once was.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'm skeptical but I've seen more legit arguments in favor as other niches and subcultures have come forward to make their cases.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Now that I'm here, I see the upsides to NOT having quote posts. Don't feel pressured into it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

This environment is different then musketwitter and I like that. QT is not a feature I cared about there really. And frankly made stuff feel disconnected when I think about it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

please don’t or at least give the OP more control if you do
in reply to Eugen Rochko

It's what I miss the most. I had a small account with good interaction and a fabulous timeline that I built from quote tweets.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

as a user who has previously voiced support for quoting, I feel almost obligated to request that it /not/ be implemented. It's one of those little "not here" things that I think has made using Mastodon that much kinder on my brain.

...that said, it would improve my "credit to user XYZ who found this" workflow immensely, which makes up like 90% of my threads on Bird Hell. Dunno if I'd be doing the same here - I've mostly been keeping myself "focused" on rambling :cate:

in reply to Eugen Rochko

Until I saw @Gargron's justification for Mastodon banning quote posts I didn't see a problem. I decided, on balance, this decision was correct and was surprised many insisted it impaired journalists' incentive to come here. Like many things quote posting can be used for good or bad. Opting out is a poor idea as you'd miss those using it for balanced debate. The alternative is using copy and paste to provide context. But that risks people saying they've been taken out of context. #QuotePosts
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Several times Neil Gaiman quote posted me on the other place and I invariably retweeted it even when he was being critical of me and I felt the need to defend myself from his criticism. My stats went off the scale when this happened but that wasn't the reason I was happy. It helped everybody that both sides of an argument were available to everyone. Opting out of quote posting seems an unwise thing to do. If someone thinks they've been treated unfairly they can block. #QuotePosts
in reply to Eugen Rochko

imo something more akin to backlinks help.obsidian.md/How+to/Workin… would be more powerful.
- they allow posts to reference more than 1 post, not just one.
- backlinks that haven’t been approved by the orig author or from blocked users don’t show up in a post
- unlike “quote posts” they don’t require users to learn a new concept for the compose UI, they just paste links to other posts as they normally would do when they want to reference them.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Please DON'T.
The absence of tre quote feature was one essential factor differentiating Mastodon from Twitter and discouraging aggressive and abusive behaviors while giving space to engagement and exchange.
Whoever wants to agree or disagree with a statement, post, point of view can do it, there are ways for that.
No need to go backwards and use a feature that has no positive record on Twitter, in my humble opinion.
Thanks.
Unknown parent

Lukas
@barning Gab es da eine Konkretisierung, die mir wohl entgangen ist?😅 Ich las bisher nur, dass die Funktion QT Opt-Out realisiert könnte?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Just because there is a lot of demand doesn't mean that it should be implemented.
Quoting a user's post means that the quoting user doesn't reply to the original subject and context but instead is promoting his/her opinion/comment by *using* the original one. Therefore such a move will result to a passive aggressive-by-design medium (at best) when the actual objective is to create content and respond productively. Also this behavior is generally unacceptable IRL, why having it here?
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Please don’t.

Please, please, PLEASE don’t!

Over the short period of time that I am actively using Mastodon, it has become so much more Twitter-like, including all the negative parts, and QT’s are a essential ingredient to the 🐦 site’s un-culture. So far, Mastodon is faring quite well in dampening the Twitter effect, but there is certainly a breaking point — and that might very well come with QT’s.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

they aren't any different to replies and can be reported all the same. 🤷‍♂️

I'd like to not see ones of people I blocked.. Like at all. Twitter shows me what the QTer posts.. I don't even want that of I have the original poster blocked. 👍

Unknown parent

ij

Also wenn, dann ergibt nur pro Toot für mich Sinn. Und das halt auch nur dann, wenn ich das nicht generell machen kann, sondern bei jedem User erneut gefragt werde. Schliesslich kann ich es ja durchaus begrüßen, wenn User A das macht, aber mißbilligen, wenn User B das machen will.

So, und dann bau mal ein System, was das zuverlässig hinbekommt und das über Software-Grenzen hinweg. ;)

This entry was edited (1 year ago)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

It'd be helpful to clarify what "QT" means here.

Twitter #QTs work more as a kind of "alt-reply" function, more "branching off a conversation" than simply linking to a post, with 3 essential attributes:

1. The other post is displayed as if it's a seamless part of ones own
2. The other person is notified just as with a reply or @-mention
3. QTs are listed under "x Quoted Posts" under the original post

When one says "I want QTs", is this what one means? Would anything less be enough?

#qts
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'd rather see a native toot translating capability than the quote boost, TBH.
On the desktop is not as bad since it's easier to open new window, but on an Android mobile it's quite difficult.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I‘m part of the recent Twitter migration and first I was confused, that the quotation feature was „missing“. But in my opinion, that we don’t have that function here, is a huge contribution to keep toxic conversations down. You just can’t p**p out a witty and sharp comment as easy. So I‘m in favor not to implement this sort of obvious feature.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I am ambivalent on quote posts, but I quite like how you handled post editing in a way that eliminates most of the concerns raised on it. A similar approach of listening to the concerns and building with them in mind would make it feasible to not be a destructive feature.
in reply to ij

@ij @M @w4ts0n @ueckueck @kirschwipfel @barning @fries @ebinger @wir @milan @Cedara Find ich viel zu kompliziert. Würde für den gewünschten Effekt (keine herablassen Drükos) doch völlig reichen, wenn die kommentierte Person über einen Drüko informiert wird und rückwirkend unterbinden (oder meinetwegen moderieren) kann. Das allein würde die Rate an herablassenden Drükos gen Null senden, weil man schon beim Erstellen eines Drükos weiß, dass die kommentierte Seite die Macht hat, ihn jederzeit und unkommentiert vollständig zu löschen. Immer das mildeste Mittel (in dem Fall: den geringsten Eingriff ins die Kommunikation) wählen. So wird das soziale Problem auch sozial gelöst.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I'd like it if a QT would automatically pull the OP's handle in. Kind of the same as when you respond except your comment shows up at the top, I guess.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I somewhat oppose posts that quote all of one post like Twitter.
If it is a partial citation of a post or web article, that is, a correct citation, I may agree.

p.s.
I hope you relaunch the profile category implementation. There are more people here than before.

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think if quote posts were just handled a different way than on twitter they could be cool tbh… like some others have said it’s nice to be able to add commentary to something you share and it’s not inherently malicious (tho I do understand it can be used for such)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Opt out is the wrong way to go about it - make it opt IN, so you have to concuously make the decision to allow your Toots to be quotable.
I would also suggest that the ability to use QTs is liked to this - you can only QT other people if yours are also quotable.
(I know of more than a few people who would abuse this while turning it off for themselves.)
in reply to Eugen Rochko

Don’t need or want it. I agree with the reasoning to leave it out. Better cross-instance interactions and performance much more important imho.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I think it is a valuable feature as it allows people to share content and add their own comments to it.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I hope you do allow them. I like to comment on stories as I pass them along. I hesitate to bring things I didn't post myself to people's attention without explaining why.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I feel that there is a need for a better means to post comments on web articles. And that too as a post on the person's own account.
As in the past, I think the Mastodon way is to use the reply function for comments on another account.
So when boosting a post, it might be nice to be able to choose whether to pull only the article URL, reply to that post comment, or simply repost (share) them. It would also be interesting to have the ability to list the comments posted to web articles.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I don't like it.

I joined the fediverse some months ago and really enjoy that people talk with each other and not about other people, which I think will start with commented boosts.

I think it is a good thing that discussions related to a toot are only possible in one direction and avoid fuzzyfication of discussion.

It avoids that accounts with high numbers of followers take over the work/ideas of others and start a new discussion in their bubble.

Just my 2ct

in reply to Eugen Rochko

I like them. Partly I like, sometimes, to quote my own posts - when a new thought occurs. Partly, I like to add thoughts to the posts of others. For me, it's more a case of 'yes... and', rather than any wish to belittle or contradict.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

It's understandable that in 2018, a year after the initial releasing of Mastodon, the level of idealism was probably peaking.

Since a more practical but common sense approaching to various (and not too essential) topics have emerged, been emerging.

That's the way to maintain certain core virtues/values and make the platform more widely used and easier to adopt for common SoMe sapiences.👍

in reply to Eugen Rochko

no worries we can always attach screenshots like in the good old days
in reply to Eugen Rochko

FINALLY!
That is one of the things that suck most about Mastodon. The lack of a quote feature.
in reply to Eugen Rochko

I like them, because I like to agree and expand upon someone’s post. If I read theirs and then make my own based on theirs it’s like I’m stealing their ideas and that makes me uncomfortable.