Is #mastodon becoming an echo chamber?

@scottjenson hypothesis: caring about "tech news" is a different thing from caring about technology

@awfulwoman Two very separate points:
1. Do you (or even many others) want journalists here? The is a very personal choice and you can want (or not want) anything you wish. That isn't really what's on the table.
2. Should Journalists be allowed to be here? I think you know where I stand on this. It's a subtle point (one which I was just reminded maybe shouldn't be discussed in Post form) But I do believe that encouraging a wider range of voices is critical to our success in building out a robust social media landscape. We can't gatekeep and only let in "the right folks" that of course is impossible as that definition varies for every person here.

@lowtech That's a very thoughtful point, thank you. I'd argue the majority of the 'negative replies' I've been getting such as equating anyone wanting to discuss AI as scumbags actually feeds into your point. These people strongly feel there is a "community standard" that needs to be upheld and enforced. Its critical, in their minds, that we chase people away that aren't part of our 'authentic community'.

I tend to agree with you, there is no such thing as that. We clearly want there to be safety and there are basic rules that should be enforced, but "Subject matter" tests of what is allowed and what isn't feels like an impossible goal.

It's actually why I made my post, I know these people would come out of the woodwork. I just wanted to see how they'd frame their arguements.

@toddsundsted @dgodon Too many people thought I was *defending* the entire AI industry and worse, comparing it directly to Black Twitter. Hey it's social media, posts are short, it's easy to connect the dots the wrong way.

My poor writing skills aside, my point was what I think you both are saying: it's a slippery slope. It's no secret that black twitter was not made welcome here (it's a very complex topic but there is some truth to it).

My point wasn't that techbros needed support or coddling but the idea that we "allow" people to be here based on some type of ideological purity test is guaranteed to bite us in the ass. Too many people here get holier than thou and feel morally obligated to harass people. It's short sighted.

@EveHasWords what does that matter?

@ireneista My comment had literally nothing to do with AI, technology, or technology news. It was about inclusivity and I just used this one post as an example of someone getting 'tone policed' by the Mastodon community.

I really don't care what your opinions are on AI, that's not my point my point is that you should be encouraged to have any view you want! for Mastodon to thrive all sorts of people need to come and find their own communities. I'm against people thinking they need to sharp who comes here. It's horribly short sighted.

@scottjenson we didn't even mention "AI"

the thing you're quoting was about "tech news". we put that phrase in quotes to call attention to the fact we were directly quoting it. our apologies if that was less clear than we hoped.

@scottjenson you've clearly bucketed us into some specific category before even talking to us, but, like... whatever cliche you're imagining, we're not that.

@scottjenson our point was that journalists have specific goals in their engagement with social venues, and the nature of those goals shapes the reactions they get and that can't be separated from the way journalists view those places.

it's a really super-specific use-case that the person you're quoting talks about, so we responded to that, because it didn't even occur to us you were trying to generalize it to a statement about everybody

@scottjenson for the record, we think such generalization is facially absurd

we'd normally have found some polite way to say that, but it turns out reacting as if we're someone else is a fast way to get us angry

@carnage4life @evan @scottjenson @MozillaAI I thought this was a very astute way to put it.

@scottjenson let’s rephrase it then: I’m highly indifferent to journalists being on here. And that’s very different from “let’s change the culture of the fediverse to encourage them to join”.

And don’t get me wrong, the culture on here can be fucking annoying - I swear I will launch through the screen at the next humourless “yes, but” German furry response to one of my posts.

But if the nature of the fediverse isn’t inimical to journalism then is that something to change, or accept as a fact?

@scottjenson we have a great deal of respect for your work and didn't mean to get quite that upset. for the record.

@scottjenson I certainly don’t miss people boosting their work for clicks or career advancement. And again, that isn’t the same as “professional journalists are unwelcome”. I just won’t engage with that. But will I engage with some producing interesting work that matches my interests? Certainly.

That I (and I suspect, others) don’t automatically see those as being the same thing is probably the issue.

@scottjenson If “AI journalist” in this context means that a legitimate, actual journalist doing real journalism about LLM companies and developers has been chased off the Fediverse, it would matter a great deal. If it’s AI boosters and regurgitators of startup press releases and marketing done under the flag of access journalism, I’m much less concerned.

@scottjenson I think the typical Mastodon user certainly does have severe problem with how they interact with others. That’s a function of the personality/brain type that gets attracted here. I’m certainly not a fan of that, and yes it creates a monoculture of interaction style- but I will infinitely take it over the Big Tent “let’s all homogeneously scream in public” paradigm of Twitter where there was a monoculture of *content* style.

@awfulwoman But my point wasn't *specifically* about journalists, it was just an example of one person that a) wasn't getting traction and b) the 1% of the deplorables wanted to chase them away.

My point way much more broad, about using this as a wedge example of allowing a much wider array of people into Mastodon. Just because you don't like self promoting morons (I don't either of course) doesn't mean we should be actively chasing them away. Not because I want them! But for a much simpler reason: It's very hard to objectively define what a "promoting moron" is. More importantly, they might do it AND be a really valuable person to the community.

There is so much simplistic black and white thinking about who someone is and so many are willing to say "Begone!" for the flimsiest of reasons.

@scottjenson This is what happens when the culture tries to come here but they were policed and bullied off the platform.

Black folks would rather go through another centralized network than deal with the toxic nature of the Fediverse.

@scottjenson “As this conversation is spiraling a bit let me double down on my worst possible take: AI journos are marginalized exactly the same as BIPOC, trans, and queer folk.”

@eestileib @scottjenson @evan To drill down on the "what value?" question, we can refine it to ask, "who benefits, who is harmed, and what recourse do those who are harmed have?"