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submitted 11 months ago by fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com to c/linux@lemmy.ml

Hi all, I'm a Lemmy FOSS app contributor that's made a couple of tools for people starting small instances including Lemmy Community Seeder (LCS) for building content on new server's All Feeds and Lemmy Post Purger (LPP) for clearing old posts on smaller instances.

Today I'm releasing Lemmy Defederation Sync (LDS). When launching a new Lemmy instance, administrators may not understand the necessity of defederation with problem instances. Using LDS, you can sync your instance's "blocked instance" list with that of another server(s) whose admins you trust.

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[-] southernwolf@pawb.social 24 points 11 months ago

This sounds a bit like how to bring the shared blocklists from Twitter to Lemmy. Those were a disaster on Twitter, and I don't expect it'll end any better here either...

Please don't use tools like this. Manually curate instances you feel the need to defederate with. The Fediverse was built on a model not unlike that of email. You wouldn't just randomly block whole email providers willy-nilly, so you shouldn't do so here on the Fediverse either.

[-] flux@lemmy.ml 12 points 11 months ago

Admins can and do use email server block lists, though, so maybe that's a great example.

I suppose you're right--for now. But at some point Lemmy etc will grow large enough to make manual blocking infeasible. Just how much effort does it take to start a new instance even today?

[-] southernwolf@pawb.social -1 points 11 months ago

Wrong comparison. It's not like a server admin using an email block lists (which are also often implemented badly, as anyone with a protonmail account knows...). It's more like if Protonmail suddenly blocked Tutanota, or if Gmail blocked MS Exchange. The uproar and rage from that would be unceasing.

The Fediverse operates on a model like that of email, and in the email world blocking whole email servers from each other is very rare, and usually done with the most explicit of intent and for a very good reason. That's how the Fediverse should operate as well.

[-] mosiacmango@lemm.ee 7 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Youre just flat wrong here. Basically every email admin uses RBLs to one degree or another.RBLs commonly block whole email servers that allow spam, not individual users. Thousands of email servers. You literally dont know what youre talking about.

The reasons "MS exchange" are not blocked is because they clean up their servers and ensure this bad behavior is not passively or actively allowed. Protonmail had some serious spam issues, which is why they were blocked. They were not doing the work it takes to be a good member of the "email" federation, so they were excluded from it.

RBLs are ruthless, because email has no enforcement mechanism for good behavior besides "you are not allowed to talk to me." Thats the nature of federation. There is no central authority to appeal to, so each member of a federation instead sets their boundaries. You play nice, or other people dont have to deal with your shit, and RBLs are a proven and effective tool to help them accomplish that.

The only issue with reputation block lists for the fediverse right now is that it's still very small. They will likely limit growth, but that's up to the server admins to weigh agaisnt allowing hateful content. Youre always free to spin up your own server and federate with whoever is willing.

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this post was submitted on 06 Aug 2023
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Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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