People ask me what it’s like to be a moderator. Our discussions reveal that a lot of what we do is a mystery. So, I’m gonna lay it out for you. Specifically about the unique fediverse moderation model, mutual aid, and mental health.
What Fediverse Moderation Looks Like
Centralized networks like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter create rules that please executives and shareholders. Those decision makers don’t have to be ethical—and they rarely are.
They obey money. Big money. And big money is never on the side of the people. Big money gets rid of fact checkers, amplifies malicious bigotry, and platforms nazis.
The fediverse is decentralized. That means there isn’t one server for all accounts and it’s not run by one company. It’s a network of servers (or instances), each self-owned/operated. Sometimes that’s one person, but most often is a small team. And each team makes its own rules for moderation. They all communicate symbiotically to create the single social network.
There’s a common theme to the rules. While not universal, the majority of instances focus on ethics and inclusivity. Those who don’t get blocked through a process called “defederation.” This is a global block between instances. It means no one on the blocked server can interact with anyone from the server who moderated it.
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