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Fri, 22 Mar 2024 20:38:01 +0100 last edited: Sat, 23 Mar 2024 10:21:19 +0100

_jayrope

jrp@hub.kliklak.net

#Hubzilla 9 is out and there is a new feature called "repeat" which resembles a Mastodon style boost of an external post. Thank you @Mario Vavti for that one!
While the new feature can help increase virality of posts, when needed, there is an unfortunate side effect:

An old hack blocking boosts post in your own connections by filtering them for
?verb == http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/share stopped working.

Edit: The new working code to filter boosts is
?verb == Announce

@Harald Eilertsen @Mike Macgirvin 🖥️

show all 23 comments

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 20:41:01 +0100

Mike Macgirvin 🖥️

mikedev@fediversity.site

add another line with

?verb == Announce

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 20:43:43 +0100

Harald Eilertsen

harald@hub.volse.no

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 20:44:08 +0100 last edited: Fri, 22 Mar 2024 20:45:09 +0100

_jayrope

jrp@hub.kliklak.net

@Mike Macgirvin 🖥️ Hey Mike, thank you, that's appreciated, i will try this. Unfortunately i have to go through editing 500+ connection entries to do this while an explizit block boosts button isn't available on a user or post directly - which would allow to just do this on the fly while reading. How does streams deal with this?

Thank you, @Harald Eilertsen too!

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 20:58:17 +0100

Harald Eilertsen

harald@hub.volse.no

@_jayrope

an explizit block boosts button isn't available on a user or post directly

That's a good idea though!

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 20:58:43 +0100

Mike Macgirvin 🖥️

mikedev@fediversity.site

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 21:06:26 +0100

_jayrope

jrp@hub.kliklak.net

@Harald Eilertsen Yeah! This button could even just create the line ?verb == Announce within the user filters (also a hack, but much quicker to use). :D

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 21:09:34 +0100

_jayrope

jrp@hub.kliklak.net

@Mike Macgirvin 🖥️ That's exactly, how i would imagine this to work. I only have two thumbs, but they are up.

And yes, i meant muting instead of blocking seems to be a better wording, too. On another note i like actual reshares (as opposed to boosts/repeats), because they often come commented, which adds perspective.

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 21:27:12 +0100

Mike Macgirvin 🖥️

mikedev@fediversity.site

No reason why this couldn't be split, but it creates yet another permission setting and at some point it becomes overwhelming. I tend to use this control sparingly. Folks who use boosts sparingly are safe. Those that are just parrots, but once in a blue moon share an original thought get their boosts muted. If they're just parrots and don't have any original thoughts, I never connect with them in the first place, or very quickly remedy that bad decision.

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 10:15:47 +0100

_jayrope

jrp@hub.kliklak.net

@Harald Eilertsen PHPMyAdmin did the trick exchanging all the old entries with the new one for now. Not avail. to normal channel users, though.

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 10:25:38 +0100

Harald Eilertsen

harald@hub.volse.no

@_jayrope Modifying the db directly is always an option, but as you say, requires both access and knowledge.

Finding a good way to do bulk manipulation of selected contacts would help quite a bit I think. Not sure how the UX for that should be done, though.

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 10:42:22 +0100 last edited: Sat, 23 Mar 2024 11:10:31 +0100

_jayrope

jrp@hub.kliklak.net

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 11:18:56 +0100

Harald Eilertsen

harald@hub.volse.no

@_jayrope I agree.

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 21:24:29 +0100

Mike Macgirvin 🖥️

mikedev@fediversity.site

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 21:29:14 +0100 last edited: Sat, 23 Mar 2024 21:32:05 +0100

_jayrope

jrp@hub.kliklak.net

@Mike Macgirvin 🖥️ Sure, you can do this, but the majority of users will skip out on that procedure and leave Hubzilla or Streams ~~for that matter~~ before they even fully understood the beauty of this - and instead look for sthg that offers them a way to deal with what they want in an obvious and intuitive way, effectively turning a "self-inflicted ghetto" onto both applications.

After that you wait a bit until the next "why is this so complicted" complaint comes up, which will be answered in the same way. Probably. This way these two applications will never talk to more than a few nerds (like me).

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 21:47:25 +0100

Mike Macgirvin 🖥️

mikedev@fediversity.site

In the case of repeats, Streams has an easy switch toggle to mute these. You're welcome to move that button elsewhere and split into repeats and shares if you want. Splitting it wasn't part of the original feature definition. Does Mastodon provide separate toggles for each?

But I'm not certain how you would (today) block ads that were being served as an an attachment; which if we had a sample, we could create a rule pretty quickly. It would take longer to turn that into a button and test it and translate it and release it. And assuming that this was just discovered to be an issue, the platforms that "deal with what they want in an obvious and intuitive way" would be going through the same development process and currently unable to do it at all.

Or put another way, treating your users like uneducated idiots that require spoon feeding to exist is a self-fulfilling prophecy. We've already seen how that plays out.

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 22:10:43 +0100

_jayrope

jrp@hub.kliklak.net

@Mike Macgirvin 🖥️ Mastodon even lets me Mute or Block (eg. Ignore or Block) at the tip of a button, user-specific. Plus it provides, where i can see whom i muted and quickly reverse their states if i feel like i can or have to. Think of your email in vacation mode. I can quickly reduce the number of notifications just for some time, super helpful, when you're onyl on an old smart phone while travelling. And then turn it ball back on, when you're back on your computer or so.

By the way these issues for me have been "on" since i converted from Mastodon. I even wrote several feature requests about such things, partly unreplied or rejected. All good. I do enjoy the benefits in any case. Not all software can be the same and shouldn't be. But intuitively usable they should be.

As of ads i don't see any problem on Hubzilla, is there trouble on Streams? I would doubt it. Mastodon ( i was on .social ;) is swamped by ad posts. Without moderation. No human can follow that flood, and they have no tools to prevent this in the first place. Big plus for streams and Hubzilla. But Mastodon let's me block and use anyone, not just connections, in a super easy way, which helps conquer all kinds of drop outs.

In general i even treat myself like an uneducated idiot (love that description), let's treat all humans the same. :D

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 22:41:49 +0100

Harald Eilertsen

harald@hub.volse.no

@_jayrope @Mike Macgirvin 🖥️ I don't think having powerful, flexible tools and convenient shortcuts for common operations contradicts each other. We can do both. (Given time and resources, of course.) :)

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 22:46:47 +0100

_jayrope

jrp@hub.kliklak.net

@Harald Eilertsen You're da best :) Reminds me, is there any documentation on the use of the cart addon someplace? I only ever saw it on Mario's HZ. It connects to his Paypal, but i can't figure out, how...

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 23:34:12 +0100

Mike Macgirvin 🖥️

mikedev@fediversity.site

Maybe you'll find a developer who you can convince to build exactly what you want. I never did and was forced to do it myself. If it isn't exactly what you want, sorry. I'm not you. There are 8 billion people on the planet and they all want something special and different. There's one of me and 24 hours in a day and it's hard finding people who want to help because that would require me to be popular -- and I've never been one of the popular kids.

I don't think of anybody as an idiot. I figure you are probably capable of doing the math and coming to a logical conclusion. If I'm wrong, apologies again.

There's no shortage of ActivityPub software competing for your attention and loyalty. Some was designed to be generally useful at one specific task. Some was designed to be safe and try its best to offer privacy when needed. Some was designed to be simple. Some tries to be everything to everybody and fails miserably at all of the above.

Use whatever you want. Hope you find what you're looking for.

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 23:38:55 +0100

_jayrope

jrp@hub.kliklak.net

@Mike Macgirvin 🖥️ I think you got me wrong. I do appreciate what you are creating, Mike, so thank you much for this. Let's play some guitar.

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 23:42:44 +0100

Mike Macgirvin 🖥️

mikedev@fediversity.site

Good idea. I've really been feeling the blues the last few days. Thankfully that's a song I know. Exceptionally well.

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 10:36:20 +0100

Harald Eilertsen

harald@hub.volse.no

@_jayrope Mind you, there's no promises... there's lots to do and little time, but I think it's cool to get these ideas up.

As for the cart addon, I don't know if there's any good documentation out there. You have enabled the Paypal button in the Cart settings?

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 10:51:39 +0100

Harald Eilertsen

harald@hub.volse.no

@Mike Macgirvin 🖥️ By building a solid foundation, like you have done, the rest of us have the best possible starting point for adding our small enhancements as we see fit.

You're right, we can't make everyone happy, and imo that should not be a goal either. Still there's a number of us who are here precisely because we are happy about the work you have done!