I haven't followed the #TheBadSpace discussion in all details... but isn't the whole point of the #Fediverse that people can curate their own experiences rather than having their own timeline be determined by corporate algorithms?
And obviously, different users with different backgrounds have different perspectives and needs. Obviously, #BIPOC people - who represent a much smaller percentage of users of Mastodon than it is the case with, say, Twitter - have different perspective on what they need for curating block lists.
Thus, I think the concept behind TheBadSpace is sound. And if it doesn't work out in practice, then I hope that other BIPOC Mastodon users come up with their own systems.
But "one size fits all" lists for defederation are not and will never be sufficient. We desperately need different perspectives if we are to grow, and hopefully supplant corporate social media.
And supplanting corporate social media should be the goal, since they are all riling people up against each other for the sake of "engagement". We are already seeing where this leads.
Deciding on which among these three books by #BIPOC authors I should read next (these are from my Big Bad Wolf haul last June). Leaning towards Arudpragasam's novel set in Sril Lanka.
Hello Fediverse! I am coming before you all today to promote my new instance: blackqueer.life! You may have seen my post on my old account about it a few weeks back. I wanted to wait until I finished migrating my old account over here, got the instance up and running to where I wanted it, etc before promoting it fully.
We all know Fedi isn't always kind to Black users, doubly so for Black queers. My instance represents my attempt to continue the amazing work some folks are doing in the Fediverse to make these platforms more accessible and safer for all users, ESPECIALLY marginalized folks.
When I joined the fediverse, the first thing I was searching for almost from the beginning was an instance dedicated to or centering Black queer people explicitly. While there are a few amazing communities like that out there, many of them are either not federating, offering limited federation only, or are currently closed to new users.
This allows them to have much greater control over the content their users are exposed to, which I have tremendous respect and appreciation for. Hell, I've got alts in some of those places!
However. As a newcomer to Fedi, it was not overly easy for me to find these places and gain access, which I recognize is somewhat by design. Limited or no federation meant the only way to locate them was by word of mouth and extensive research.
This is where BlackQueerLife comes in. I want to build a place where Black queer, trans, and GNC folks can feel safe making a home while also being able to venture out into the rest of the fediverse. I want somewhere they can use as a landing pad. I want as many multiply marginalized Black folks off of corporate hellsites like Twitter and Bluesky as possible. We are not safe being corporate playthings.
Most importantly, I want every Black queer person who joins Fedi to know that they have somewhere they can go. I don't expect that all would necessarily want to join, but I want all Black queer fedizens to know that they are welcome to.
So if you see this, please boost this post to spread the word. If you already boosted the other posts that have gone out about this instance, no pressure. Thanks so much!
@davidkirlewmorris@tillshadeisgone@blackmastodon@BlackMastodon Same here - I would very much like to know too, so I can be a better ally and also help foster a more welcoming environment. 💞
@ Music Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz
"We are particularly interested in scholars/practitioners with lived and professional experience in Hip Hop who champion perspectives from the #BIPOC, #queer, #trans, #womanist, and #feminist communities."
Reminiscent of The Year of Magical Thinking and Somebody’s Daughter, a deeply empathetic and often humorous collection of essays that explore the author’s ever-changing relationships with her grandmother and mother, through sickness and health, as they experience the joys and challenges of Black American womanhood.
Have you nominated your favorite #IndieBooks for the #IndieInkAwards yet? Nominations are open for the month of November for several awards from Side Character MVP to Wittiest Character, & to highlight amazing #LGBTQ Representation, #MentalHealth Rep, #Disability Rep, #BIPOC Rep, & more. Open to all fiction genres and YA, NA, & Adult books. While you're there, you might find more #BooksToRead !
MISSION:
The 23for23 initiative amplifies and elevates marginalized voices in publishing by promoting, showcasing, and celebrating the works of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color dedicated to telling stories that center marginalized identities.
HERE'S HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE:
Read 23 books by BIPOC authors about BIPOC characters by the end of 2023