63% of my followers are #discoverable, only 34% are #indexable (by #searchengines). Most new followers are still coming from my prev. #mastodon #instance, #fosstodon.org. Might be the local timeline, it was way more interesting/less random than here.

Want to know about your followers, too? Check out this tool I’ve built (hosted on the #IPFS). It’s a non-commercial side project; not collecting any data – simply sharing what I’ve built:

https://fedi--followers-data0-one.ipns.dweb.link

(Last plug for a while, I promise)

9/

And just for the record —

Just like everyone else I contacted about their 'discoverable' flag being defaulted to 'false' —

He wasn't aware of the 'discoverable' flag existing (just like everyone else I contacted).

He didn't want to be hidden (just like everyone else I contacted).

He changed it to 'true' (just like everyone else I contacted).

#ActivityPub #ActivityStreams #DeSo #Discoverable #FediDev #FediDevs #Fediverse #FediverseUX #JSONLD #Mastodon #SocialWeb

8/

As it is now, I think the 'discoverable' flag is broken.

And, I think the whole user-experience (UX) around the 'discoverable' flag is poor.

And, I think Fediverse software treating a 'false' value for 'discoverable' as "not discoverable" (rather than "not discoverable" or "no choice made") has hugely negative consequences for the user-experience (UX) of the Fediverse

#ActivityPub #ActivityStreams #DeSo #Discoverable #FediDev #FediDevs #Fediverse #FediverseUX #JSONLD #Mastodon #SocialWeb

7/

So now I have to DM Ben to tell him that his 'discoverable' flag is set to false

He (just like everyone else I contacted) will likely not even be aware that the 'discoverable' flag exists

And (just like everyone else I contacted) wished it wasn't set to false

And then (just like everyone else I contacted) struggle to find where he can set it to true

And then set it

#ActivityPub #ActivityStreams #DeSo #Discoverable #FediDev #FediDevs #Fediverse #FediverseUX #JSONLD #Mastodon #SocialWeb

6/

As it is now, the 'discoverable' flag seems broken to me.

Because 'false' doesn't actually mean 'false'.

'false' (in practice) means both "not discoverable" and "no choice made". And this is a very unfortunate situation —

Because the idea of a 'discoverable' flag is a good idea — but this problem with the meaning of 'false' and the UX consequences a big deal.

#ActivityPub #ActivityStreams #DeSo #Discoverable #FediDev #FediDevs #Fediverse #FediverseUX #JSONLD #Mastodon #SocialWeb

5/

JSON and has a 'null'. That could have been used for the 'discoverable' flag.

We could have had so that:

'discoverable' set to 'true' meant that the user explicitly chose to be discoverable.

'discoverable' set to 'false' meant that the user explicitly chose to not be discoverable.

And 'discoverable' set to 'null' meant that the user has not explicitly made a choice.

#ActivityPub #ActivityStreams #DeSo #Discoverable #FediDev #FediDevs #Fediverse #FediverseUX #JSONLD #Mastodon #SocialWeb

4/

With other conceptions, this lack of choice — this lack of setting a value — isn't as muddled.

With optional-types (which are also called "option-types" and "maybe-types") when something isn't assigned a value it is represented as 'nothing' / 'none'.

In relation-databases, this is represented as 'null'.

#ActivityPub #ActivityStreams #DeSo #Discoverable #FediDev #FediDevs #Fediverse #FediverseUX #JSONLD #Mastodon #SocialWeb

3/

As it is right now, the 'discoverable' flag does not communicate whether the user actually made a 'true' or 'false' choice.

If it is 'true' we know they made a choice.

But if it is 'false' it either means the user chose 'false' or the user didn't make a choice. BUT WE CANNOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE.

#ActivityPub #ActivityStreams #DeSo #Discoverable #FediDev #FediDevs #Fediverse #FediverseUX #JSONLD #Mastodon #SocialWeb

2/

There are a HUGE number of people who (unknown to them) have their 'discoverable' flags set to 'false' who —

№2:

Do NOT know that they have a 'discoverable' flag —

And do NOT know that their 'discoverable' flag was automagically set to 'false' —

And do not understand the consequence of having their 'discoverable' flag set to false.

#ActivityPub #ActivityStreams #DeSo #Discoverable #FediDev #FediDevs #Fediverse #FediverseUX #JSONLD #Mastodon #SocialWeb

1/

A problem with the 'discoverable' flag (in Mastodon and any other Fediverse software that added it) is —

There are a HUGE number of people who (unknown to them) have their 'discoverable' flags set to 'false' who —

№1:

Did NOT set their 'discoverable' to 'false' themselves.

Mastodon assigned it for them without ever asking them before hand and getting consent.

#ActivityPub #ActivityStreams #DeSo #Discoverable #FediDev #FediDevs #Fediverse #FediverseUX #JSONLD #Mastodon #SocialWeb

Would you prefer that YOU ARE HIDDEN on the Fediverse?

That nobody (new) ever follows you?

That nobody (new) ever sees your posts?

I KNOW THIS QUESTION SEEMS WEIRD, BUT — THERE IS A SMALL GROUP THAT IS CURRENTLY ARGUING MOST PEOPLE ON THE FEDIVERSE WANT TO BE HIDDEN IN THIS WAY

They don't represent me. And I don't think they should (even implicitly) speak for me

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE HIDDEN LIKE THIS — PLEASE VOTE "NO"

Please boost for reach.

#Discoverable #Fediverse #Mastodon #NoIndex

These should be turned-on by default:

https://mastodon.social/settings/privacy

#Discoverable #Fediverse #Mastodon #NoIndex

@liaizon I just don't see how Webfinger could be relevant to Note search. Point me at any documentation that describes what you're thinking and I'd be happy to take a look. The official documentation (link above) doesn't seem to align with what you're saying.

It seems much more likely to be related to Mastodon's use of the ActivityPub discoverable attribute They use that to control what their full-text search engine uses (whether it's Elasticsearch or otherwise). That's an easy addition to my Actors (and Notes, although it seems unclear if that's used there).

Top paper. Nice one!

"I examine the impact of increased #visibility on the depth and scope of recombination of knowledge. In doing so, I first argue that older papers were favorited by the launch of Google Scholar (GS) as they became more #discoverable. The mechanisms involve (i) a reduction in #search costs and (ii) the implementation of #ranking algorithms placing such older works in visible positions."

The role of online search platforms in scientific diffusion https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24959

@ThePlant #hashtags, if people #hashtagged all the #nouns (and some #verbs) in their #toots #everything #would #be #more #discoverable

and then you'd just follow the hashtags you like

do #people always #post with lots of #hashtags now so that everything is #discoverable and they get lots of #engagement or just #because thats how the #website works and also how do i stop #doing it please help me

I stopped using #Twitter nearly 6 months ago. I hopped on #Mastodon but still find myself using it a lot less than Twitter. I have a tough time #searching on Mastodon. I can't find things or people, even when I know they are supposedly there. This makes it less useful than #Google or #YouTube for keeping up with the #news or #hobbies. I know it's a #hashtag thing and people need to tag posts to be #discoverable. That's just not as useful for #search.

LRT:

We've gotten so used to Twitter being a singular public square, and also to their stupid algorithms arbitrarily deboosting hashtags, that we've been almost completely conditioned out of using them.

We need to get back to using #hashtags here on #mastodon "like it was 2010" (quote: @gummitroi ) because that's how you can make your toots randomly #discoverable here on the #fediverse, outside of the normal federation channels that following powers.

#discoverability

The #feature I'd most like from #Mastodon is for #hashtags to be separate from the text of a post, so that you could have things be #discoverable but not look like they were written by #boomers