This is probably a terrible faux pas, and I don't mean to bother everyone, but I clearly still haven't got the hang of this place.

BlueDot

If you want to post something that lots of people see, but you don't want the fascists to identify you, consider using the Tor Browser to set up and use an anonymous account. Then your posts don't lead back to you, even if the server is compromised.

Oli

@AnnieG
Hi, I saw your post after it was boosted by your followers @Urban_Hermit

Annie G

@mazz thanks - I'm not sure if I understood correctly but I thought hashtags aren't active in 'quiet public' posts. Also, I'm so literal I have a hard time with what's an appropriate tag!

Mary Mazzocco

@AnnieG oh I feel that! But my experience here is the conversation is calm so, "close enough" works.

Annie G

Back at ya! I had no idea this question would suddenly make the fediverse explode (how it feels) and now I feel like I have to - but can't - keep up with all the responses!

Radio Free Trumpistan

@GhostOnTheHalfShell @lin11c @Yehuda @tuban_muzuru @beandreams @roknrol @Nettlephagus @AnnieG Thanks to @Urban_Hermit boosting your toot, I am now able to see it. As he explained, that is indeed how it works in the #Fediverse. Notice I put that expression as a hashtag--The Fediverse is one huge firehose of hundreds of thousands of posts per second, so using hashtags is essential for focusing in on the type of content you'd be interested in...for example, you could post a question for anyone to answer when you #AskFedi .

And consider following @FediTips for lots of helpful tips on navigating the Fediverse. Also be aware that although Mastodon is the most prevalent software by which to access the Fediverse, there are others such as the type I'm using (Friendica), Diaspora, Pixelfed, and so on. There are features that they will not have in common (for example, Friendica doesn't do CW--Content Warnings-- or Alt Text for images, or polls etc). With that said--welcome aboard!

GhostOnTheHalfShell

@AnnieG @Nettlephagus @tuban_muzuru @lin11c @beandreams @roknrol @Yehuda

I am coming rather lately to this exchange. I would just like to put my two cents in to say you should always boost things you like and otherwise think worthy of propagating. It’s how things spread.

A quiet public flag indicates that your post will not be visible in public timelines so if I understand that correctly, it’s not showing up even in your local server to other people. You may want to try public post.

Fedi.Tips 🎄

@AnnieG

Not a faux pas at all, it is totally fine to boost their posts in the way you describe

Also your posts are federating fine

If you want to make your own profile and posts more visible, I've done a guide to this at https://fedi.tips/how-do-i-get-more-followers-on-mastodon-and-the-fediverse

If you want to discover more accounts to follow, there's a guide for that too at https://fedi.tips/how-do-i-find-accounts-to-follow-on-mastodon-and-the-fediverse-how-do-i-find-my-friends

Please feel free to ask if you want help with using this place, and there is also lots of help on the website at https://fedi.tips

Moe Lassus

@AnnieG I feel ya. I don’t consider myself very good at this thing either. I also can’t say I’ve put much effort into it. Sometimes I just feel like saying something so I do. I mostly just enjoy reading stuff here.

Anyway I requested a follow! Great to meet you!

Annie G

@FediTips thank you! I have checked Tips as I go, but not for a while - one has to be in a place of enough understanding to be able to formulate the right questions... I generally have to bootstrap to the next set of problems before I get much out of pertinent guides. And I have a whole new set now! Just found myself wondering if there's a place (analogous to FB profile) to view how another user sees one's posts from where they are, depending on one's privacy settings.

Orb 2069

@AnnieG @FediTips

Opening the post in a private tab would probably give you the general fedi view, if nothing else ...

Annie G

@claralistensprechen3rd @Urban_Hermit

I will at some point ask you about friendica, I've contemplated trying to set up an instance...I left a lot of very old friends back on Facebook and I miss them (but don't feel safe there any more, not to mention the feeling of being "the used" in my relationship with the platform, rather than the user).

Radio Free Trumpistan

@Urban_Hermit @AnnieG I've gone inactive on Facebook myself but posted in my Profile as to why and where I could be found in the Fediverse--no takers from there yet, and I suspect the reason is the same one which explains why I haven't entirely deleted my own account: Groups. Some of them are heavily involved in Facebook Market to sell their stuff on. If you do the same on your Facebook profile then you'd come away knowing that those that don't follow your lead won't be missing you as much as you miss them. If they wanted to find you on here, they'd have the ability.

Annie G

@claralistensprechen3rd @Urban_Hermit my old high school friends (when we were all freaks; some of us later became geeks) are mostly not tech savvy at all and I'd have to walk them through every step. Since I'm barely walking here yet myself... it'll be a while.

Suzanne Aldrich (she/her)

@AnnieG
Hey there! Someone I followed boosted this, and now here we are. It’s nice to make your acquaintance, Annie

Annie G

@suzannealdrich Likewise!

mivox is exhausted :ri:

@AnnieG @Nettlephagus @tuban_muzuru @GhostOnTheHalfShell @lin11c @beandreams @roknrol @Yehuda If your default is Quiet Public, I believe you won’t show up in the timelines of anyone who isn’t already following you. (I found this post because of a reply that piqued my curiosity, for instance.) That would probably explain the lack of replies?

So, yeah, your boosts are probably unlikely to reach an audience beyond your followers who you’re boosting from.

Annie G

@mivox Yes, I've gathered that's what happens. Unless someone with a wider network of connections boosts a post of mine, as happened today. The outcome being that I now have a 30% greater chance of my posts being seen, and a bunch of helpful and interesting new connections!

And a new question: if one starts a post/toot/thread desperately addressing a bunch of follow[ers/ees? - this terminology makes me crazy!] is it impolite to then strip them off as side-conversations develop? Or is it rude to keep them involved if they haven't chosen to weigh in at all?I would think the latter, but maybe it's an awful gaffe (I've been going kind of half and half here ).

GhostOnTheHalfShell

@mivox @AnnieG @Nettlephagus @tuban_muzuru @lin11c @beandreams @roknrol @Yehuda

So it sounds like the thing to do is to make boost public as a default just to be seen

Radio Free Trumpistan

@mivox @AnnieG Oh, I'll agree that's a lot for a new person to get accustomed to, so by way of answering your new question, I'll now draw your attention to what happens when you reply in the reply editor area. When you're replying to a comment that is a reply to another person's comment, both persons are automatically "tagged" at the beginning line of the editor. If you intend that only one of those people get a notification of your reply, first delete the "tags" of the people you don't want to generate a notification to. The software is for the purpose of forum-type discussion by default because that's the nature of the beast.