@hosford42
Yes, those are the time-to-live values on the relay. If the app hasn't confirmed reception within that period, the activity is dropped. Once the app confirms reception, the activity is immediately deleted from the relay.
These values can be changed by the relay admin and are always displayed on the relay's about page.
@HolosSocial

@rainer
Yes, the app supports scheduled backups via S3 or WebDAV, so your data stays safe even if your device is lost or stolen. We'll also be adding an optional passphrase for encrypted backups soon.
@HolosSocial

We talk about #HolosSocial forgetting some of you might not know this project.
#Holos is a full ActivityPub server running on your device. Currently on Android, next on iOS.
We already introduced #E2EE DMs and #ActivityPub identity through custom domains. You own your followers, your keys, and your identity. Relays are just infrastructure.
On the footer of https://holos.social we added pages explaining the project. Have a look!

Mastodon: @HolosSocial Don't hesitate to share

@lexinova
We can't change how Mastodon presents those settings, but we had a page explaining how the service works and how to opt out per platform. We'll communicate even more clearly if the service comes back.

Worth noting that this opt-in by default setting also allows Google to index fediverse profiles, except they don't check for consent at all. This is a much bigger issue that goes way beyond our project, which actually tries to do things the right way.

@lutindiscret
We panicked quickly because things escalated beyond what we expected. But we still believe our approach was far more respectful than what's already happening: the same data is being exploited by others without users even knowing. At worst, we raised awareness.

We were caught off guard by the reactions and acted quickly. But we want to give the community a voice. We'll follow the result of this poll: if it should have stayed up, we'll reopen the source code and bring the service back.

@lexinova
The debate goes beyond that. The real question is why developers chose to enable "indexable" by default when creating an account. A default opt-in is effectively an opt-out. That's where the conversation should start.

With #HolosDiscover we checked multiple criteria before indexing: "indexable" enabled, account not locked, no #nobot or #noindex in bio, not in opted-out list, only public posts. Every deletion, edit or block was processed instantly via #ActivityPub.
Google uses that same "indexable" flag but ignores everything else, keeps deleted content cached for weeks.
We shut it down after pushback. Was that the right call? Don't hesitate to share, this concerns the whole Fediverse.

@tehstu
Our previous mechanism was actually more thorough than that. Before following or indexing anyone, we checked multiple signals: indexable enabled, account not locked, no #nobot in bio. But since indexable is enabled by default when you create an account, we were closer to opt-out than opt-in. That's why we're rethinking the approach with explicit opt-in.

@nicolaottomano
We actually received links to conversations where the project was being discussed quite aggressively beyond what was visible here. We still believe our approach was ethical, but it didn't account for users not understanding their own default settings. Of course, the same settings used by real scrapers like Google, but that's another debate
@julian

@julian
We appreciate that, but the feedback raised valid points. The opt-in approach is the right move. It may grow slower, but every user in the index will be there by conscious choice. That's a stronger foundation to build on.

After shutting down #HolosDiscover, we're rethinking the approach with #HolosIndex: users explicitly opt in by adding #HolosIndex to their bio with interest tags, then submit their profile. No assumptions, no default settings.
This will power interest-based discovery across the #Fediverse, helping people find each other through shared interests. Still all through #ActivityPub of course, with real-time deletions and updates.

@laurenshof
Yes, some fair questions about the opt-out nature of the approach, since most instances enable indexable by default. That's a valid concern and it's really an instance-level decision, not ours. But the heated pushback mostly came from one person.

With https://discover.holos.social we may have highlighted that many Fediverse users don't pay attention to their default settings. We built a fully respectful search engine that only relies on #ActivityPub, with instant deletion, updates, and indexing only consenting users. We will likely shut down the service, but the source code will remain available as we believe the approach is ethical. That same indexable setting already lets Google index your posts and keep them cached long after deletion.

@grant_h
Exactly, The big guys don't care about consent and keep deleted content cached for days or weeks. We don't index behind anyone's back, we check multiple criteria before following anyone, and every deletion, edit or block is processed instantly. 100% ActivityPub, playing by the Fediverse rules.
@HurricaneWeasel

@dnkrupinski
Sorry about that, we'll investigate this quickly. The expected behavior of the "unfollow" command is immediate deletion of all indexed content, with no possibility of re-indexing anything, even if someone we follow boosts one of your posts.

In the meantime, blocking @HolosDiscover will guarantee instant and complete removal.

RE: https://mastodon.social/@HolosSocial/116047527834554756

We built Holos Discover, a 100% ActivityPub search engine, to solve a problem: Holos servers start with empty search indexes.

Being fully ActivityPub-native means every deletion, edit or block is processed instantly. Only public posts from consenting users are indexed. We respect every signal available.

This raised concerns, and that's fair. It may have highlighted misunderstood default settings. We're ready to shut it down if the community feels it's not welcome.

https://discover.holos.social/how-it-works