Post #3441697

2026-06-28 04:43 UTC

This new "tags.pub" instance that just blasts out boosts of anything with a matching hashtag is ... annoying. Pointless. Practically abuse. It just boosted a post of mine with *seven* different accounts. Didn't ask for permission to follow/do things with my content. Its account overviews say "You can opt out!", which is absolutely *not* how bots should be interacting with people in the Fediverse. This should be opt-*in* only. How is this okay? Frankly, I think it should be completely defederated, it's not operating in good faith. #Fediblock #OptOut #consent

Replies (7)

@alice@lgbtqia.space 2026-06-28 05:41

@cazabon@mindly.social right there with ya... https://lgbtqia.space/@alice/116825829843438277

Open ##3441696
@oaj@mastodon.com.pl 2026-06-28 08:30

@cazabon@mindly.social: I also noticed that on one of Mastodon accounts about an online gazette I co-maintain with a few other people. Just blocked that. Hashtags already exist here and tags.pub functionality is simply redundant.

Open ##3444459
@riggs7sct@mastodon.scot 2026-06-28 07:00

@cazabon@mindly.social block the instance? 🤔

Open ##3445103
@cazabon@mindly.social 2026-06-28 05:23

It has not escaped my irony detector that this post was also mass-boosted by several tag bots on this problematic instance. #irony #bots

Open ##3452200
@ZanaGB@lgbtqia.space 2026-06-28 09:09

@cazabon@mindly.social The whole situation has been one hell of a ride... You'd imagine that short of John ActivityPub themselves one of the co-authors would understand what the fuck is invasive policy and to try and respect people. But nope! (also they seem to have been vaporized to dust over here so whatever's happened in the last 8 hours is a mystery)

Open ##3454570
@cazabon@mindly.social 2026-06-28 07:24

Hey @evan@cosocial.ca - now that I know that you're the guy behind this i-don't-need-consent bot farm, and not just some guy showing up in my replies justifying it because he likes it, how about you answer the question: Why is tags.pub opt-OUT? There is ZERO good reason for it not to be opt-IN. Based on your other posts, your justification seems to be "But if I make it opt-in, many people will not opt in!", which is simply unacceptable. It's not just antisocial; it's dangerous. https://lgbtqia.space/@alice/116824281370893420 How about you stop acting like the slopmeisters slurping up the entire web against the wishes of the people who create and maintain that content?

Open ##3808974
@juliette@mastodon.green 2026-06-28 04:50

@cazabon@mindly.social I hate those. Instant block every time. If you want to follow a hashtag, just… follow the hashtag? They are pointless and bring nothing to the table.

Open ##3808977