Exploding-heads.com is another instance on Lemmy where alt-right MAGA types tend to reside. Some people on this server want us to defederate from them immediately, some people want to save defederation as a last resort. They have 104 active users (more stats below).
It seems that exploding-heads has also experienced a recent botswarm invasion. This is obviously another point in favor of defederating them, assuming you are worried about botswarms, which is currently being discussed here.
My advice to you all is please try to discuss this in a civil manner, we need not allow them to create divisive conflict inside our communities. No matter how the vote turns out, you’re not going to be able to defederate from your fellow sh.itheads so be nice.
I’ve linked many of the previous discussions below so people who are out of the loop can get a general sense of the situation.
https://sh.itjust.works/post/216888 https://sh.itjust.works/post/225714 https://sh.itjust.works/post/281126 https://sh.itjust.works/post/410325
Lemmy.world just recently defederated them.
https://lemmy.world/post/747912
https://lemmy.world/post/577526
Although this could be considered a point in favor of defederation, it actually means even if we vote to remain federated, people have a great alternative in lemmy.world where they can still participate in our communities and simultaneously be protected from exploding-heads.
Ensuring diversity of servers is beneficial to the platform as a whole, but it is also not our responsibility to bear that burden.
TLDR, just wrap up any last points in this thread before we open the vote tomorrow. Please be civil.
EDIT: To clarify, this isn’t the official vote, this is the final discussion. The vote thread will be posted tomorrow and you will only be allowed to make a single comment saying Aye or Nay.
EDIT2: Vote thread is up, this thread is now locked. Very lively discussion thread sh.itheads. Please try to be more respectful next time.
I vote for defederation.
I’m in favour of sharing and experiencing diverse opinions but not where those opinions involve hatred and gross personal attacks on certain groups. People like this cannot be educated, cannot be persuaded, and their rhetoric causes a great deal of harm.
“People like this cannot be educated, cannot be persuaded, and their rhetoric causes a great deal of harm.”
I’m sorry, but that sounds like a gross personal attack on a certain group.
Look, I hear where you’re coming from. I can’t stand the MAGA movement. But the fact is the planet is full of disagreements and people who feel wronged. Sometimes it is important to hear these voices, both for our understanding and theirs.
By blocking instances we disagree with, we not only become a groupthink echo chamber, but we create another echo chamber in the banned community.
As a group, we can’t put our hands over our ears and shout “lalalalalala…” every time we hear something we disagree with. We are a society. Don’t be so precious.
Having said all that, I am in favor of individual users having the ability to block messages from an whole instance. It should be entirely up to the individual.