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2026-02-09 08:41:35

djoerd@idf.social

Ok, hear me out: A Mastodon server where *everyone* is a moderator.
This server, let's call it Modstodon, gathers local statistics for every account on the global fediverse:
* number of followers from Modstodon
* number of blocks and mutes from people on Modstodon
* number of boosts and favorites from people on Modstodon
🧵 1/5

2026-02-09 08:42:12

Djoerd Hiemstra 🍉

djoerd@idf.social

Each global account gets a "Modstodon friend score": Local followers, boosts and favorites contribute positively to the friend score. Local blocks and mutes contribute negatively. Unknown accounts get zero score. Known accounts may get a negative score (more blocked than followed) or a positive score (more followed than blocked)
2/5

2026-02-09 08:42:40

Djoerd Hiemstra 🍉

djoerd@idf.social

Any account with a very negative score? Automatically blocked! Clearly negative? Muted! Around zero? Limited privileges: replies to local Modstodon posts will be invisible to the original poster, but visible to the poster's followers, who can implicitly approve the posts (favorite the post) or disapprove (mute or block the replier)
3/5

2026-02-09 08:43:16

Djoerd Hiemstra 🍉

djoerd@idf.social

Friend scores are aggregated per server into server scores. If a server score is very negative (many blocked users -- each blocked by individuals on Modstodon) then the server gets blocked automatically. If a server score is very positive, accounts from those servers may start with a slightly positive score instead of starting with zero.
4/5

2026-02-09 08:44:23

Djoerd Hiemstra 🍉

djoerd@idf.social

On Modstodon, moderation is also a social activity; people know their actions directly influence the safety of their comrades.
5/5

2026-02-09 10:24:48

Hein Ragas

heinragas@mublog.nl

@djoerd Like Reddit, but for posters rather than content.

I mean, I kinda use it like that already: my timelines contains posts from the people I trust (those I follow) and the posts from the people _they_ trust (the boosts they do).

2026-02-09 10:42:52

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

@Djoerd Hiemstra 🍉 I like the idea, it's basically a reputation database.

Other servers should maybe be allowed to use the aggregated numbers about the global accounts, so that they can "subscribe" to the moderation of a server they know does a good job.

Kind of like what Spamhaus does in the world of e-mail.

2026-02-09 13:23:07

Gina

Gina@fosstodon.org

Screenshot from the Black mirror episode NoseDive where a person is looking in the mirror, estathic that she has a high social score.

@djoerd One the one hand, reputation and safety is a thing. On the other; the "Mastodon friend score" kind of reminds me of the Black Mirror episode NoseDive where everyone has a social score that is constantly being monitored. Not sure if I'm a fan 😅

2026-02-09 15:35:20

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

@Gina Haven't seen that, but a "social score" sounds more like what they have in China, where everyone is monitored and unwanted behavior will get you banned from jobs, public transport or such.

On the Fediverse this would only impact an account you use to send messages to the world. If the community doesn't like your messages very much and gives you a negative score, that wouldn't impact your life as a whole, only this specific account.

And I like the idea that people would have to consider what they post.

@Djoerd Hiemstra 🍉

2026-02-09 15:38:53

Djoerd Hiemstra 🍉

djoerd@idf.social

@Gina Ouch, I have to see the episode! Sounds much like what social media is all about, though...