How defederation works
Now take that example post from earlier, the one on beehaw.org. The “true” version of the post is on beehaw.org but the post is still hosted on both instances (again, it has a copy hosted on all instances). Let’s say someone with an account on beehaw.org comments on that post. That comment is going to be sent to every version of that post via ActivityPub, as the “true” version has been updated. That is, every version EXCEPT lemmy.world and sh.itjust.works. So users on lemmy.world and sh.itjust.works won’t get that comment, because we’ve been defederated from beehaw.org. If we write a comment, it will only be visible from accounts on lemmy.world, because we posted to a copy, but our copy is now out of sync with the “true” version. So we can appear to interact with the post, but those interactions are ONLY visible by other lemmy.world accounts, since our comments aren’t send to other versions. As the “true” version is hosted on beehaw, and we no longer get beehaw updates due to defederation, we will not see comments from ANY other community on those posts (including from other defederated instances like sh.itjust.works).
The same goes for posting to beehaw communities. We can still do that. However, the “true” version of those communities are the ones on beehaw, so our posts will not be shared to other instances via ActivityPub. And all of this is true for Beehaw users with our communities. Beehaw users can continue to see and interact with Lemmy.world communities, but those interactions are only visible to other Beehaw users, since the “true” versions of the Lemmy.world communities (the ones sent to/synced with every other instance) is the Lemmy.world one.
Communities on other instances, for example lemmy.ml, are unaffected by this. Lemmy.world and beehaw.org users will still be able to interact with those communities, but posts/comments from lemmy.world users won’t be visible to beehaw.org users, as defederation prevents our posts/comments from being sent to the version of these posts hosted on beehaw.org. However, as the “true” version is the one on the third instance, we can still see everything from beehaw.org users. So we see a more filled in version than the beehaw users.
But the reality is that both could still see either, either way is content visibility that interesting? When the whole of the internet is just an echo chamber for information that someone off the internet found, it’s only going to get muddied down.
If we’re talking about generative content that’s not cut and dry, that too can be replicated or tweaked to produce something of equal or greater value to some extent.
Idk, overall I don’t think we should allow people who abuse their users and their data into our system more than the public already has access to.
Ultimately no special treatment should be given to them.
Absolutely. Gonna set up my own Lemmy instance so I can defederate any corporate instance. If other people want to accept their smallpox blankets, that’s on them.
Each instance has the ability to defederate another instance so it will be up to each instance admin to decide.
I’m sure we will see more of this as the fediverse continues to explode. Which is an awesome feature to be able to find an instance who you agree / like and can always switch by making a new account. Hopefully they implement way to copy subscriptions from account to account.
Ew, lets defederate them. Don’t need the corporate propaganda here.
That just harms us, no? We can’t see their content but they can see ours.
How defederation works Now take that example post from earlier, the one on beehaw.org. The “true” version of the post is on beehaw.org but the post is still hosted on both instances (again, it has a copy hosted on all instances). Let’s say someone with an account on beehaw.org comments on that post. That comment is going to be sent to every version of that post via ActivityPub, as the “true” version has been updated. That is, every version EXCEPT lemmy.world and sh.itjust.works. So users on lemmy.world and sh.itjust.works won’t get that comment, because we’ve been defederated from beehaw.org. If we write a comment, it will only be visible from accounts on lemmy.world, because we posted to a copy, but our copy is now out of sync with the “true” version. So we can appear to interact with the post, but those interactions are ONLY visible by other lemmy.world accounts, since our comments aren’t send to other versions. As the “true” version is hosted on beehaw, and we no longer get beehaw updates due to defederation, we will not see comments from ANY other community on those posts (including from other defederated instances like sh.itjust.works).
The same goes for posting to beehaw communities. We can still do that. However, the “true” version of those communities are the ones on beehaw, so our posts will not be shared to other instances via ActivityPub. And all of this is true for Beehaw users with our communities. Beehaw users can continue to see and interact with Lemmy.world communities, but those interactions are only visible to other Beehaw users, since the “true” versions of the Lemmy.world communities (the ones sent to/synced with every other instance) is the Lemmy.world one.
Communities on other instances, for example lemmy.ml, are unaffected by this. Lemmy.world and beehaw.org users will still be able to interact with those communities, but posts/comments from lemmy.world users won’t be visible to beehaw.org users, as defederation prevents our posts/comments from being sent to the version of these posts hosted on beehaw.org. However, as the “true” version is the one on the third instance, we can still see everything from beehaw.org users. So we see a more filled in version than the beehaw users.
Explained here when beehaw.org was defederated.
No we cant see each others content.
But the reality is that both could still see either, either way is content visibility that interesting? When the whole of the internet is just an echo chamber for information that someone off the internet found, it’s only going to get muddied down.
If we’re talking about generative content that’s not cut and dry, that too can be replicated or tweaked to produce something of equal or greater value to some extent.
Idk, overall I don’t think we should allow people who abuse their users and their data into our system more than the public already has access to.
Ultimately no special treatment should be given to them.
Absolutely. Gonna set up my own Lemmy instance so I can defederate any corporate instance. If other people want to accept their smallpox blankets, that’s on them.
At least by this more people will come to know about fediverse.
Lemmy noob here. How does one defederate
Each instance has the ability to defederate another instance so it will be up to each instance admin to decide.
I’m sure we will see more of this as the fediverse continues to explode. Which is an awesome feature to be able to find an instance who you agree / like and can always switch by making a new account. Hopefully they implement way to copy subscriptions from account to account.
https://lemmy.world/post/149743