@darius yeah, it's not obvious what to do. On youtube "unlisted" means "not discoverable by a search" so that is probably how. most people think of it.
One thing is for sure, they should be a lot more candid in the messaging. "We don't provide full-text search because it can be used for harassment" is a speedbump but not really a protection. It makes Mastodon seem safer than it really is, so missets people's expectations.