Tim Chambers
I'd agree with both of these items: "If you're thinking of setting up a Masto server, please, please, do two things: 1. read up on what it was like to run a Usenet server. The dynamics are very similar in that you are responsible for policing your own users so that your server isn't blocked. Mastodon is Usenet with a REST API and a character limit. 2. (CW: dark, seriously dark) Read this recounting of what it was like to keep LiveJournal useable." 23 comments
Vollans
@Tedspence @tchambers I miss the days of Usenet in the 90s. I made a lot of good friends back then.
Az_The nicest of the damned.
@stephen @Tedspence @tchambers For me it was Usenet and IRC Dalnet. Good times. Good times.
Tim Chambers
I think it is really fascinating the lessons learned from those past federated and open social efforts.
Vollans
@tchambers @Az_ @Tedspence and equally interesting all the lessons we failed to learn in the rush to webify everything. :/
Monica Cellio
@Tedspence @tchambers I used Usenet in the 80s and early 90s and it was great, some of my earliest online communities. But I never had to *run* it; I was just a participant. (Also watched the takedown of what I understood to be the very first Usenet spammers; the community rallied.) 
Todd on :mastodon: ain
I remember downloading these long conversations from a BBS and spending hours reading
Erikreadonly
@wtwagg @cellio @Tedspence @tchambers even better, printing them out on dot matrix so you can read them at school.
Todd on :mastodon: ain
@erikreadonly @cellio @Tedspence @tchambers Oh no. I was reading them on my Amiga 500 and this was a BBS in a college town and was the first place I was able to read conversations from the Internet.
Monica Cellio
@wtwagg @erikreadonly @Tedspence @tchambers first access for me was the SF-lovers mailing list on the ARPANet (via a relay; students didn't have direct net access), read on the university's mainframe. From there, Usenet. Didn't own my own computer then, so no BBSs and no place to save files. If I wanted to keep something I printed it. I have a binder of printed email from my now-spouse, but that didn't happen until a lot later.
Monica Cellio
@tchambers for people who want to avoid "dark, seriously dark" LiveJournal early days, the author posted a followup thread about the bare minimum to look for in new sites. Lots to think about here: https://twitter.com/rahaeli/status/1594756281650524160 . 
matt
@cellio @tchambers that's a seriously important thread. After you've soaked up the appetizers for _why_ these things need to be thought about, here's her guide for people thinking about running a Mastodon server\*: \* Actually not Mastodon specific. The same concerns apply for any service under a domain you control that accepts content from other people.
matt
@cellio @tchambers it's a long read. Start with "End notes" to prioritize or weight what you pay attention to.
LoriWitzel
@tchambers Thank you Tim for all you do (much of which I canโt even guess at - very grateful for your efforts and this instance!) For anyone so inclined, if you can, please join me as a Patreon donor here - https://www.patreon.com/indiewebsocial #indieweb #supportyouradmin #SmallWeb #smalltech #humanetech
sfunk1x
@tchambers I knew being a #fidonet coordinator would come in handy in the future! ๐๐ #bbs #remoteaccess #dbridge #echomail #nocarrier
Anders Thoresson
@tchambers @sfunk1x The only hashtag I missed there was #frontdoor. :) (And canโt really remember what dbridge was.)
sfunk1x
@anders @tchambers It was another #fidonet frontend. I don't remember why I switched, I think my relay was running the same setup so I copied them. I started out with #spitfire and #frontdoor though.
NotMyBub :mverified:
@sfunk1x Oh wow, I vaguely remember spitfire. Wasn't Remote Access the commercial one? |
Gregory's Server
@tchambers wow sounds like a lot of work. Thanks for putting in the work and sharing these resources.