Ever since Meta launched Threads, there have been talks around Mastodon and the rest of the fediverse about what will happen when Threads eventually makes a full ActivityPub connection. The main worry is that data collection will increase across the fediverse, and smaller instances will be snuffed out by extreme user demands (having to do with profile and media storage), and so on.
And, recently, as someone who runs their own instance (a server, for the uninitiated), I’ve been seeing increased mention of a “fedipact,” which is basically this group of instances using a hashtag and consigning themselves to a list of people who solemnly swear to block Meta. And, of course, this puts basically any instance that doesn’t do this on a potential limit and suspension list.
This list and pact is maintained by a singular person, who seems to intend to be the admin of their own instance, and also a pact.
Having had numerous bad experiences with random admins around different Mastodon instances–control freaks, reactionaries, narcissists, etc.–My first instinct when seeing something like this is to immediately reject it, especially as I see pact “members” making posts with aggressive intention, suggesting other instances join their pact.
News flash: You can block Meta, you can completely suspend Threads, and you don’t have to tell anyone about it. It might help if you do, if potential users are interested in this point when looking at your instance as a place to join, but you absolutely do not have to sign on to some pact that fully looks like a cult. A list of random admins, helmed by someone who heavily appears to be consolidating power around themselves.
Having a ton of experience with things like this, and seeing this over and over again, here’s my advice: Reject this “pact,” reject any form of power consolidation in the real world and also online, especially in social circles. These are not regular, average people who do things like this. Regular people don’t try to consolidate power and control over others.
Run away as fast as you can.
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