Exploding-heads.com is another instance on Lemmy where alt-right MAGA types tend to reside. Some people on this server want us to defederate from them immediately, some people want to save defederation as a last resort. They have 104 active users (more stats below).

It seems that exploding-heads has also experienced a recent botswarm invasion. This is obviously another point in favor of defederating them, assuming you are worried about botswarms, which is currently being discussed here.

My advice to you all is please try to discuss this in a civil manner, we need not allow them to create divisive conflict inside our communities. No matter how the vote turns out, you’re not going to be able to defederate from your fellow sh.itheads so be nice.

I’ve linked many of the previous discussions below so people who are out of the loop can get a general sense of the situation.

https://sh.itjust.works/post/216888 https://sh.itjust.works/post/225714 https://sh.itjust.works/post/281126 https://sh.itjust.works/post/410325

Lemmy.world just recently defederated them.

https://lemmy.world/post/747912

https://lemmy.world/post/577526

Although this could be considered a point in favor of defederation, it actually means even if we vote to remain federated, people have a great alternative in lemmy.world where they can still participate in our communities and simultaneously be protected from exploding-heads.

Ensuring diversity of servers is beneficial to the platform as a whole, but it is also not our responsibility to bear that burden.

TLDR, just wrap up any last points in this thread before we open the vote tomorrow. Please be civil.

EDIT: To clarify, this isn’t the official vote, this is the final discussion. The vote thread will be posted tomorrow and you will only be allowed to make a single comment saying Aye or Nay.

EDIT2: Vote thread is up, this thread is now locked. Very lively discussion thread sh.itheads. Please try to be more respectful next time.

  • greensky
    1319·
    1 year ago

    Don’t defederate. Just ignore them. Users should have the option to block entire instances. I don’t agree that instances should be defederated just because it offends people. Where does it stop? There’s no end to it

      • Gone Quill
        6·
        1 year ago

        I keep seeing this discussion framed as a “slippery slope in regards to defederation” but what about the “slippery slope of letting unchecked unacceptable behavior continue?” Why is that not a slippery slope concern?

        • socialjusticewizard
          3·
          1 year ago

          You already know but posting for those who might not yet, the reason defederation is framed as a “slippery slope” is because they know full well that there will be a clone of exploding heads rising soon enough and we’re going to need to continue defederating alt-right bot farms in perpetuity to maintain a good instance. They want to keep having two week long debates about it in every. Single. Case. By framing it as a slippery slope, they’re hoping to keep these incessant arguments going on, forever, or until anyone decent has given up and left.

    • can
      4·
      1 year ago

      Users should have the option to block entire instances.

      I agree they should. But as of the current lemmy version this is not possible. Perhaps if it gets added then refederation could be up for debate.