One thing I don't get: Can you claim your identity across all Mastodon servers? Or can someone just claim my user name on a different server?
@bschalck Well that's a pretty big issue. Especially for brands. I know brands might not be especially welcome on Mastodon (given that excessive advertising is forbidden by default), but they are already flocking in.
@stanschroeder @bschalck I hope someone opens an instance for brands where they can toot at each other as much as they like.
@koos @stanschroeder I expect it's in the hub
@stanschroeder The way for brands to sort it out would be for them to create their own private instance on their own domain.
@stanschroeder @bschalck It's the same as email, nothing's stopping me from making walmart@<domain> if the account doesn't exist yet.
@stanschroeder There is no way to list all Mastodon servers, so no. Yes, anyone can claim your username somewhere else if it's available.
@stanschroeder Anybody could get "your" username on a different server. There are no restrictions on that, unless you go and register on all of them :smile:
@saturno Thanks. I figured the same thing. It's a pretty big issue. There needs to be some sort of centralized way to get your username confirmed across multiple instances. IRC has this solved, for example.
It doesn't have to be all inclusive. An instance could, for example, opt out of that.
@stanschroeder How does IRC have this solved, exactly?
@stanschroeder @saturno The expected solution is for a brand to create its own instance on its own domain. As mastodon users we have to take the habit to check the instance a user comes from.
@stanschroeder This confuses me as well. Am I limited to seeing Mastodon through the Octodon server I'm registered through? Or is it fluid and interlinked with every server?
@stanschroeder latter. it's a feature apparently, but to me that's the consequence of decentralized services
@stanschroeder from what I can tell, anyone can take a name on a different instance
@stanschroeder You'd need to claim it if you really want it.
@stanschroeder ~~@michelle
@Gargron @tt @just_a_warning Registering your username in one instance blocks its use in all other instances. I tried it. No one else can "steal" your username and use it in another instance.~~
@stanschroeder I've been wondering this too.It strikes me as pretty important info... Last night someone told me it was your server only, but I don't know for sure what is right.
@stanschroeder currently it seems per server, which really sucks, they are looking into some unified stuff because of it.
@stanschroeder I think it's just like email. Same username from different instances are not connected each other.
@stanschroeder Per Gargron@mastodon.social it's on a by instance basis, so not at the moment.
https://medium.com/@Gargron/welcome-to-mastodon-111d9227e56a
@stanschroeder I think anyone can claim to be you on any other server. Not sure about that, but this is so far what I understood D:
@stanschroeder you have to create identity to all servers