Mastodon Quote Posts: New Feature to Prevent Dunking

Mastodon Introduces Quote Posts with Enhanced Safety Measures

A decentralized, open-source alternative to X, known as Mastodon, is preparing to launch a new feature – quote posts – next week. This addition has sparked some debate within the community.

The functionality allows users to reshare another person’s post alongside their own commentary or reaction. Concerns have been raised that this could foster a negative environment, mirroring the practice of “dunking” often seen on X, where posts are frequently met with derisive or sarcastic responses.

Addressing Potential Misuse

Mastodon developers acknowledge these concerns and are implementing several safety controls alongside the release of quote posts. The intention is to encourage responsible usage of the feature.

According to the platform, these protections are designed to facilitate constructive dialogue, foster new connections, and provide a platform for voices that are often underrepresented.

User Control Over Quoting

Mastodon is providing users with granular control over how their posts can be quoted. Default permissions can be adjusted to determine who is allowed to quote a user’s content.

Options include allowing quotes from “Anyone,” limiting them to “Followers only,” or restricting them to “Just me.” Furthermore, the visibility of quote posts can be managed, with settings for public visibility, followers-only access, or a “quiet public” option.

The “quiet public” setting makes quotes publicly accessible but excludes them from Mastodon’s search results, trending topics, and the main public timeline.

Post-by-Post and Reactive Control

Users can also override their default settings on an individual post basis. This can be done through the “Visibility and interaction settings” within the post composer.

This is particularly useful when sharing potentially controversial opinions or content that might attract unwanted attention. Moreover, users retain control over their posts even after they have been quoted.

When a post is quoted, the original author receives a notification. They then have the option to remove their original post from the quote. This functionality is accessible via the Options menu (represented by three dots).

From the same menu, users can modify quote settings to manage future quoting of their posts and block users to prevent them from viewing or quoting their content.

Rollout and Compatibility

The initial rollout of quote post support will begin this week on the larger Mastodon servers, specifically mastodon.online and mastodon.social. The feature will then be included in Mastodon’s 4.5 software update.

To create a quote post, users will find a new option under the Boost function, which is similar to the repost/retweet feature on X.

Due to the nature of the fediverse – a network of servers running diverse software – quote posts may not appear immediately on all platforms. Some platforms may require updates to support the necessary technical specifications.

Mastodon aims to balance the benefits of quote posts with the need to maintain a respectful and constructive online environment.