schmorp

I do think it’s a problem that doesn’t need solving, but would maybe some sort of instance integrator sites help keep the fediverse open and easily explorable?

That is some excellent writing - I went through a little of it and found it well laid out. I’d say you make very efficient use of your time and this is an important contribution for the fediverse, keep doing you!

anti-intellectualism and distrust of “so-called experts

Experts or authorities?

Here some conspiracy for you: A lot of psychiatry (not all) is made up shit rooted in old white guys’ ideas about how to keep unruly youngsters and women in check. The DSM is a vague symptom list sponsored by the pharma industry and gets changed every few years or so (glad they took the gay out).

I consider the output of (the scientifically connected side of) psychiatry, together with the output of my peers, together with my own perception when I make decisions about my own wellbeing - if that alone is anti-intellectual and conspiratic to you, you might be adhering to scientism rather than science.

Weighing in for Southern European mental health care, family support and abuse support. Believe me, you will be better off talking to friends or fellow sufferers online or offline than trying your luck in the public system. Pills is all you get here, and prescribed somewhat hit-or-miss after what amounts to a 15 min interview, most of which are spent by the doctor typing your data into his computer.

If you need help for domestic abuse, be prepared for hours of bureaucracy while reliving and retelling your trauma to a host of police and social security professionals repeatedly. Then relocated to somewhere where you receive the bare minimum of care. I was lucky to never need it but have witnessed it, and frankly would consider any offers from unknown van-dwellers before this.

The only way to get the help you need is to research your stuff well beforehand, and then wheedle out of the system what you need by annoying the bureaucrats till they give up.

Maybe some non-Europeans could weigh in with their perspective as well.

Same with real people out there. I grew up in conflict with my parents before the internet and had the exact same issues you describe, just offline. it comes down to taking any and every advice with a grain of salt, no matter. Online and offline self help groups can be great, and life saving.

I do see the problem that a valuable set of global data is ultimately held by a US-American organization. I do know regional subsidiaries exist and in the case of Europe often seem to be run by public organizations, so that offsets this problem. I also wouldn’t know how federation would work with something like inaturalist. Maybe keep instances of regional data? I could see a use case there.

ADHD

should my focus travel that road

made me snort.

Also, thanks OP for this post, this is some great quality dense information useful stuff right here.

In my country (non-english speaking), facebook is definitely the default for group organization and it really bugs me. I don’t want to use facebook, so I end up not organizing with anyone in the surroundings. Then someone set up a Telegram group and that was sort of an improvement, but impractical, and still nobody posts events.

First time I read about Mobilizon, it fits the bill of every local community internet thing facebook is currently having its dirty corporate fingers on. But what kind of server would I need to set it up? Any old laptop run from home good enough?

If individual users have ways to ban and/or filter spam on the individual level they don’t have to have others moderate content for them.