Hey,
I just did a quick browse through the blocked instances list for infosec.pub and have a few questions about it.
Seems like we are blocking sh.itjust.works which at first glance just looks like one of the bigger general purpose instances. Meanwhile more overtly problematic instances like lemmygrad (tankie instance) or exploding heads ("free speech extremists") are federated with. Generally the block list seems fairly small compared to a lot of other instances.
So are these intentional choices or is it more a matter of the admins not (having the time to be) bothering with it? If it's not intentional, maybe checking some other instances blocklists to weed out the biggest trolls/offenders could be useful.
The admins defedded from SJW because of the quantity of CP and other objectionable material coming from there. It was a matter of their modding workload, not anything to do with politics.
The line in this instance is to not use defederation as a political tool, and that is IMO correct. At least that's one of the main reasons I chose this instance.
That doesn't really mean anything imo. Not defederating is just as much a political decision as defederating is. There's no way around taking some sort of stance, intentional or not.
Of course it means something.
Yes, it is a political decision in the sense that politics pervades all human activities and decisions.
But it is obviously a different choice to that of many instances, where they actively use defederation as a tool to shield their users from any political opinions outside the mainstream.
The admins here have chosen not to use defederation as a tool in this way and I applaud them for it.