Hackers' Pub

Syntax	Description	Examples
`"` keyword `"`	Finds the string within quotes, including spaces. Case-insensitive. (Escape quotes inside with `\"`)	`"Hackers' Pub"`
`from:` handle	Finds content written by the specified user.	`from:hongminhee` `from:hongminhee@hollo.social`
`lang:` ISO 639-1	Finds content written in the specified language.	`lang:en`
`#` tag	Finds content with the specified tag. Case-insensitive.	`#HackersPub`
condition condition	Finds content that satisfies both conditions on either side of the space (logical AND).	`"Hackers' Pub" lang:en`
condition `OR` condition	Finds content that satisfies at least one of the conditions on either side of the OR operator (logical OR).	`#HackersPub OR "Hackers' Pub" lang:en`
`(` condition `)`	Combines the operators within the parentheses first.	`(#HackersPub OR "Hackers' Pub" OR "Hackers Pub") lang:en`

Renaud Chaput @renchap@oisaur.com

10/17/2024, 8:44:49 PM

Public

I would encourage every Fediverse software project to implement a “dead-man switch" on registrations: if nobody with moderator permissions has been active in the last week, then disable new account creation.

The Fediverse has a significant number of abandoned instances that are used by bad actors to create accounts and send spam.

We implemented this in Mastodon (https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/pull/29318) and it has been highly effective.

Automatically switch from open to approved registrations in absence of moderators by ClearlyClaire · Pull Request #29318 · mastodon/mastodon

This is not meant to replace #29280, but supplement it to avoid unmonitored servers keeping open registrations indefinitely. Automatically switch away from open registrations if no user with the pe...

github.com · GitHub

Renaud Chaput @renchap@oisaur.com

10/18/2024, 10:40:13 AM

Public

Another consideration: new installations should not allow open registrations by default. This should be a setting that the administrator needs to opt into, and this is a good place to inform them that open registration instances require moderation resources.

In Mastodon, we display a warning when the admin chooses this option. Mastodon also support requiring moderator/admin approval for new sign ups, which helps a lot in preventing automated registrations.

If you have a fediverse account, you can quote this note from your own instance. Search https://oisaur.com/users/renchap/statuses/113327997818895866 on your instance and quote it. (Note that quoting is not supported in Mastodon.)