Open source, Mastodon is a decentralized alternative to X, bringing out a somewhat controversial feature by adding quote posts to be released next week. This feature has contributed to X’s “dunk” culture, allowing users to quote someone else’s post and redistribut it in their own responses and commentary. There, users defy others by responding with snarks and humiliating humor.
To address this concern, Mastodon says it is implementing quote posts with safety controls.
These protections are designed to allow for responsibly use of quotation mark posts, and “expand the debate, create new connections, and amplify underrated voices,” the platform says.
Mastodon offers users several ways to control how posts are quoted. First of all, the platform allows users to determine who can quote with settings that allow users to change the defaults. Here you can set permissions for who can quote you by selecting “Anyone”, “Followers Only” or “Just Me.” Additionally, by setting the visibility of quotation marks to be visible to the publisher only, you expose quotation marks by setting a setting called quotation marks alone, or “quiet public,” but you can control which settings to remove from Mastodon search, trends, and public timelines.
Users can also override the default settings per post on a per post basis, if necessary, by going to “Visibility and Interaction Settings” within the composer screen. This is useful, for example, if you know you’re trying to say something that can attract unnecessary attention from people with conflicting views.
Additionally, users can control posts even after they are cited, explains the Mastodon blog post about the new feature.
When someone quotes a post, the app notifies the user being quoted and allows you to choose to remove the original post from someone else’s quoted post. This can be accessed through the Options menu (three dot icons). From this location, users can change their citation settings to deal with future citations in future posts. It also blocks users and prevents them from viewing or quoting future posts.
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Support for quote posts will first arrive a week ago on the larger Mastodon servers at Mastodon.online and Mastodon.social. It will then be available with Mastodon’s 4.5 software update.
To quote a post, there is a new option under Mastodon’s boost (similar to X’s Repost/Retweet feature). As Fediverse, or Open Social Web, is a network of servers running different software, quotation mark posts may not appear immediately anywhere, and some platforms may not be able to update to use technical specifications that allow for quote post support immediately.
