Mastodon Introduces Quote Posts with Safety Controls to Prevent 'Dunking'

What's Happening?

Mastodon, a decentralized social media platform, is set to launch a new feature called quote posts next week. This feature allows users to quote another user's post and add their own commentary, similar to a feature on X (formerly Twitter) that has been associated with 'dunking'—a practice where users mock or criticize others. To mitigate potential misuse, Mastodon is implementing safety controls that allow users to manage who can quote their posts. Users can set permissions to 'Anyone,' 'Followers only,' or 'Just me,' and control the visibility of quote posts, including options like 'quiet public,' which makes quotes public but excludes them from search and trends. Additionally, users can adjust these settings on a post-by-post basis and can remove their original post from a quote if desired.

Why It's Important?

The introduction of quote posts on Mastodon is significant as it addresses the balance between fostering open dialogue and protecting users from harassment. By providing users with control over who can quote their posts and how visible these quotes are, Mastodon aims to create a safer environment for discussions. This move could influence other social media platforms to adopt similar features, potentially reshaping how online interactions are managed. It highlights the ongoing challenge of maintaining user engagement while preventing negative behaviors like 'dunking,' which can deter participation and harm community dynamics.

What's Next?

The quote post feature will initially be available on larger Mastodon servers such as mastodon.online and mastodon.social, followed by a broader rollout in the platform's 4.5 software update. As Mastodon operates within the fediverse—a network of interconnected servers—quote posts may not be immediately supported across all platforms. Users and administrators will need to update their software to enable this feature, which could lead to varied adoption rates. The success of this feature may prompt Mastodon to further refine its user interaction controls and inspire similar innovations in the social media landscape.