Instance Updates

I hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I have been hard at work resolving the email issues Outlook and Office 365 users are having. Apparently, I did not configure Postfix correctly, thus some users weren’t getting verification emails.

Setting OpenDKIM manually was a pain, so I nuked the current Postfix install and use emailwiz to automatically configure the email server. It did the trick, but it doesn’t necessary mean that Office365/Outlook won’t put the message in the SPAM folder, but it will at least let it through.

Note for people who want to set up your own Mastodon server, you need to have port 25, 465, and 587 open. Hosts closes these ports to prevent spam abuse and you will need to request them to open it for you. After that, you just need to run the script, add the DNS records and you should be set.

If you are only using the mail server for sending, it’s recommended to disable outside access in postfix by changing the following to this:

inet_interfaces = loopback-only
inet_protocols = ipv4

As for the moderation, we are still working on finalizing the list. However, we do not plan to be as strict compared to other servers like Mastodon.art, but we will still have a zero tolerance for hate speech, harassment, extremist content/misinformation, and lolicon/csam/any other illegal content.

This will be done on a three strike system, except for lolicon/csam/any other illegal content, which will lead to an instant suspension.

Hate speech directed at someone is considered hate speech and harassment, and it counts as three strikes, aka permanent suspension. Otherwise, other instances will lead to 1 strike. If you get three strikes in a one year period, you will be permanently banned. The only exception to the hate speech rule is the minority group reappropating the term. They will need to make this clear and CW it. Outsiders may not use the term regardless.

Here are the strike counts for each rule breaking. Note: one report = 1 instance to receive a strike:

Hate speech directed at someone: +3 (instant ban)
Using hate speech: +1 strike
Harassment: +2 strikes (temporary suspension)
Extremist images: +1 strike, post removal)
Sharing conspiracy theories or misinformation: +1 strike
Posting lolicon/CSAM/any content illegal in the US: +3 strikes (instant ban, for CSAM account, the IP address and email will be reported to authorities)
Linking to phishing sites/scam sites: +1-3 strikes
not CW NSFW images: No strike, just post removal.

Strikes are removed in 90 days after the most recent one, if the user doesn’t receive any more strikes and is not banned.

Draft External Instance moderation process