@Tooden This. And we have Fedigroups - everbody can make one! https://fedi.tips/how-to-use-groups-on-the-fediverse/

@thenexusofprivacy @Hawaii @owlsintowels

@raederle Perhaps it's unused because of the spelling? #RodentsOfMastodon You find more at #rodents and #RatsOfFediverse.

@Hawaii @thenexusofprivacy

@NatureMC

Yes, I typed it incorrectly

@Hawaii @thenexusofprivacy

@ansate @hollie @edumerco @CaitlinWaddick @dphiffer @django @sam @ktoddbrown @MarieVC
Could we use groups to: a) communicate privately and or publicly within working groups? b) create an opt-in social.coop members only group?
Do we already use this, and I just didn't know ;-)? Do you already use this feature elsewhere?

@Matt_Noyes @ansate @hollie @edumerco @dphiffer @django @sam @ktoddbrown @MarieVC Matt. Are you referring to a “groups” feature in a particular app? Where is it?
We migrated to Zulip for private conversations last summer. Are you on Zulip?

@thenexusofprivacy I come here mostly to listen to experts talk truthfully about current affairs, without the pressure of 'bling'.

@thenexusofprivacy no algorithms.

@CaitlinWaddick @ansate @hollie @edumerco @dphiffer @django @sam @ktoddbrown @MarieVC Fedigroups, I guess. Seems like you can create a group there, accept members, who follow it, then posts to that address notify followers. Maybe I will set one up for fun and see how it works.

@Matt_Noyes @CaitlinWaddick @hollie @edumerco @dphiffer @django @sam @ktoddbrown @MarieVC Fwiw, my understanding is that fedi groups basically boost things that mention them, not an alert. You would get the same effect (non privately) from following a hashtag. Also since they work by boosting, i don’t think you can have private groups

@thenexusofprivacy Birds.

@thenexusofprivacy Accurate, weird information about things I didn't know I would care about.

@mildlyunreasonable great phrasing!

@ansate @Matt_Noyes @CaitlinWaddick @edumerco @dphiffer @django @sam @ktoddbrown @MarieVC My understanding is the same, I don't think there's a way to make it private. Can Bonfire do that?

@hollie @ansate @Matt_Noyes @CaitlinWaddick @edumerco @dphiffer @django @ktoddbrown @MarieVC I use them for a few other things (#BikeNite, mostly). They're always public, but the benefit over hashtags is that you get *every* post to the group, even if you're not normally federated with the server of the user who posts it. You can also use alerting rules (ie. always show a notification when this user posts or what not) which I don't think you can do with hash tags

@hollie @ansate @Matt_Noyes @CaitlinWaddick @dphiffer @django @sam @ktoddbrown @MarieVC
I think that is, using circles.

But don't we have already zulip for this?

@sam @hollie @Matt_Noyes @CaitlinWaddick @edumerco @dphiffer @django @ktoddbrown @MarieVC Thanks Sam! I forgot about federation making you miss hashtags. And i should look into alerting rules

@thenexusofprivacy where are ya publishing the findings?

@risottobias on https://thenexusofprivacy.net , and I'll shere them here as well

What are you looking for in social media? (9/N)

Thanks everybody for the responses so far, here's a couple of new polls including some excellent suggestions that came in. If you've got other ideas, share them in the comments here -- or in the pol.is conversation (which also lets you disagree with stuff you don't want)

What are you looking for in social media? (10/N)

Another poll in the series ... you can choose more than one response, and if you've got other suggestions please leave them in the replies.