youronlyone

I saw your reply but it is yet to federate in other instances.

I know magnet links are just links, but post sharing them are still copyright infringement right?

No. Again, you just posted a link. What determines a link as a potential Copyright infringement is the content it is linking to.

Let's use an example: https://download.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/stable/7.5.4/deb/x86_64/LibreOffice_7.5.4_Linux_x86-64_deb_helppack_en-US.tar.gz.torrent

It's not a magnett link, but just the same, I linked to a torrent file. It is not a Copyright Infringement.

But if the link is a link to a content that violates the Copyright Law, then there is potential issue.

Linking by itself is vague. There are countries that don't consider links as Copyright infringement, because again, these are just links. Only the host is causing piracy / infringement. However, there are countries that considers linking as an act of distribution of an infringement material, so it is illegal for these countries.

So there’s no way to scrape an instance to back it up as a third party?

If you have a script, then you can. You can submit links to web archive services and they'll scrape the site to archive a copy of it.

I understand someone not wanting to have pirated content on their instance, but do you think mods will go out of their way to un-federate?

Oh yes, definitely. You can count on instances defederating/blocking instances tolerating Copyright infringement activities. There are various blocklists available for instances to use, and there are groups where admins share and discuss these things.

So, sooner or later, an instance tolerating Copyright infringement will find itself isolated and potentially an island.

It can remain online as a regular site. It just won't be federated with anyone.

One more thing. There are blocklists and admins who will defederate instances just because they are not blocking certain instances. Thus, if I am running my own instance, I might be forced to defederate from an offending instance to avoid being defederated by everyone else.

Not really. Most fediverse software create a cache of content on their own servers to make it easier to display content for their local users.

So… this brings the issue of “hosting”.

For example, if I link to this Torrent file: https://download.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/stable/7.5.4/deb/x86_64/LibreOffice_7.5.4_Linux_x86-64_deb.tar.gz.torrent (LibreOffice 7.5.4), this link (not the file), and this entire comment, will have a copy in every instance that creates a local copy of content they receive.

(Some fediverse instance even locally host images to avoid fetching images again and again.)

Now, if we assume that a simple link is “illegal”, even if it is not piracy (like in the case of LibreOffice above), then all the instances which created a local copy of this reply might be put in trouble.

The fediverse is fast in fediblocking users and instances which tolerate activities that may place most instances into legal issues.

As far as I understand if any fediverse instance decided to start having magnet links and stuff like that, eventually it would be taken down by DCMA notices and the like. But what could be done so a community like that could thrive?

No. Magnet links are just that, links.

Some questions:

1. Would other instances that federate with it get in trouble? They can always feign ignorance.

That depends. Again, magnet links are just links. No one would get in trouble for linking to a magnet link to download #LibreOffice or to download a collection of #eBooks released in the #PublicDomain or #CreativeCommons.

1. Could an intance which holds magnet links and trackers be backed up every day, so that as soon as one instance is taken down another one takes it's place immediately?

That depends on the people managing the servers. If they want to create backups, then yes, otherwise no.

1. Could an instance be owned annonymously? Can you register a domain and keep a server running somewhere without repercussions?

Sure. As long as you don't use payment methods that can be traced back to you, and you ensure that your connection is encrypted and you trust your VPN provider. Since you also have to pay for a good VPN provider, that VPN provider should also be accepting a payment method that can not be traced back to you. Not to mention, you should not use your regular computer, regular browser, and definitely avoid mobile phones as you'll always be tracked with it.

1. Could a lemmy instance live in an onion domain, and still interact with the rest of the fediverse? Would that improve anything regarding the instance being taken down?

Yes. Any #fediverse instance can live in any darknet. Now, if they can connect to those in the Surface Web or Lightnet, all comes down to if the #Darknet they are using offers a bridge back. Or, their server directly connected to the Surface Web instead of passing through a bridge inside their Darknet.

1. What about running instances in countries that do not enforce piracy laws? Could someone in some random country that does not care maintain an instance, which all of the fediverse can access/comment/contribute?

You can do that. But that instance will more likely get defederated and included in various blocklists or fediblocks.

To sum up. Magnet links are just magnet links. There is nothing illegal about it.

The same with Darknets #TOR and #I2P. There is nothing illegal about it, unless your country passed laws about blocking it.

The real question is, which instances will have issues federating with instances that links to Copyright infringement materials. As linking (not hosting) is vague, the general reaction would more likely be to defederate that instance to be safe.

In the end, that instance's reach will be less and less and less. Probably reach a point wherein it's a lonely island.

^_^

Quick question, just Lemmy?

Re: fragmentation

Also, this negative “fragmentation” view is biased. Before the subreddit migration, there were already existing and well-established communities in the fediverse. Suddenly, after the subreddit migration, it's being called “fragmentation”.

For example, topics like Star Trek and Books. There are already large communities in the Fediverse before the related subreddits migrated. Yet, you will see people calling it “fragmented”, some even have the guts to call other communities to “merge” with the migrators.

This is wrong and very rude.

Having multiple communities is good. There is no one-size-fits-all. Also, we've been doing that in the entire history of the human race. That said, even if everyone merged into one mega church, it will still split up like it or not.

In other words, we need to stop viewing “fragmentation” as negative. In fact, don't use that word. Don't even think about it. Just setup your community and build it up. Create your own culture. Your own rules. System, team, and invite people who wants to join your type of community.

Multiple communities is healthy for everyone. It is a win for everyone.

And… haven't we learned what happens when we rely on one service? One central platform?

A lot can happen.

1. It suddenly goes offline. We've already experienced this in 2023. A lot of large communities disappeared for almost a week because the instance encountered issues.

2. The instance owner might no longer have the resources to continue. Not necessarily on the financial side, remember, there is the technical side which will take an owner's time.

Sure, they can get other admins to join. But, as an instance admin, would you easily trust access? Consider also the trust your users has given you in protecting their data and privacy.

There were instances who went offline because of that, and instead of transfering management to a new team, or selling their platform to someone, they chose to shut it down permanently because they value the data and privacy of their users.

So… if that instance that happens to be hosting a one-size-fits-all community goes offline…

Well…

1. Or, it can very well be something uncontrollable. Server farm fire, raid, who knows.

But if we let people build their own communities spread across different instances, then we are building redundancy, continuation, and resiliency. If one goes down, for whatever reason, we have existing communities we can move into and continue our discussions, with minimal interference.

^_^

First, welcome to the #Fediverse! I'm glad you found your way in the #ActivityPub-based “federation network”.

So, wait… what are these terminologies? And what exactly is the “Fediverse”?

Think of it like this:

• Name: Web
• Protocol: HTTP
• Browsers: Mozilla Firefox, Naver Whale

Then you have the Fediverse:

• Name: Fediverse / Fediverse Network
• Protocol: ActivityPub (extra info: Before ActivityPub it was #OStatus; before OStatus it was #OpenMicroBlogging )
• Browsers: #Hubzilla, #Friendica, #Calckey, #Rebased, #Akkoma, #Foundkey, #Meisskey, #Pixelfed, #BookWyrm, #PeerTube, #GlitchSoc #Pleroma, #Misskey, #Mastodon, #Kbin, #Lemmy, etc.

All these “fediverse browsers”, like Lemmy and Kbin, are commonly referred to as fediverse software. (extra info: Wikipedia calls Lemmy, Kbin, and similar answers-type or Threads-type software as “Link-aggregators”.)

There is no “Mastodon network”. There is no “mastoverse”. There is no “threadiverse”. There is no “Threadinet”, or whichever -verse / -network people are coming up with.

Any software that is using the ActivityPub protocol is part of the “Fediverse network”. Just like how any software that uses the HTTProtocol is part of the Web.

That clear so far?

Now, we go to your question.

Q: I moved to lemmy.world and have noticed that lemmy.ml has been popping up as another featured instance. What differs from lemmy.world vs lemmy.ml? Is .ml more active?

lemmy.world and lemmy.ml are called instances (the terminology used to refer to a fediverse server/service). These two are only two out of many fediverse instances available. In paritcular, these two instances are only two out of probably a hundred Lemmy-based instances available.

What differs between the two? As far as features and functionalities go, none. Since these two Lemmy-based instances are using the same software, they have the same set of features. The only difference would be if one instance fell behind in Lemmy version upgrades.

Since lemmy.ml is one of two flaship servers of the Lemmy software project, naturally it will get the bulk of registrations and content.

For example, before the Reddit Migration, there were already existing communities for many similar Subreddits, and many of those are in lemmy.ml and are very active. So, when Subreddits started to migrate, some chose lemmy.world and other lemmy instances. Which allowed lemmy.world to catch up with the number of users and number of active communities that lemmy.ml already have. AND, some of these are about the same topics/fandom.

So… yep, that's the detailed explanation. ^_^

I hope I wasn't confusing.