Oh by the way, if you find an instance that seems pretty toxic (my troll was from a "libertarian" instance) there is a way to block the entire instance, even if your own doesn't block it. Go to a user of that instance's profile and in the three-dot menu, there's the option to block the domain.
@davidbilla I've been seeing the same argument over and over. Blocking takes it off your timeline, it doesn't take it off the platform. A system needs to be in place which moderates extreme radical instances be it left or right - and then based on unanimous decision block the entire instance from the platform.
@battejinn It's not an argument, it's a useful functionality that I just found out about. It's not about doing one or the other, but both. Yes, moderation must be done at the instance level, but Mastodon (and each instance) not being a big company also means that moderation can't be very quick in most cases. If an instance is managed by just one person, they can't spend their days doing moderation, they physically can't. (1/2)
@battejinn Meanwhile, what if someone gets harassed by a group of people who gang up on them (and come from the same instance, because that's what they do). Should that person patiently wait a few days that the moderator on their instance finds the time to look into the problem and maybe make a decision that is not the right one? Just an example among many as to why instance-level moderation only can't work on Mastodon (it doesn't even work on big sites)
@davidbilla @battejinn Blocking the instance is a great idea because when entire instances are blocked they will soon find themselves unable to behave the way they wish, and they will either stop trolling and be toxic among themselves (which is their prerogative), or they WILL leave. (Or they'll create another instance that people can block all over again.) But the point is that you CAN moderate this stuff yourself, not rely on an overlord to do or not do it for you. And it's wonderful.
@davidbilla @battejinn Now, that said, the admins here are ALSO completely wonderful, and my understanding is that they are incredibly responsive to moderation issues when such things are brought to their attention, far more so than any other social media platform. So do not be afraid to bring issues to their attention even as you're taking care of matters for yourself individually because if someone is being toxic or a troll, that goes against Mastodon culture and they will likely take action.