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Anbalsilfer @sopuli.xyz

Relaying of Mastodon hashtags to Lemmy instances

Does something like this exist? As far as I can tell, setting something similar up would require:

  • A dedicated Lemmy instance for Mastodon tag-based crossposting (probably, since most existing instances probably don't want to clutter their instance with thousands of script-generated communities)
  • Some kind of form on a site where users who want to follow a Mastodon tag that is not already set up as a Lemmy community could submit the tag they want added, which would automatically set up:
  • A Lemmy community for that tag on the aforementioned instance, and
  • A Mastodon hashtag bot that automatically crossposts all posts with that tag to the linked community
19 comments

  • The kbin equivalent, which is baked in to the platform, is that communities would be able to define a set of hashtags that get cross posted into their community. So there wouldn’t need to be new communities.

    The main issue though is how do you meaningfully cross post mastodon content to lemmy? Will we be able to see the replies from mastodon users? Will we be able to reply?

    If lemmy users are happy to treat mastodon posts like any other external content, it could work well. But more than a bot would be necessary to fuse the two platforms.

    • The main issue though is how do you meaningfully cross post mastodon content to lemmy? Will we be able to see the replies from mastodon users? Will we be able to reply?

      If lemmy users are happy to treat mastodon posts like any other external content, it could work well. But more than a bot would be necessary to fuse the two platforms.

      That already happens. Non-lemmy users can post to lemmy by making a normal post that @-mentions a community.

      • Yes, but we’re talking about a bot doing this according to the hashtags in the post. The original post, having never been posted to a lemmy community as you describe, can never be interacted with by lemmy users even if a link or cross post is made.

  • I'd see this to be implemented in Lemmy itself. Hashtags are a global thing, not instance-specific, and should already be available to Lemmy via AP.

    Lemmy would "just" need the ability to display a hashtag as a "community" containing posts made under that hashtag. Question is what to do with replies but given Lemmys design, they could probably simply be left out because, if it's truly on-topic, the post will likely contain the hashtag too and therefore land in the hashtag "community".

    • I don't see why lemmy should leave out replies to top-level tagged posts. A tagged post is essentially like any top level post in lemmy. They could be displayed like any other lemmy post, with replies displayed in thread below

      • I was being a bit unclear here, what I meant was that replies mentioning a hashtag shouldn't show up as posts in its pseudo-community; only posts. Replies to a post with a hashtag would show up regardless of content.

  • I've been suggesting the use of tags to interoperate with the wider fediverse since lemmy started. The have reasons they don't like it but there seems to be some discussion moving forward on them in side channels. One of the devs asked for an RFC on a hashtag implementation and someone submitted one, though I haven't seen any feedback on it and it was not a solution I really liked.

  • I've always wondered how Lemmy and Mastodon can claim to be part of the same “fediverse” if they can't even share content.

    • They aren't. They use the same protocol as a base, and you can have limited interaction, but that's it.

    • Yep. It’s a problem. Some saw it coming. Some prefer to hype over the power of the protocol without acknowledging the importance of what’s built on top of the protocol while leaving is users in the lurch.

      I suspect the solution lies in more advanced clients and giving up on wanting each platform to be able to do everything.

    • @xigoi @Anbalsilfer Not everything is federated yet, but of course we are part of the same network (= #Fediverse ).
      For example, I can reply here from Mastodon (from #Friendica #Pleroma etc. it also works) and also make posts in Lemmy communities (by tagging the community account).

    • @xigoi

      eh? Mastodon here ...

      @Anbalsilfer

19 comments