Here's our advice in the context of the fediverse as an imperfect social network:
*) Always boost aid requests.
- Someone will meet their need
- the spot on your feed may make that connection = even if you or your immediate friends cannot.
*) Use unfollow, mute, and filters for mental health.
- does it spark joy?
- prune your follow feed for your own needs
- remember you can mute people
- you can also unfollow someone's boosts
*) Remember to play nice when among friends.
- conflicting access needs run rampant among those who have experienced trauma
- kindness is distinct from lack of consequences for being a consistently shitty person
- be gentle with callouts
- be honest about your own actions = be mindful of the spoon-cost and fork-inducement of your asks.
Be yourself. Be willing to change. Be willing to apologize.
Be careful, this network is unencrypted, and the admin sees everything.