Is your Mastodon timeline too empty or too full? Are you seeing stuff you don't want to, and missing stuff you do want to see? Is your timeline overwhelmed by someone who shares too many posts?
These and lots more timeline problems are solved in the "How to customise your Mastodon timeline" guide:
➡
️ https://fedi.tips/does-mastodon-and-the-fediverse-use-algorithms-does-it-start-pushing-stuff-at-me-based-on-my-interactions
#FediTips #Mastodon
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services
I'd like to be able to follow hashtags without seeing posts in languages I don't understand that also use those hashtags.
#Mastodon language settings don't help with that & after having a timeline 30-35% in languages I don't know, I've ended up muting hundreds (maybe thousands now) of accounts.
In fact, I've started looking at my alt account's timeline (exquisite.social) first because Mastodon's lack of hashtag migration means my timeline there is only people I follow, & only afterwards going to my original account (ohai.social) that includes followed hashtag posts.
#MastodonHelp
@klu9@exquisite.social
Are you sure you've selected the option to filter languages, rather than just setting your own interface language? (More info at https://fedi.tips/setting-your-language-preferences-on-mastodon-and-filtering-out-posts-in-other-languages )
The language filter should help at least somewhat, but by definition you won't notice the posts it is successfully hiding.
There is also an automatic language detector, and it tells people when they've got the wrong post language setting, but it's not reliable for short posts so that's why it doesn't override the person's setting.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services
Yes, I've set the "Filter" languages, not just "Interface" language.
(Preferences > Other > Public Timelines > Filter languages)
And many of the posts in undesired languages (in my case, 95% German) have been quite long, hundreds of characters.
I wonder if following a hashtag trumps/bypasses the language filter.
#Mastodon #MastodonHelp
@klu9@exquisite.social
I've been puzzled by the translation (or lack of it) issue also
Here the key may be "Public timelines"
As I understand, this will not translate anything in your Home feed
Which is where I want auto-translation the most
cc @FediTips@social.growyourown.services
@klu9@exquisite.social
Hmm... in that case, I'm not sure what else could be done directly there 🤔
One workaround might be to use the "filters" feature to try to filter out posts containing German word(s) that appear in the posts you don't want to see ( https://fedi.tips/filtering-your-timeline-to-hide-posts-on-mastodon ).
About the long posts, some interfaces and apps shorten them automatically with a "read more" link. Are you seeing the posts full length?
@klu9@exquisite.social @FediTips@social.growyourown.services
The language filter acts on the language the post is set to rather than the language it's actually written in. People posting in multiple languages may have their default language set to English, which the filter won't catch no matter what language the post is written in.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services
Re filters, thanks, I might try that workaround. Hopefully, it'll save me muting a few hundred more accounts.
Re display of long posts in undesired languages, my timeline has had both: long posts shown complete & long with Read More.
@klu9@exquisite.social
Weird! Is it doing the "read more" when it goes over a certain length, or is it just random?
If you don't mind me asking, what are you using to view Mastodon?
@AdrianRiskin@kolektiva.social @klu9@exquisite.social
Yup, this is the problem, people are using the wrong settings on their posts.
There is an automatic language detector but it isn't reliable enough on short posts to have it override the user. It does suggest to them when it thinks they've got it wrong though.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services
Re Read more, maybe it depends on source platform (Mastodon with high limit, Sharkey, Piefed etc.)
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services
Mainly web interface in Zen Browser (Firefox mod).
Occasionally, Android phone app, previously Moshidon (where I'd also see posts in German etc), now trying out both official Mastodon app & Tusky.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services @AdrianRiskin@kolektiva.social @klu9@exquisite.social Yeah, this is basically because the way that most of the clients are made, mine for example doesn't even let me set the language for a post, for something like tusky it's a hassle, so I usually don't bother, I'm not going through the effort just for making the americans more coddled in not having to deal with more than their language existing.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services
Translatlation feature does not work
Yep, this is correct.
It is an annoying, IMHO honestly avoidable issue:
Automatic language detection seems to be an ubiquitous feature on many websites. It should be quite easy to perform in a #Fediverse app or on the PC as well, IMO.
Afterwards, a pop-up window could appear, e. g.: your post's language is set to English but appears to be in German instead. Would you like to change your language setting? "
In the...
@AdrianRiskin@kolektiva.social @klu9@exquisite.social
@HistoPol@mastodon.social @AdrianRiskin@kolektiva.social @klu9@exquisite.social
"Automatic language detection seems to be an ubiquitous feature on many websites. It should be quite easy to perform in a #Fediverse app or on the PC as well, IMO."
There has been automatic language detection on here for many years, it lights up the language button if it thinks you are using the wrong language.
The problem is this is a microblogging platform so the posts tend to be very short. At very short lengths the detector is unreliable.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services @AdrianRiskin@kolektiva.social @klu9@exquisite.social
...meantime, I try doing this manually, but forget from time to time.
Alas, if I remember correctly, it isn't possible to change the language setting without deleting and reposting, leaving all boosts and replies orphaned.
Last point: from time to time I enjoy having a post from a language I don't speak automatically translated and get into contact with new people.
//
@HistoPol@mastodon.social @AdrianRiskin@kolektiva.social @klu9@exquisite.social
You can set the language to a default for your most common language, and then manually change if you use other languages as well.
You can change the language setting by editing if you forget on a particular post 👍
@HistoPol@mastodon.social @AdrianRiskin@kolektiva.social @klu9@exquisite.social
"Automatic language detection seems to be an ubiquitous feature on many websites. It should be quite easy to perform in a #Fediverse app or on the PC as well, IMO."
There has been automatic language detection on here for many years, it lights up the language button if it thinks you are using the wrong language.
The problem is this is a microblogging platform so the posts tend to be very short. At very short lengths the detector is unreliable.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services @AdrianRiskin@kolektiva.social @klu9@exquisite.social
...meantime, I try doing this manually, but forget from time to time.
Alas, if I remember correctly, it isn't possible to change the language setting without deleting and reposting, leaving all boosts and replies orphaned.
Last point: from time to time I enjoy having a post from a language I don't speak automatically translated and get into contact with new people.
//
@HistoPol@mastodon.social @AdrianRiskin@kolektiva.social @klu9@exquisite.social
You can set the language to a default for your most common language, and then manually change if you use other languages as well.
You can change the language setting by editing if you forget on a particular post 👍
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services
I know, thx, but that's not what I mean.
I've seen several websites that can auto-detect a language, e. g. GoogleTranslate.
Too many people in the Fediverse are quite unaware that they should a) set their standard language and b) change that setting, if they post in another.
With the improvement I suggested, that could be remedied.
@AdrianRiskin@kolektiva.social @klu9@exquisite.social
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services
I know, thx, but that's not what I mean.
I've seen several websites that can auto-detect a language, e. g. GoogleTranslate.
Too many people in the Fediverse are quite unaware that they should a) set their standard language and b) change that setting, if they post in another.
With the improvement I suggested, that could be remedied.
@AdrianRiskin@kolektiva.social @klu9@exquisite.social
@HistoPol@mastodon.social
There is already a system on Mastodon that does auto-detect your language.
If you use the website interface and type in the wrong language, the language indicator lights up and clicking it suggests which setting you should be using.
The problem with autodetection is that it's unreliable for very short messages, which are very common on microblogging platforms like Mastodon. That's why Mastodon doesn't just have autodetection overruling the user's settings.
@HistoPol@mastodon.social
There is already a system on Mastodon that does auto-detect your language.
If you use the website interface and type in the wrong language, the language indicator lights up and clicking it suggests which setting you should be using.
The problem with autodetection is that it's unreliable for very short messages, which are very common on microblogging platforms like Mastodon. That's why Mastodon doesn't just have autodetection overruling the user's settings.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services
Oh, excellent. Good to know.
Alas, I mostly use Tusky and Fedilab (for longer threads).
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services @HistoPol@mastodon.social IMHO it should have autodetection ON by default, but it should also be smarter: very short messages should use the context of the conversation, otherwise use the language of the last post.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services
Oh, excellent. Good to know.
Alas, I mostly use Tusky and Fedilab (for longer threads).
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services @HistoPol@mastodon.social IMHO it should have autodetection ON by default, but it should also be smarter: very short messages should use the context of the conversation, otherwise use the language of the last post.
@starsider@valenciapa.ws @HistoPol@mastodon.social
If you reply to a post that uses another language, it does automatically use that post's language instead of your own default.
@starsider@valenciapa.ws @HistoPol@mastodon.social
If you reply to a post that uses another language, it does automatically use that post's language instead of your own default.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services @HistoPol@mastodon.social Yes but that only works when the post has a language, which is frequently not the case for non-mastodon servers.
@starsider@valenciapa.ws @HistoPol@mastodon.social
If you reply to a post that uses another language, it does automatically use that post's language instead of your own default.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services @HistoPol@mastodon.social Yes but that only works when the post has a language, which is frequently not the case for non-mastodon servers.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services @HistoPol@mastodon.social Yes but that only works when the post has a language, which is frequently not the case for non-mastodon servers.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services @HistoPol@mastodon.social Yes but that only works when the post has a language, which is frequently not the case for non-mastodon servers.
Fedi.Tips
klu9
