Release 2.35.1 · aeharding/voyager
github.com
📝 Other Changes chore: set default instance to lemmy.zip, remove lemm.ee PR: #2034
        • Quicky@lemmy.worldEnglish
          72·
          3 days ago

          I’m not sure that the answer to a government’s regulation of the Internet should be an individual’s blocking of access for an entire country. Seems like 2 sides of the same coin to me.

          • greybeard@feddit.onlineEnglish
            8·
            3 days ago

            This is them, to the best of their ability, complying with UK law. If more people tried to comply, perhaps the UK government would realize how foolish their Online Safety Act is and do something about it.

            • Quicky@lemmy.worldEnglish
              2·
              3 days ago

              It’s not actually complying with UK law, it’s removing it from the equation so it doesn’t have to. I don’t begrudge the decision though, it will have been a difficult choice to make. That said, it’s a sledgehammer approach to self-censorship, as a response to an inability to comply.

              Like I say, I don’t have an issue with Lemmy.zip being unavailable in the UK. But I do think it is potentially damaging for Fediverse uptake to promote a default instance that is unavailable to such a large number of users.

              For comparison purposes, the UK easily has the second highest number of Reddit users by country. It is a remarkable decision to exclude that potential market by default.

                • Quicky@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  2·
                  3 days ago

                  Speculatively, but it would assume prior research, which many people simply won’t do. If a de-facto app (say Voyager on iOS) offers a default option that’s unavailable for a selection of its potential users, it’s another hurdle within onboarding that is already the biggest barrier to entry. If we want to grow as a platform (more users equals more content), putting up a default wall saying “your kind aren’t welcome” to entire countries seems obtuse.

                  Yes, those potential new UK users can get around it by picking another instance, but the question is how many will give up if they can’t get over the first hurdle.

                  The suggestion of changing the default instance by region, where those instances prohibit specific regions seems logical enough to me.

        • Demigodrick@lemmy.zipEnglish
          8·
          2 days ago

          There is no need for us to defederate, the law is around accessing a specific website and the onligations to ensure the content on that website doesnt fall under the OSA.

          It doesn’t matter where that content comes from, just that UK users don’t see specific content. Therefore we don’t show UK users any content.

          That’s kind of a simplified summary, but hopefully makes sense.

          It only impacts lemmy.zip because I am a UK resident and run the site, so am liable under the act. Otherwise I’d do what everyone else has done and ignore it.

            • GreatAlbatross@feddit.ukEnglish
              2·
              2 days ago

              At the moment, it’s seen more like using a proxy or VPN. UK users connect to fuk outside of the UK, then the messages are relayed to zip. Fuk is UK focussed, so tries to work with the OSA.
              The best analogy is using a UK-focussed email service (wherever it’s actually hosted) to email a non-UK address.

    • MehBlah@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      2 days ago

      that is okay feddit.uk is blocked by my default blocklist on the router. I’ve started to add it to the white list a few times but no I think I’ll let fate sort it out.