The Occasional Inkompatible Gab Report
Star Date: January 14, 2023
Timestamp: approx. 13:00 hrs. Gab Server Time (GMT)
Current number of accts. created: 6,207,857 ( username: aliamehra )
Currently 'boosted' at on-boarding: @Gab, @a
Bot Management: Partial fail ( see below )
Shadow Bans: They kind of exist, sorta' ( see below )
Bot Management
The question: Does Gab do everything they can to protect end users from malicious links posted by bots?
The answer: No
The Problem - The current procedure for handling bots that post malicious links in their profile bio is to disable their profile. If you try to open the profile (say from a list of followers on a boosted at on-boarding acct.'s network), the profile will either produce an error or go into the never ending 'loading circle'. However, the malicious links are still displayed and active inside the 'followers' list. For example, take the recently created and on-boarding inclusion of the @ye acct., open up it's followers list and scroll a few pages. You might notice a specific profile avatar being used by several newly/recently created accts. that also include the same links. Don't click the links, as they're redirects to a dating site phishing scam.
Solutions - Disable the bots first, then run the auto-follows for on-boarding.
If acct. = bot Then auto-follow disabled
Else auto-follow enabled
End if ( conditional logic, gotta' love it! )
Remove the malicious links.
Hide the network of accts. being on-boarded by default if they're not being actively 'tended'?
*Suggestion: Don't click on links that are unfamiliar to you. ( scan first if you must )
Shadow Bans
If you end up being blocked by @a, then you're basically not allowed to participate w/any of his threads. Including threads pertaining to the platforms functionality and/or direction. You'll also stop receiving e-mail notifs. as far as I can tell. We'll not speak on him simply removing any comments from his threads that are not in agreement w/his opinions if he so desires. I'd call that the possibility of being partially shadow-banned, but what do I know...
That's it for now, thanks for reading.