OpenStars

I wanted to add to others' comments: usernames as well.

So e.g. I could go create an account called [email protected], and another called [email protected], and another [email protected], etc. (assuming none of these already existed), and they each would be different - plus none of these would be you.

This is a reason why many celebrities say that they refuse to come to the Fediverse, b/c of this potential for misunderstanding regarding the account names - which tbf that is not entirely "new" issue since it would affect emails too, and yet in reality it is new b/c Twitter/X and Reddit and Facebook got people spoiled to expect a certain style of behavior so using the Fediverse feels to them a step backwards (we had a discussion about that topic recently).

So, exactly like email and a website URL, it takes the full thing to specify something exactly - a username, or a community.

Oh, thanks for the correction!:-)

That does not benefit specifically Alphabet though...

Which is all the easier to do when you start off with a higher number...

Except then you have to know the proper community name, which can often look very different from what is displayed. e.g. [email protected] is an entirely different community than [email protected], and damn, that example did not work bc both end up as "valid" links. Well, theoretically sometimes the feedback on having gotten the name correct could be helpful I suppose.

Also I note that what you are saying can seem in contradiction with the help docs. If you start a post or reply and click the help icon in the web UI, it will go to https://join-lemmy.org/docs/users/02-media.html, which does not mention the word "community" at all, but does show link syntax. I am more inclined to believe you than the help docs! Especially when we can see the resulting behavior in front of our very eyes - except where it may pertain to other methods of access - but I am pointing out here again that for a new user, finding out such things is currently a terrible process! Even Arch Linux has at the very least man pages, as well as the wikis!

But I've been on the Fediverse since the Rexodus, and since I don't use apps other than the webpage UI (I tried Voyager but while it looks nice, it doesn't seem to function well, maybe that pertains to accounts on instances other than Lemmy.world such as mine - e.g. I would reply to someone but no amount of refreshing or clicking around would let me see my reply until I force-quit and restarted the app), Mbin, PieFed or Sublinks (or Tesseract), I don't know myself what the "preferred" method of linking is. I just see what works (or not) for me. And again the help docs are of no help here.

So since you are saying that this 11-month old post is outdated, if you know the details of what would be better practice, perhaps you can write a newer post explaining that?

I've had situations where that doesn't work for me, or like where I will start typing and it won't expand quite properly - e.g. typing [email protected] expands not to [email protected] but like to !newtolemmy[email protected]. The latter repeatedly happened to me on a desktop Chrome. Also if you user-block an instance, then the name expansion process no longer works.

There are actually two types of expansions - one done after you post, another while you are still writing. Neither of which I have ever seen written up in any guide anywhere, other than release notes from as you say like a year ago. Similarly I have not seen guides to cross-posting, in e.g. the Getting started guide.

Edit: oh, and this is the first I am hearing that the former expanded links won't work - do you know when that happens? Maybe apps, or perhaps non-Lemmy Fediverse Mbin or PieFed? This is the first I am hearing of this iirc.

Finding out how things work on Lemmy, for those of us who do not use Arch btw, is a terrible process for new users. I was thinking, it sure would be nice if there was not just a single post here and there such as Lemmy.ml's What is Lemmy.ml (that is the exact link that appears in their sidebar though), but an entire community somewhere where such guidance could be posted. If not this one, then somewhere else - but this is the only one like that that I have seen.

Edit: if you know more about when links won't work, perhaps you can post the thought in that community?

Except some instances like hexbear have downvoting disabled, which tends to encourage people to comment more.

For things such as how to make a proper link that does not take people away from their instance, see [email protected].

Fortunately, Boeing is a responsible entity and will plan on cleaning it up... right?

And younger ones too!

1+1=2... but one WHAT!?

Except then you get quantum mechanics, and math either no longer models reality, or reality itself doesn't follow math, except conversely math is the only thing that it does follow (sometimes). 😜