Mastodon rolls out quote posts with protections to prevent ‘dunking’

Mastodon, a decentralized social media platform, has introduced a new feature that allows users to share quotes from other posts. This feature comes with additional controls to prevent "dunking" or the practice of ridiculing or criticizing the original poster. The quote post feature gives users the ability to add their own commentary alongside the quoted text, but with the option to disable comments on the post. This is intended to prevent users from hijacking the original post for the purpose of criticism or harassment. Mastodon's decision to implement these protections is aimed at fostering a more constructive and respectful dialogue on the platform. The feature is part of Mastodon's broader efforts to provide users with greater control over their content and interactions, in contrast to the perceived toxicity of other social media platforms. The introduction of quote posts with customizable settings is seen as a step towards creating a more nuanced and thoughtful social media experience, where users can engage with each other's ideas without resorting to "dunking" or other forms of unproductive discourse.