tldr;
"I believe that the current model of distributed moderation is flawed. Server admins can decide unilaterally and subjectively what the users on their instances can see. This can be an effective tool to combat spam and hate-speech. But without transparency, consistency and effective policies this can turn into a small cohort of benevolent dictators that will block you from talking with your friends because your server does not block another server that breaks some other server ToS."
I don't see the problem. Don't like how the server is run, move on to another one. The community isn't forced to stay stay on that server they way they are on centralized social media.
But that misses the point. If other servers will block my instance (because my instance isn't blocking a 3rd server or any other reason) then my choice of instance is also dictated by how other admins manage their servers & ToS.
> then my choice of instance is also dictated by how other admins manage their servers & ToS.
I don't think that framing is quiet right. I think it's more accurate to say that "my choice of instance is also dictated by the servers that I wish to interact with". It's not random admins, it's the admins for the servers you wish to communicate with.
But again, if you don't like the rules that server is operating on, you're not forced to interact with it.
Technically, yes. But that's not how things are. Because I don't interact with instances based on their T&C, I respond to my friends and other people online.
There is no viable scenario where I go: "Hey Max, sorry you signed up on an art server that blocked my generalist server because it doesn't do content-warning on politics, so we have to change instances to continue to share our cats pictures"
People said (are still saying?) the exact thing about switching to Mastadon in general.
I am not sure what a solution to this would look like for you, but if [people walking away from a server because they disagree with how it works] is not a serious option then you don't have any leverage over the running of the server.
I don't see the problem. Don't like how the server is run, move on to another one. The community isn't forced to stay stay on that server they way they are on centralized social media.