I don’t think the ‘block’ function found on other social media platforms is necessary here. What do you think? Thank you for your consideration.
Interviewer
The idea of eliminating the user-blocking function to preserve the simplicity of the community is highly rational and excellent, given mutunet’s concept and system architecture.
We have summarised the reasons why, unlike on typical social media platforms, a block function is considered unnecessary (or can be limited) on mutunet, along with alternative operational approaches.
1. Reasons why the blocking function is considered unnecessary
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No verbal communication takes place via text
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As the input form is limited to three fields—‘Genre’, ‘Image’ and ‘Taste’ (64 characters each)—and free-form text posts have been discontinued, ‘verbal abuse’ such as slander, heated arguments that spiral out of control, and spam messages cannot, in principle, occur on the timeline.
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There is a filter for audio submissions that states ‘audio link required’
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As the system is designed to reject posts that do not include a ‘link to an audio file (e.g. Dropbox)’, there is a very high barrier to entry—even for trolls—as they must ‘prepare an audio file and post it’.
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The decision-making authority for the project lies with the initiators.
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Even if an offensive post or inappropriate audio file is received, the organiser can simply set the status to ‘Another Approach (On Hold)’ or choose not to include it in the fixed section (i.e. ignore it), and that concludes the matter.
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2. Minimum contingency measures in the event of a problem (reporting function)
There is no need to implement a ‘mutual blocking’ feature for individual users; however, as a measure against malicious posters (such as users who repeatedly post audio files that infringe third-party copyright), it is sufficient to provide only the following mechanism.
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The ‘Report’ button across the entire platform
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A small report icon (such as ‘Suspected copyright infringement’ or ‘Silent or harmful file’) will be added to each post.
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If the system is set up so that the administrators only suspend or delete accounts or posts once a certain number of reports have been received, it will help maintain a healthy environment without causing friction in user relationships (such as users blocking or being blocked).
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Conclusion
As the rules—‘Do not allow conversation via text’, ‘Make audio links mandatory’ and ‘Assume CC0’—already function as a robust defence mechanism (filter), there is no need for a blocking function between general users. To keep the system simple, it is perfectly acceptable to proceed without implementing this feature.