This makes sense, especially considering the features the author cited. The by design parts may just be for clickbait purposes

Maybe I’m part of the problem, and if so, please educate me, but I’m not understanding why blocking is ineffective…?

And block lists seem like an effective method to me.

The security improvements described seem reasonable, so it would be nice to get those merged.

I understand that curation and block lists require effort, but that’s the nature of an open platform. If you don’t want an open platform, that’s cool, too. Just create an instance that’s defederated by default and whitelist, then create a sectioned-off Fediverse of instances that align with your moderation principles.

I feel like I’ve gotta be missing something here. These solutions seem painfully obvious, but that usually means I’m missing some key caveat. Can someone fill me in?

In pointing out one’s deficiencies, you should help them fill in those gaps. Otherwise, you’re just being an asshole.

Explain what communism is. Comprehensive education in communism is not part of many places’ standard curriculum

What are these answers…

Wrong place to ask, but whatever.

It depends on what you want to build. If you’re not sure, start with Python. It’s likely easiest to pick up and get running. There’s a book called “Automate the Boring Stuff.” I think there’s an online version. (Edit: link - https://automatetheboringstuff.com/)

If you don’t want to set up Python (or any language, really) on your computer, there’s a tool called a REPL that you can find online. So you can just search “Python online REPL,” and you’ll get a functional online environment to code. Now, you won’t be able to do stuff interacting with your local computer this way, like reading files, but it’s good for learning the basics of the language.

In terms of software for writing code in on your local computer, Visual Studio Code (NOT to be confused with Visual Studio) is a free, lightweight code editor. It supports every language via plugins.

If you do go the Python route, make sure to learn about virtual environments before you do ‘pip’ or ‘conda’ anything. Also, unless you’re doing data science things, stick to pip. (Maybe some personal bias there, but I hate anaconda.) If you’re starting from nothing, it’ll be awhile until you get there anyway, so don’t worry too much about it.

Most importantly, find a community that welcomes new learners. Learning to code is absolutely removeding brutal, so having supportive people available makes a world of difference. Bonus points if you can find an offline meetup in your local area.