p.s. Good grief. I'm trying to help people use this place and just got accused of "disinformation" and "causing harm" because they didn't like the way I used the word algorithm in the guide.

Can we please chill out and be a bit more friendly? The Fedi relies on volunteers helping each other and making suggestions in a constructive way.

If I've done something wrong it is brilliant if you point it out, most of the guides rely on people correcting me. But there is no need for personal attacks.

I'd like to be able to follow hashtags without seeing posts in languages I don't understand that also use those hashtags.

#Mastodon language settings don't help with that & after having a timeline 30-35% in languages I don't know, I've ended up muting hundreds (maybe thousands now) of accounts.

In fact, I've started looking at my alt account's timeline (exquisite.social) first because Mastodon's lack of hashtag migration means my timeline there is only people I follow, & only afterwards going to my original account (ohai.social) that includes followed hashtag posts.

#MastodonHelp

@klu9

Are you sure you've selected the option to filter languages, rather than just setting your own interface language? (More info at fedi.tips/setting-your-languag… )

The language filter should help at least somewhat, but by definition you won't notice the posts it is successfully hiding.

There is also an automatic language detector, and it tells people when they've got the wrong post language setting, but it's not reliable for short posts so that's why it doesn't override the person's setting.

Setting your language preferences on Mastodon, filtering out posts in other languages, filtering search results by language | Fedi.Tips – An Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse

An unofficial guide to using Mastodon and the Fediverse

^fedi.tips

Yes, I've set the "Filter" languages, not just "Interface" language.
(Preferences > Other > Public Timelines > Filter languages)

And many of the posts in undesired languages (in my case, 95% German) have been quite long, hundreds of characters.

I wonder if following a hashtag trumps/bypasses the language filter.

#Mastodon #MastodonHelp

@AdrianRiskin @klu9

Yup, this is the problem, people are using the wrong settings on their posts.

There is an automatic language detector but it isn't reliable enough on short posts to have it override the user. It does suggest to them when it thinks they've got it wrong though.

*Translatlation feature does not work*

Yep, this is correct.
It is an annoying, IMHO honestly avoidable issue:

Automatic language detection seems to be an ubiquitous feature on many websites. It should be quite easy to perform in a #Fediverse app or on the PC as well, IMO.
Afterwards, a pop-up window could appear, e. g.: your post's language is set to English but appears to be in German instead. Would you like to change your language setting? "

In the...
@AdrianRiskin @klu9

@AdrianRiskin @klu9

...meantime, I try doing this manually, but forget from time to time.
Alas, if I remember correctly, it isn't possible to change the language setting without deleting and reposting, leaving all boosts and replies orphaned.

Last point: from time to time I enjoy having a post from a language I don't speak automatically translated and get into contact with new people.

//

@HistoPol @AdrianRiskin @klu9

You can set the language to a default for your most common language, and then manually change if you use other languages as well.

You can change the language setting by editing if you forget on a particular post 👍

I know, thx, but that's not what I mean.
I've seen several websites that can auto-detect a language, e. g. GoogleTranslate.

Too many people in the Fediverse are quite unaware that they should a) set their standard language and b) change that setting, if they post in another.

With the improvement I suggested, that could be remedied.
@AdrianRiskin @klu9

@HistoPol

There is already a system on Mastodon that does auto-detect your language.

If you use the website interface and type in the wrong language, the language indicator lights up and clicking it suggests which setting you should be using.

The problem with autodetection is that it's unreliable for very short messages, which are very common on microblogging platforms like Mastodon. That's why Mastodon doesn't just have autodetection overruling the user's settings.