@dansup Any "starter pack" concept implemented on the fediverse should definitely be opt-in rather than opt-out. Don't distribute anyone's handle in a starter pack until they've explicitly okay'd their presence there.
But apart from the abusive potential, there are at least two other potential hazards:
1. Poweruser creation: It's important to recognize that starter packs not only help new users find people to follow, they also expand the audience and influence of the people included on those lists. Accounts that end up on multiple starter packs will tend to amass large followings, giving them broader reach and greater pull on the entire network. That's a dynamic that we should be circumspect about unleashing.
2. Gatekeeping: Similarly, if some people benefit disproportionately from inclusion on starter packs, others can be undercut by their exclusion from those lists. For example: A popular starter pack for astronomers could exclude an astronomer who disagrees with one of the maintainer's pet theories. The effect would be to marginalize a minority position on the network, while growing the following for the maintainer's preferred position.