Switching to Mastodon
#tech #platforms #mastodon #socialmedia
What is Mastodon?
It's social media. It looks and feels like Twitter, but underneath it operates very differently.
If you don't care about technical implementation details (like the vast majority of people..) you just need to understand that a “server” (often also referred to as an “instance”, they're the same thing) is a website where you sign up for an account. Also important to understand is that you can follow and interact with any other account that exists on any Mastodon server/instance.
Where do I make an account?
Mastodon is unlike other social media in making it hard and confusing to get started. For example if you go to mastodon.com, well.. you'll see an ad for forestry equipment. But if you go to mastodon.org.. no wait. That one's blank. The website you're looking for is joinmastodon.org, which is where you'll see a big white button that says “Create account”. If you click that, though, you'll be taken a long list of servers each with a button prompting you to “Apply for an account” and no further information about what that means.
How do I choose a server?
Like with any new technology, tech people are mostly adopting Mastodon first, and many prominent technologists have recently announced they are permanently closing their Twitter accounts and moving their shitposting short-form writing to Mastodon. Many of them have accounts on the mastodon.social server, but lest you be tempted to follow them there, the server is “full”, i.e. it is no longer possible to create an account there.
If you're willing to just take my word for it (I'm friendly, care about people's feelings, and think safe spaces are just what the world needs right about now), these are few instances that are well-run in my opinion, where your feed should remain mostly free of fascist propaganda and you'd be well served to create an account to get started.
Note it is always possible to changes instances later and you can follow any person on any instance from any instance. Mastodon makes it very easy to move your account to a new server. So there's no need to stress about picking the “right” server right off the bat. You can always move later.
Anyway, that list:
mstdn.social
This is a very large instance where many people created their accounts after mastodon.social filled up. It will feel very similar to having an account at a Silicon Valley megacorp where you have no control or influence over the structure, which is totally fine with most people and will feel very familiar if you're coming from Twitter.
Other mega-instances with similar structure and governance to mastodon.social include:
Some more niche instances that might be a good fit depending on your interests:
hachyderm.io
This is an instance run by a very well-meaning community and many smart people I trust are there. It's geared toward technologists, but everyone is welcome.
indieweb.social
This is the instance where my account lives. I like the values of the indie web movement and was part of that community anyway so it was a logical place to join. It's a smaller instance but runs reliably and has sensible moderation.
If you want to look into it more yourself, you can find out more about a server by browsing through its “About” page (link in the bottom left corner, usually) and checking its rules (usually a section at the bottom of the about page). Each server is run by a different person or group of people and each has its own moderators.
Things you might care about when picking a server are:
- Moderation style: What is the code of conduct, how is abuse handled, how are abusers censored?
- Server rules: More notable will be what rules are absent. The list should at least include “no fascism, racism, or homophobia”. Watch out for alt-right dog whistles like including “net worth” as a protected status, or absolutist views about “free speech”.
- Funding: Is the instance run sustainably? Some servers might charge a small fee to join to help cover server and moderator costs, most are free.
- Governance: Is there any way to escalate concerns to the moderators or server admins? What is the structure of the team in charge of the instance? Some have formal boards and committees, others are a single person calling the shots.
Why leave Twitter?
The short answer is because Elon Musk just bought it and is ruining it. What I really think is that he is an evil bastard who is turning it into an alt-right outrage machine and I have no desire to contribute to such a platform, and neither should you. A more diplomatic answer might include references to all of the nazis and other odious individuals he has re-platformed or better explanations of the specific ways Twitter is technically failing now that 1/3 to ½ of the people who maintain it have been chased away. Tim Bray, a geek I very much admire, has written a great piece covering just these sorts of things, if you're so inclined to give it a read.
Anyway.. hopefully this clears up some of the confusion around getting started with Mastodon.
I know it's confusing and messy to get started right now, but it's always like that with new technology. If the problem of choosing an instance is a barrier, don't let that stop you. Just pick one from the list above, rest easy knowing you can always and easily change your mind, and join us in leaving Twitter to the alt-right trolls.