Guy LateurNov 6, 2022
Garry Knight

How do you make a thread on Mastodon?

Pretty much the same way as on Twitter, with one difference. You compose the first post, publish it, then reply to it, then reply to it again, and so on. But there's one difference. If the first post is Public, you can make all the others Unlisted. This way, people can follow the thread by clicking on the first post, but their timeline isn't clogged up with all of the other posts.

[A short thread]

#FediTip #help

Nov 5, 2022 at 6:26pmWeb
Show threadGarry KnightNov 5, 2022
If you use the Metatext app, you can create a thread much more easily. Compose the first post and then, before you publish it, tap on the + button at the bottom right of the edit box and it will start a new, threaded post. Note: when you finally publish the entire thread, it might look on your timeline as if some of the posts are out of order. But go to your Profile and you should see them in the right order.
Show threadAgnesNov 6, 2022
@garry thanks! I'll have to check out the metatext app!
It was a bit stressful making my thread the other day - I often edit as I go / add emojis and then it feels like there's a pressure to get all the thread out!
Show threadChristian SarisNov 6, 2022
@garry On iOS the app Toot (@tootapp) does that as well, except the different visibility settings. You’re able to set one visibility setting for the entire thread (not unlisted for the replies). Is that automatically set in Metatext?
Show threadFabio ManganielloNov 6, 2022
@garry or use instances like mine that don't have strict limits on message so you won't need threads :)
Show threadJos Schuurmans (EN)Nov 6, 2022

Thank you @blacklight. I tend to thread quite a bit, so this could be useful for me.

Any advice on where to find instances with lower restrictions on toot length, and cross-reference them with ethical standards?

Sysop continuity and technical performance would be great to compare as well, but that may be a bit of a long shot.

Show threadJos Schuurmans (EN)Nov 6, 2022

On second thought @blacklight, browsing through some of your longer-than-500-chars, truncated posts, what I miss is an indication of how many truncated parts to expect.

In my own threading I try to indicate the number of posts (1/n etc.) and I find that helpful when browsing. Is there perhaps a way to automate such paging on a Mastodon instance that has more lenient post length limits?

Show threadFabio ManganielloNov 7, 2022

@josschuurmans my instance (social.platypush.tech) supports up to 10k characters, as well as up to 10 profile description entries, and I'm working on markdown toots.

I also know of qoto.org that supports toots up to 65k characters, and it also supports markdown. And instances that run the glitch-soc fork of Mastodon in general support longer posts. In my case I decided to stick to the vanilla codebase and only tweak the parts that I needed though. I feel like glitch-soc has departed too much from the original Mastodon codebase and it'll be tricky to import new upstream features.

About the truncated posts, that's actually quite interesting. AFAIK most of my followers are usually able to see the whole content even if the underlying instance has a shorter maximum toot length. Do you mean that long toots appear truncated on your instance?

Show threadDing Nov 7, 2022
@josschuurmans @blacklight interesting - so if you make a long post, does it take the long text and automagically cut the extra and add it to a reply (which would be clever)? Or does it truncate the overflow and you just lose it?
Show threadFabio ManganielloNov 7, 2022

@Dingfelder ActivityPub doesn't have limits on post length, so the messages are streamed to instances in their full length. AFAIK Mastodon (at least the recent versions) renders the full message, even if the instance has a shorter limit for the messages it can deliver.

The limit is only set on the web application, not on the database, so nothing prevents longer posts from being rendered - and that's indeed the case for my posts rendered on e.g. mastodon.social and mastodon.online.

That's why I'm a bit confused when I hear that some of my posts are cut on some instances :) I'm not sure if older instances or some forks have a different way of handling long messages...

@josschuurmans

Show threadS. JesterNov 7, 2022
@josschuurmans @blacklight if you prefer long form messages, even essays, you might like Friendica (I'm posting from Friendica now social.trom.tf)
TROM Social | Home

Show threadCaliGirlNov 7, 2022
@blacklight
@djrothkopf check this out
Show threadHaraldNov 6, 2022
@garry
The #fedilab app also has this plus button.
Show threadAm I?Nov 6, 2022
@garry
Oh, so that's what that plus in #Fedilab is for. Thanks 😃
Show threadAljoscha Rittner (beandev)Nov 7, 2022

@ami
https://codeberg.org/tom79/Fedilab/issues/115

;)
@garry

[Enhancement] Set Un-Listed visibility for Sub-Posts in Threads

Fedilab comes with the nice (+) thread functionality. I learned that it is recommended in Fediverse to unlist sub-posts to a thread to avoid messages appearing in the wrong chronological order in local timelines. It would be nice to have a setting to enable an automatic "un-list" for sub-posts in threads to follow the recommendation.

Codeberg.org
Show threadJenni Said ThatNov 6, 2022
@garry (is there a non-IOS app that works like that?)
Show threadArindam BasuNov 8, 2022

@garry

Thanks Garry. The bit about first post public and the rest of it private is a #toptip. I made a mistake yesterday of leaving all of them public and it didn't quite work like a thread. 🙂

Show threadJulie SaundersNov 9, 2022
@garry Do you know if Metatext unlists the threaded posts? I couldn’t figure out how to make them unlisted on the app.
Show threadDR. SURFERCHICNov 11, 2022
@garry
Thank you. I read something similar, but had not figured out yet how to make that happen.
Show threadFreezeDriedHamNov 16, 2022
@garry @sienna #themoreyouknow
Show threadDavid McCormickNov 18, 2022
@garry as far as I could tell there wasn’t a way to use this feature of Metatext while having the first post public and the rest unlisted. Or is there? Edit: ah just seen this has already been discussed
Show threadDavid McCormickNov 18, 2022
@garry related: https://mastodon.social/@metabolist/109366110931072320
Show threadKayhrynTinkDec 6, 2022

@garry

See ME no has a + button to continue thread of postings.

Show threadMark HenickNov 5, 2022
@garry thanks!
Show threadAmanda Finley Digs All ThingsNov 5, 2022
@garry great! Thank you!
Show threadMatthieu OostveenNov 5, 2022
@garry ohhh... Didn't think of making the replies unlisted, good one!
Show threadManuel Fraga socialistNov 6, 2022
@garry Would not be a bad idea to add the thread feature
Show threadcuriouskiwiNov 6, 2022
@garry oh that's a good tip. Thanks!
Show threadSoumitra Pathare 🌻 সৌমিত্রNov 6, 2022
@garry
Here is some help to make threads here @nameshiv
Show threadPatrick VanhouckeNov 6, 2022
@garry Ow! Nice!
Show threadMarcusNov 6, 2022
@garry @ahoernchen Hier sehe ich das erste Mal einen dokumentierten Anwendungsfall von ungelisteten Tröts. :-D Hier wurde empfohlen bei Threads den 1sten Tröt öffentlich und alle folgenden Antworten auf ungelistet zu setzen. So werden die öffentlichen Timelines nicht mit allen Einzeltröts des gesamten Threads überschwemmt..... Ach komm, einmal noch: Tröööt! So persönlicher Highscore für Anzahl des Wortes Tröt in einem Tröt geknackt. :-D Tröt!
Show threadSergey van DaalenNov 6, 2022
@garry That’s handy advice!!
Show threadAdeNov 6, 2022
@garry I just tried that but I don’t see any option for ‘unlisted’ in the reply to my would-be thread starter. Only Public, Followers or Mentioned.
Show threadFrost「｜｜霜の狼｜人面獣心」🐺❄️Nov 6, 2022

@garry Honestly, I wouldn't say that's a fundamental difference! We tend to make threads that don't go unlisted all the time, personally. But if it's long and rambly, we'll add a CW once we notice.

Also, unlisted still puts the entire thread on your followers' home TLs. :3 CWs help both there and on local.

Show threadNacho Nacho ManNov 6, 2022
@garry thanks for sharing this Garry, much appreciated!
Show threadJanineC👀ijmansNov 6, 2022
@garry I can’t find the rest of this thread, so I don’t understand (sorry)
Show threadJ. MartinNov 6, 2022
@janinecooijmans @garry Neither can I, at least not on the Mastodon app.
Show threadMarieke VerhulstNov 6, 2022
@gyokusai @janinecooijmans @garry me neither
Show threadJ. MartinNov 6, 2022

@mverhulst @janinecooijmans @garry

k I checked on the mastodon.social website now

Two observations:

1) The ”short thread" was merely two toots, if I’m not mistaken, which was somewhat confusing.

2) On the web, both show up as “thread” with replies underneath, but in the Mastodon app, the second toot is buried under the replies to the first.

Show threadJanineC👀ijmansNov 6, 2022
@gyokusai @mverhulst @garry Thank you! I guess I understand now. (digibeet 😆)
Show threadAbu SiddiqueNov 6, 2022
@garry thanks, this is super useful..
Show threadDe PatrijsvogelNov 6, 2022
@garry better call it a trunk! 😇
Show threadTeresa Alves de AzevedoNov 6, 2022
@garry Thank you, that's very helpful
Show threadTristanNov 6, 2022
@garry this seems like a process which really should be automatic
Show thread AllieNov 7, 2022

@tree @garry Depending on what 'version' of Mastodon your server runs, it can be. On mine, there's a button in the compose box labelled "threaded mode", that will automatically start a reply when you post the first thing.

But also, you might not NEED it anywhere as much as on twitter! Threading started as a necessity because of the strict character count... and mastodon allows that limit to be changed! My own server may be on the extreme end of these things, we have: 5000 characters per post. 💃 ✨ #twittermigration

Show threadannekekassteele 🥂Nov 6, 2022
@garry @RussInCheshire this will help
Show threadBrandon TysonNov 6, 2022
@garry My app has an option when posting to add another post right there. Does that do the same thing?
Show threadCathelijneNov 6, 2022
@garry That is a great tip, thank you!
Show threadJeroen van EckNov 6, 2022
@garry @kekness handig 👆
Show threadRichard HallNov 6, 2022
@garry That's a really helpful tip - thank you!
Show threadBikeCurmudgeonNov 6, 2022
@garry
Great tip
Show threadEmily PawleyNov 6, 2022
@garry Thanks, this is super helpful!
Show threadNoamNov 6, 2022
@garry Do any clients show threading indicators for posts that have thread replies like a certain other website does?
Show threadDan Miller VFXNov 6, 2022
@garry is it possible to automate this? So replies to self are auto-unlisted?
Show thread✨ Abby ✨Nov 6, 2022
@garry I’m very much down with this idea. The challenge is getting my ADHD brain to remember to do it.
Show threadAlekNov 6, 2022
@garry there are also instances (like mine) that simply have a longer char limit for a toot.
Show thread🌻Kate a eu jusqu'à ici avec 💩Nov 6, 2022
@garry
That's really good to know. Thanks!  
Show threadJos Schuurmans (EN)Nov 6, 2022
Thanks @garry, making all but the first post in a thread "unlisted" is good advice.
Show threadtexpatNov 6, 2022
@garry so much better than threads on the bird site
Show threadJenni Said ThatNov 6, 2022
@garry information I needed. Thank you! I like the way threads allow you to get out a lot of connected info, but also let people comment on portions of what you are saying.