#feditips thread for #twittermigrants wondering how to choose a #server on #Mastodon.
I’d like to do that in the form of #FAQs, from easy to hard
How do I choose a server?
You can browse https://joinmastodon.org/servers. IMO it is not a very helpful interface, as it’s lacking a search and only shows a small subset of available servers.
The better solution is as would happen in life: see where your friends or network have gone, identify trends and follow them. That’s how I chose mastodon.green.
Note you may NOT be able to follow friends if the server they are on has temporarily closed its doors to any new comer. If so, start again with the second most popular choice
Twittermigrants: why choose a #server on one aspect of my #identity (server location; server for a particular community; for a particular industry) when my identity is by definition diverse and I don’t want to be pigeonholed?
1) some servers are identity-less: for example mastodon.social, c.im
2) choosing a server is like choosing a home: at the end of the day, no human has ubiquity and a home is not an identity. It is just the place where you feel most comfortable at any given time ...
...and can live in community with your neighbours. Heck you might even have some interest in what people are locally doing!
That’s the #Local view, which helps you find people who have also elected to choose the same server, either deliberately, or because like in the real world, they are passing through.
Finally as in real life, you are able to follow and interact with people outside of your home/server. That’s the #federated view.
#twittermigrants: Shall I just migrate to mastodon.social where everyone seems to be?
Short answer: no. Two reasons:
1) you are trying to recreate #Twitter on #Mastodon and missing the point of the #fediverse by trying to live on a giant, anonymous platform.
The decentralized social media network has grown significantly since Elon Musk took over Twitter, but it's still a tiny community with a confusing interface and few resources. But for users tired of Twitter’s chaos, those shortcomings might be features rather than bugs.
#twittermigrants: What is the right size of #server?
You want to choose a server that’s neither too big nor too small. We talked about too big above, but too small could expose you to servers disappearing overnight because admins are overwhelmed. A medium-sized server (about 10k) will give you both the technical reassurance you need but also the knowledge you are part of a community with potential.
#twittermigrants: Are #servers free to join?
Most of them are. Many have really small monthly contributions towards the costs. In a way the latter is more in line with the #fediculture: you are not a customer, you are a participant. Your admins have names, and you can become an admin as well. mastodon.green charges 1,50 € (+VAT) per month, not exactly breaking the bank.
Why does #community matter on #Mastodon (and what about bad operators)?
Mentioning ‘people passing through’, transience, these are more likely to be prevalent on a server without a strong identity. That means both .social, but also those #servers organised around malevolent activities, like #shitposting. #shitposters are not a community, just a bunch of bots and individuals with sociopathic tendencies.
#twittermigrants: Why did I choose mastodon.green?
Beyond the fact that was the most popular #server in my Twitter network back in April, it also corresponds to my values. And it puts its money effort where its mouth is. Admin @JohanEmpa runs a “#climatefriendly server” on a a “Hetzner data center in Germany running on 100 % #renewableenergy”.
sheislaurence
asperanski