Scott King

I'm thinking the Mastodon Social instance is not for me.

How do you pick the right instance ?

Like I write books, but I'm also a photographer, and I play board games. I'm also disabled. I'm not one thing. I'm lots of things.

Do I make multiple accounts in niche instances? Or how do I juggle being more than one thing when instances seem so niche focused?

#migration #mastodon

Nov 11, 2022 at 7:09amWeb
Show threadKeram 🥽 🎸Nov 11, 2022
@scottking i do well connecting via hashtags. I too love #photography, #boardgames and #writingbooks!
Show threadT. CairesNov 11, 2022
@scottking i picked the server that i most aligned with and i liked the rules of. And then i just followed whoever i like from wherever i liked. And i hunt down tags to follow more. But I'm in less deep to other communities, i thinn
Show threadScott Nicholson 🏳️‍🌈Nov 11, 2022

@scottking That was my plan - once I figure it out, I was planning to make an account on different instances for the facets of my life I want to engage with. I have heard (but don't have details) there are clients that can put the local feeds from different accounts in different columns.

But as of now, I'm enjoying the cozy space of my current server, and I can dip into a hashtag search or the Federated Feed if I want more.

Show threadScott KingNov 11, 2022
@scottnicholson I’m using the toot app and I can see multiple instances but can only interact with my main.
Show threadT. CairesNov 11, 2022
@scottking @scottnicholson tusky on Android let's ya switch between easy
Show threadSUZNov 11, 2022
@theonetar @scottking @scottnicholson That just seems like... a lot of work. And compartmentalizing myself across areas of interest and communities without being encouraged to cross-pollinate those facets is a bit of a feel bad to me.
Show threaddnlnwmnNov 11, 2022
@theonetar @scottnicholson @scottking @425suzanne i’m honestly considering just backing away from social media entirely
Show threadSUZNov 11, 2022
@dnlnwmn I understand. I'd be sad to lose that connection...but you have to do what you have to do.
Show threaddnlnwmnNov 11, 2022
@425suzanne it just seems like the magic is gone? like even though the birdsite still exists it’s already different somehow, like the spirit has been crushed. and it’s nice seeing familiar faces here but the vibe is definitely different.
Show threadKellen FreemanNov 11, 2022
@dnlnwmn @425suzanne I absolutely agree. Because of understandable server blocks, I'm already unable to follow some people from before and that has me questioning if I should be on this server or another one. Or if I should just back off. I'd miss people, mostly seeing what they're up to. I just need everyone to start an email newsletter telling me what you're doing.
Show threadTony TranNov 11, 2022

@dnlnwmn

yeah I understand. It's getting to be more work than fun.

Show threadScott KingNov 11, 2022
@dnlnwmn @theonetar @scottnicholson @425suzanne I feel like I need it too much for work to not be on social media. My book sales and such drop if I’m not active and It has made a huge difference in building new relationships that have opened up freelance work.
Show threadCarrieNov 11, 2022
@425suzanne I agree, I see people on dice.camp and I don't know if I join dice.camp as well, or just follow the people I know. Still figuring it all out.
Show threadScott KingNov 11, 2022
@425suzanne @theonetar @scottnicholson thats my concern. Being on multiple instance with multiple accounts will just be too much work.
Show threadSpencerNov 11, 2022
@scottking I think a little too much emphasis has been placed on server selection, if I'm honest. The idea of segmenting one's online identity is obviously clunky, and in my experience, it certainly isn't the norm here.

You're a person with many facets to your identity and many interests, as are we all. I would think of servers less like "this is where I can only talk about X", and more like you're trying to find a neighborhood to call home. No matter where you move in, you'll still be inviting friends over for dinner, but it's nice when you can find a place with rules and culture you fit well with to act as your home base.
Show threadSpencerNov 11, 2022
@scottking To put it another way, servers here aren't usually like subreddits or Discord communities. They're not for segmenting discussion into rigid, single-subject zones. Some servers might be like that, I guess—but you can usually look at a server's rules and public posts before you join to see if there's a variety of discussions, or if it's strictly limited to the given subject. Sounds like the latter would show you it's not the right instance for you.