To my new followers: You will experience delays as both a new signup (email delays) & an existing user (slow service; inability to load images, etc). It will settle down. Patience will be required. Remember, Mastodon is run by volunteers. It's not corporate & is still in the process of upscaling.

Mastodon is different. It's polite and friendly. There's a different code of conduct (please look up some of the basics), a slower pace. It's not a sprawling, hectic shopping centre in a grim industrial park on the city rim; it's a pleasant village street with artisanal shops and cafes. Take your time. Be nice.