MitchNov 20, 2022
Jason Pedlow

I find it both interesting and sad that many of the celebrity/journalist accounts joining mastodon are following no one.

That means they aren't joining in, don't have a relevant or interesting timeline, and most importantly, don't understand the difference between being fed *curated* information by a corporation and seeking out information for themselves.

We're building a community, not another celebrity worship-fest or automatic political circle jerk machine.

Nov 18, 2022 at 11:10amWeb
Show threadAngle🖇Nov 19, 2022
@jasonpedlow They'll figure it out eventually. XD
Show threadStephen RandallNov 19, 2022
@jasonpedlow I fully agree, old Twitter habits seem to die hard unfortunately
Show threadJon CuttingNov 19, 2022
@jasonpedlow hmm not sure it's such a big deal. Once you're following upwards of a few hundred people, what sort of timeline do you have anyway?
Show threadJason PedlowNov 20, 2022

@debenore

I'm not talking about the ones who are following a few hundred, I'm talking about the ones who follow (almost) no-one.

It means their timeline is limited to what's on their home server, and makes it look like mastodon is boring.

Show threadMaxiedeeartNov 19, 2022
@jasonpedlow when I see that, it actually puts me off following them precisely because they aren't joining in with the spirit of the virtual community.
Show threadKLBNov 20, 2022
@MaxDAgain @jasonpedlow exactly
Show threadJohn G FitzgeraldNov 19, 2022
@jasonpedlow Important point here, Mn works as a network of people sharing views & information. Sharing means a two way flow. Join in or you're out.
Show threadAxel FoleyNov 19, 2022
@jasonpedlow I've noticed that "celebs" generally don't follow back.
Show threadMafeesh Nov 19, 2022

@Roadwarrior29 @jasonpedlow

It's the birdshite mentality of "I'm here to be worshipped"

Some have realised this is a community and who you were before is largely irrelevant

EDIT: fixed typo

Show threadEcosaurian 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Nov 20, 2022

@mafeesh @Roadwarrior29 @jasonpedlow

Completely agree this is not the "I'm famous look at me" engagement many of them will be used to.

There are a few I might follow because they're inspirational, but even they need to engage instead of lazy reposting from Hellbird or popping in once a month to toot a comment.

I guess it's fair to give them a week or two to get their house in order, but they'll wake up in alarm when 100k people unfollow them overnight at the end of the month...

Show threadMafeesh Nov 20, 2022

@Ecosaurian @Roadwarrior29 @jasonpedlow

You've read my mind about my end of the month clean-up of those I'm following who have 20k followers but only follow 50 themselves.
#nottwitter

Show threadBecca🌻Nov 20, 2022
@Ecosaurian @mafeesh @Roadwarrior29 @jasonpedlow it's a hard pill for some of them to swallow
Show threadCAFCANov 20, 2022
@Roadwarrior29 @jasonpedlow
Ego gets in the way.
Main reason why I never followed Fry.
Show threadkurtshNov 19, 2022
@jasonpedlow Yup. Megaphones not conversations. A lot of young journo.host folk are just here for the likes & follows to "build an audience" to "drive engagement". I unfollowed a half dozen once it became clear they were just replicating what they did on the other site.
Show threadKen MoonNov 19, 2022
@jasonpedlow yup. Someone I know recently posted on another platform to encourage their FB followers to do so on here. But they're following a fraction of the number of people following them. That's not building a community of peers, it's replicating influencer culture.
Show threadAdam JezardNov 19, 2022

@jasonpedlow

Yep. They like pulpits, not discussion. Won't be bothering with auto Twitter feeds either.

Show threadSunny Willow 🌞Nov 19, 2022

@jasonpedlow

It's why they are flocking to the new POST site. They are pushing it hard on the birdsite. They need that algorithm to give them the high follower counts they need. Just going over to the birdsite now I realize how little I got to interact with a lot of my followers because the big accounts were only showing up on my timeline.

Show threadMarie 🇸🇪Nov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow For some, it seems a bit cool that many people follow, but you yourself are blasé & unattainable, so you don't follow.
Show threadhereforasecNov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow Wow, this is so perfectly said.
Show threadFionaNov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow I’m in total agreement here - the folks I’m following are reblogging some really interesting stuff that I would have totally missed. My timeline is already vibrant and fun but also educational and thought provoking in just two weeks ☺️
Show threadJason PedlowNov 20, 2022

@GreenishFinger

Great, isn't it?

Show threadFionaNov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow So great. I feel sorry for their sad little timelines while we’re all out here having the times of our lives 😂
Show threadGreggieNov 20, 2022
@GreenishFinger @jasonpedlow that's why I joined too
Show threadHoward ChengNov 20, 2022
@GreenishFinger @jasonpedlow Do you know reblogs show up on local or federated timelines, or just on the home feed and profiles?
Show threadUSRVRoverNov 20, 2022
@Howard @GreenishFinger @jasonpedlow I think you have to choose, but https://mastodon.help/ may have your answer.
Mastodon Help - Guide

A thorough introduction to Mastodon

Show threadDavid J WhiteNov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow But that’s the glory of it. If people want to do that, fine. I won’t be and I probably won’t be seeing any of that celeb worship stuff, so where is the harm?
Show threadJason PedlowNov 20, 2022

@DJWhite

No harm to us. But a complete misunderstanding of how mastodon is set up to work, and a sad indictment of our celebrity culture.

Show threadDavid J WhiteNov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow I'd like to hope that the issue will redress itself in time when they realise what the fediverse actually is and can be.
Show threadJason PedlowNov 20, 2022

@DJWhite

Now THAT'S something worth hoping for.

Show threadJack Yan (甄爵恩)Nov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow Seems like certain people donʼt remember what early Twitter was like (if they were even there).
Show threadJames WallbankNov 20, 2022

@jasonpedlow I absolutely agree.

One of my criteria for Twitter was to avoid all but a very few accounts that were clearly in "broadcast" mode.

But it's clear that a lot of people are reluctant to speak up—they'd rather be members of an audience rather than active participants.

Until we change this, I'm afraid our culture and politics will continue to centralise, and the amplification of inequity will continue.

Show threadIndy Richard 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Nov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow
I saw some Scottish journalists start to appear. On birdie site they are responsible for much of the bias and bile around the independence debate. I won't be engaging with any of these people and if any start appearing in my Home or Notifications pages they will be getting blocked.
Show threadJason PedlowNov 20, 2022

@IndyRichard

I, too, am tired of misinformation and opinion presented as fact by those whose job it is to do the exact opposite.

Show threadLiz MiddletonNov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow I have noticed this too especially in the last fews days with the massive migration from twitter. I hope things will settle and all people engage better as Mastodon is not a substitute for twitter. Also sick of hearing about twitter and Musk and realise I have just added to that.
#twitter #MasterdonMigration
Show threadNolla aqeela Nov 20, 2022
@lizMid7 @jasonpedlow followme
Show threadHoward ChengNov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow I'm following people as I find interesting content. I've actually found that I spend less time trying to create content on here when compared with Twitter, enjoying the more human experience of Mastodon.
Show threadkimNov 20, 2022

@jasonpedlow

I guess a lot of them had their fingers burned on the other site by constant unkindness and haranguing.

Perhaps things will change.
I'd rather follow 'ordinary' folk (although I like to follow some of the more interesting famous people (I hate celeb!))
I've always said strictly would be more interesting with ordinary people.

I rarely watch any celeb based reality shows.

Show threadBarry Phillips SmithNov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow 100% agree - following back and community should be what this is all about, not self-promo!
Show threadHope 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 SNPNov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow I’ve noticed this too, one or two already boasting how many followers they have, whilst in turn following barely anyone. I’ve actually started blocking them as I am not here to facilitate their self promotion or egos. Stephen Fry went this morning…bye bye!
Show threadChristopher BeckeNov 20, 2022

@jasonpedlow My Following:Followers ratio has flipped between that bird site and here.

Over there I follow 3,347 versus my 6,599 followers. (1:2)

Here, I’m already following 446, versus the 298 followers. (3:2)

I find myself much more likely to follow back here. I’ve seen the same among some “famous” people I follow there, who actually follow me back here.

Interesting difference between a platform where you post things to be seen and a community where you share to interact.

Show threadRabi'a ElizabethNov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow "we have the clout to act the same as we did on Tw****r" and I hope most folks here aren't heedless enough to do kneejerk follows
Show threadSufferForMe 🆘Nov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow
Indeed - i stopped following a few people that I used to follow on the other site for this very reason - they were strongly encouraging others to follow, follow, follow, and yet not doing so themselves (and this was when they themselves were new here and still had less than 100 followers). I didn't come here for ego flattering or boosting someone else's sense of self-importance. That was part of the problem with Twitter. This is the solution.
Show thread🏳️‍⚧️ Siobhán SarelleNov 20, 2022

@jasonpedlow

Another possibility is that they are creating the accounts so that no one else can spoof them on here.

Show threadeunandohertyNov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow I see and feel the same.
Show threadNina WilsonNov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow There's a few instances that just seem to be bot replicants of famous people's Twitter feeds. These are not set up by those people, just using them to build up the server and followers.
Show threadOutsideInAKNov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow yes I had similar thoughts while scrolling yesterday
Show threadJohn HoggardNov 20, 2022
@jasonpedlow yeah, I already unfollowed a few of the recent arrivals as I realised that they seemed be trying to simply collect followers...