AdamNov 27, 2022
Veticia Misumena 🕷️🌺

Having run my own test mastodon server, I can tell you that boosting is REALLY important. That's how posts propagate between servers that are not federated together.

I may get a bit technical, and it can be hard to describe but it's something like this:

Let's say that you have 2 servers, A and B that are not connected. They have their own federated timelines that is vastly different.

let's assume they have their users @a@A and @b@B that are mutuals. If user @a@A sees something interesting on theirs federated timeline and boosts it, user @b@B will see that on their own home page. But more importantly server B will now know about and download that post, and everyone else on B server will be able to see that post on their own federated timeline!

And that's why you boost, guys! It helps posts to spread.

#FediTips

Nov 26, 2022 at 2:47pmWeb
Show threadRickNov 26, 2022
@Veticia @a @b great explanation thank you
Show threadJayne 🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈Nov 26, 2022

@Veticia @a @b

Great tip, thank you 🙏

Show threadjeSuisatire neindochohh ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷNov 26, 2022

@Veticia

.. and that's why we need a separate view for own and boosted content, as well as a own boosted content in the personal time line indices.

Show threadMoto Nov 30, 2022
@jesuisatire @Veticia this is one of my favorite features of Toot! (iOS)
Show threadMoto Nov 30, 2022
@jesuisatire @Veticia (your idea is even better; this feature has been helping me in the meantime)
Show threadAdam GrantNov 26, 2022
@Veticia @a @b not only that post but a@A will index b@B and vice versa as well, right? Not just that single post?
Show threadVeticia Misumena 🕷️🌺Nov 26, 2022

@nicegoingadam
Yes, since they are mutuals it works both ways. All their posts comments and boosts are indexed on their servers. Favorities are completely ignored when it comes to spreading information.

It works however only from the point in time that they started following each other. Older posts are ignored, save for those that are pinned.

Show threadSandy MarksNov 27, 2022
@Veticia @nicegoingadam does favoriting do anything for anyone but me (creating a list of toots I appreciate)? I often want to tip my hat, but don’t need to reblog and have nothing to add.
Show threadJay Thoden van Velzen ☁️​🛡️​Nov 26, 2022

@Veticia does that also mean it makes most sense to boost things from your instance? After all, boosted posts from other instances already made it to your instance.

(Not saying not to boost other instance toots, but just wondering whether it would in particular make sense for own-instance posts)

Show threadVeticia Misumena 🕷️🌺Nov 26, 2022

@jaythvv
Yes, and that's what I've started to do. :P

My small 1 user server helps the big server to know about all the cool stuff! It's actually really wholesome way to think about it.

Show threadJay Thoden van Velzen ☁️​🛡️​Nov 26, 2022
@Veticia brilliant, thanks!
Show threadFrancis ☑️Nov 27, 2022
@jaythvv @Veticia consider someone on server c who follows you - if you boost something it helps get it onto server c regardless of whether it was local to your server or came from a different one. I would say boosting (of good toots) is helpful always.
Show threadjemsmyth 🇺🇦Nov 26, 2022
@Veticia
Thanks for the clear explanation!
Show threadHeathenNov 26, 2022
@Veticia @a @b nice explanation! Thanks for sharing!
Show threadPam BirtillNov 26, 2022
@Veticia @a @b I find this all very mysterious. And the QT is such a reflexive thing, I wanted to QT this but it isn’t a thing here.
Show threadRosBuxNov 27, 2022
@diervilla @Veticia @a @b I’m totally lost. Starting to think I’m in my own little Mastodon World.
Show threadVeticia Misumena 🕷️🌺Nov 27, 2022
@buxros @diervilla
Because it's really a bit like that. But don't feel sad about this. Being on a small server of like-minded people is better than being on a huge server with everything on it. At some point you just won't be able to filter all the noise.
Show threadPam BirtillNov 27, 2022
@Veticia @buxros i think because i only really look at the people I follow the server thing doesn’t matter so much to me?
Show threadVeticia Misumena 🕷️🌺Nov 27, 2022
@diervilla
From the content consumer point of view no. It doesn't add anything more to your experience. Well, maybe it limits a reach to polls or "post your cat" threads.
Show thread3wombatsNov 27, 2022
@buxros @diervilla @Veticia Same here
Show threadarccyclist Nov 26, 2022

@Veticia @a @b

That's a good explanation, thanks!

Show threadAbby NormalNov 26, 2022
Thanks for the info!
Show threadPrinceOfDenmarkNov 26, 2022
@Veticia @a @b Very clear explanation. Thank you.
Show threadMarkNov 26, 2022
@Veticia @a @b ok, new guy here: does “boosting” mean starring a post?
Show threadVeticia Misumena 🕷️🌺Nov 26, 2022

@mark333777
No, stars mean nothing as far as spreading knowledge of the post to other servers go.

Boosting is the mastodon version of retweeting. The two arrows button.

Show threadMarkNov 27, 2022
@Veticia ok thanks!
Show threadpanchoNov 27, 2022
@Veticia
So what does favoriting a toot do?
Show threadVeticia Misumena 🕷️🌺Nov 27, 2022

@WoodSharpening
It tells original poster that you liked that. A personal thumbs up gesture.

And that's it. But please do use it even if "algorithmically" it does nothing. I, and many others, like that small nod of approval.

Show threadpanchoNov 27, 2022
@Veticia
Ahh,
I think I'm starting to get it..
Thx 🖤
Show threadclarkiestarNov 27, 2022
@Veticia @mark333777 came here to ask that. Thanks. So a reblog is tha same as a boost
Show threadVeticia Misumena 🕷️🌺Nov 27, 2022
@clarkiestar @mark333777
I'm made aware that different server software may name it differently. I'd assume yes.
Show threadDave KirkNov 28, 2022
@mark333777 @Veticia @a @b Nope. It means clicking the square arrows icon. It's basically a retweet.
Show threadBrian Morrison II Nov 26, 2022
@Veticia Great info! Its so cool learning about the nuances on this platform, appreciate your work 😀
Show threadPaul ValentineNov 26, 2022
@Veticia @a @b @pogue thanks for the exploration 👍
Show threadDonna Dechen BirdwellNov 26, 2022
@Veticia Okay, good. I just boosted this. 😆
Show threadngoomie is moving!Nov 26, 2022
@Veticia yeah it's kinda wild how hard it is to get federation started properly, especially as an instance that starts small and stays small
so many hashtags here are empty still on account of just not having found many people who post in them yet :x
Show threadkaiserkiwi Nov 28, 2022
@nu @Veticia you could probably boost your federation with an additional account, that follows many big accounts on other instances. This way you wouldn't start at zero.
Show threadBeameup ScottyNov 26, 2022

@Veticia @a @b
I disagree, I think boosting a post that is very informative or relevant to your followers is really important but too much boosting just fills your feed with less relevant stuff. We will end up going the way of all other sites as boosted toots literally become viral in our feed. I would rather have more person to person interaction.

Instances are singularities that will attract like minded people...why is there such a need to mass connect?

Show threadrustyNov 27, 2022

@roamnallova @Veticia @a @b Hear, hear!

Although the theory is sound, I can't help but think that many people are just importing birdsite thinking here.

Over-boosting encourages talking at our followers, rather than talking with them.

Show threadThorsten KurzNov 26, 2022

@Veticia @a @b

If someone I’m following starts filling my Home-timeline with boosts that are all over the place, the least I’ll do is HIDE their boosts, if I don’t UNFOLLOW them entirely.

There are interesting toots in my Home-timeline, and I don’t want to get them drowned by boosts that I don’t care to see.

Show threadVeticia Misumena 🕷️🌺Nov 26, 2022
@tkurz
It helps to use filters too. Especially if you like just /some/ stuff someone posts.
Show threadThorsten KurzNov 26, 2022

@Veticia

Not sure about the filters yet, they seem to be just keyword blockers. No RegEx, no Boolean logic, not applicable specifically to senders or boosters.

I like to discover new things, so this kind of filters doesn’t work for me, but shutting down the Boost-Spam hard definitely does.

Show threadVint ProxNov 28, 2022

@tkurz @Veticia oh yeah, there is that feature which allows you to mute boosts (not sure if temporary). If certain person fills your home with a lot of unnecessities, you can definitely mute them for a short time span.

It is unfortunate we don't have means of filtering by regular expressions, but for me it's usually just a few word-forms and nothing sophisticated, which is just enough.

Show threadDDimetrodonNov 26, 2022
@Veticia To add to this: it also helps if you click on "Open original page" and go through the tedium of coping and pasting individual comments into your own instance to like. As you can see here, I only have the one comment appearing on my instance, but when I open in the original, there's a whole world of comments I didn't see before. (The one comment you do see is because I did the rigamarole of C&P the comment link to like) #Fediverse #MastodonTips
Show threadNoelleNov 26, 2022
@Veticia @a @b thank you for than explanation🙏🏽💙
Show threadLee FifeNov 26, 2022
@Veticia @a @b
that's interesting. Boost populates the fediverse cache. Favorite is a signal back to the poster.
Show threadbean481Nov 27, 2022
@Veticia @a @b
How do you boost a toot? Is it by using the twitter-like Retweet icon? I'm new here!
Show threadHand PieNov 27, 2022
@bean481 @Veticia @a @b yes, boost = retweet
Show threadshow 🌹Nov 27, 2022

@bean481 @Veticia @a @b

yes, boost = retweet

Show threadDan Johnson 🏳️‍🌈💁🏻‍♂️Nov 27, 2022
@Veticia explainers like this one are so helpful, thanks!
Show threadHoward ChengNov 27, 2022
@Veticia @a @b I'm a little confused by this and how boosting works. I never see boosts in the federated timeline. Or are they shown but simply not labelled as boosted toots?
Show threadVeticia Misumena 🕷️🌺Nov 27, 2022
@Howard
Yes, they are not labeled. You can think of federated timeline as all the posts your server knows about, as soon as it's aware of them. You can sometimes see posts appearing out of order, that's why.
Show threadCirein_CroinNov 27, 2022
@Veticia @a @b so, you're saying there are many universes out there, and a post created in one universe only passes between universes if we boost them to our followers, many of whom will reside in other universes but who are following us in our own?
Show threadVeticia Misumena 🕷️🌺Nov 27, 2022
@Cirein_Croin
That's a poetic way to describe this, but mostly yes. There are other ways for a post to cross between, but boosting is by far the most effective.
Show threadWayne EdgarNov 27, 2022
@Veticia @a @b I found a good graphic that might help your point. https://twit.social/@Manny/109376243230670130
Manny :clubtwit: (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image I don’t remember where I first found this, but here’s how the #mastadon feeds work 💙

TWiT.social
Show threadPhoton Empress 🌸Nov 27, 2022

@Veticia @b @a 10,000% this. I think the thing I’m working on teaching everyone is that favoriting a post does almost nothing here whereas on Twitter it had a lot more power. On Mastodon everyone needs to get used to boosting instead of favoriting.

Remember: there is no algorithm here. You are the algorithm. You feed it with boosts.

Show threadgarden center gothNov 27, 2022

@PhotonEmpress @Veticia @a @b to say that “favoriting a post does almost nothing” bothers me, because it seems like you’re trying to replicate twitter, where every single act is in service of popularity.

on this site, favoriting a post tells someone you saw and liked their post. i am sincerely asking folks to try to create some room in their understanding of social media for 1:1 connection.

Show threadMingqing Cai Nov 27, 2022
@mood second that. I usually take 1:1 more seriously than 1:1,000 connection.
Show threadCAMILLE CLARE MD MPH CPE FACOGNov 27, 2022
@Veticia @a @b how do you boost🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️ this platform is quite confusing and technical for me
Show threadVeticia Misumena 🕷️🌺Nov 27, 2022
@cclareMDMPH
Boost is just mastodon's name for a retweet. You press those 2 arrows. 🔁