I am beginning to like Mastodon.
Rebuilding my follower base is going to be a project. But fuck it. Let’s do this.
@benjaminwittes it’s precisely my problem with any new platform. My Twitter set up was years of work (since 2007)

@benjaminwittes @knowncitizen

I was an early twitter user too, but let me tell you half of that follower base you had was a net negative. I know you don’t want to hear it, but it’s true. I have been on Twitter since it was invite only and got my first account via an IRC invite but it’s just time to let go IMO

@robert @benjaminwittes possibly. For me it was who I followed they was curated over more than a decade

@knowncitizen @benjaminwittes

I can commiserate with that. The people I followed were the real value I got out of the site, but truth be told I had a bunch of garbage there too. Nihilistic shitposters and “nothing matters” types that felt right when I was 18 and unaware of just how life would change, lots of “hai guise what if I random” stuff, etc. maybe I am biased because my entire internet life has been staccato and peppered with failed sites (the only site I wish I could recover data from is MySpace tbh) but I am ready for a clean break at this point.

@benjaminwittes it won't be easy but it will be worth it
Twittodon.com - Connect your Twitter and Mastodon accounts and verify it!

@jbminn @benjaminwittes thank you I just used it. Helpful indeed!

@benjaminwittes

Excellent. This way, you are not subject to the whims of one idiotic rich infant. :)

@benjaminwittes for what it’s worth, I’m getting about the same level of engagement here (2K followers) as at Twitter (30K), and after being here for a couple weeks it feels more normal.
@benjaminwittes in all seriousness it is actually exhilarating for me. A bunch of dead weight has been lifted in my case, and the interaction and thoughtful commentary is like a breath of fresh air. My block list isn’t even used often.
Fedifinder

Fediverse accounts of your X/Twitter followings

@octobermoon2 @benjaminwittes this is what I used as well. I'm going to run it again in a couple days ~ when you import the people you follow, you can merge the two.

@benjaminwittes well you are at the cool table, so ... 😎

In all seriousness, yeah same. Need to find my hockey people, my news people, my husky people, etc etc etc. But change is good for the soul.

@benjaminwittes got to do something in lieu of fun
@benjaminwittes quality over quantity. And if you hate this comment, I’ll just say I’m rooting for you!
@benjaminwittes
It will take a while for sure. I've spent many hours working on the project of rebuilding my bird site list of people I follow. But every time I check in there I recognize how toxic it is becoming. And I have the chance to rebuild with a decade's worth of increased perspective and wisdom.
@KSKathy @benjaminwittes There are tools you can use to create an import list but I find this a much less clout driven home … which is leading to way more interesting and enjoyable conversations.

@ChristinaSiunOConnell @KSKathy

This is the best tool I have found so far, which takes care of adding the followers to your account: https://www.movetodon.org/

Movetodon: Finds your Twitter Friends on Mastodon

@benjaminwittes Thanks for making the migration! Warm weather awaits you!
@benjaminwittes Most of us are working on just learning how to use this platform. Followers will come.
@benjaminwittes
I'd be optimistic. I had 45K over on Twitter but had been building that up since 2007. Many were inactive. A few were dead as in deceased, RIP. I'm at 7.3K here already and the quality of engagement is better. (Mind you, I've been super noisy. Try calling for a holy war or something.)
@timbray @benjaminwittes There are more people on social media now, which might influence how quickly you pick up followers. There're more folks in the world generally, a bigger % have access, and "microblogging" is no longer a weird niche.
@benjaminwittes @timbray I think one follower here is worth a lot more than one follower on Twitter because the chron timeline makes it much more likely that someone will actually see what you wrote.
@benjaminwittes If you have any good pictures of moss, that might help.
@benjaminwittes Many have migrated and following.
@benjaminwittes You got me! Yeah, the work. It'll worth it.
@benjaminwittes i suspect it will be smaller, but higher quality, stringer interactions, less noise, less of a hollow feeling. At least that's been my experience so far. Joined 11/10.
@benjaminwittes
You'll also find new and different folks here who have never seen you there because of the algorithms. I am one of them. Hello!

@benjaminwittes
This isn't Twitter. The number of followers could be leveraged into money or influence in a variety of ways because that platform was built around advertising.

Here, everything is funded by donations, so other than reconnecting with people you like, there's little reason to care about the same things over here as back there.

@benjaminwittes

I don’t think it will be that hard. You’ll also get more quality instead of pure quantity.

@benjaminwittes hard agree. It took me years to get where I did on Twitter—even my relatively small following was hard won. Sucks to have to start over, but to stick it to the Nazis I’m happy to try.
I moved here from the bird site. On both for now till I learn how to get around .
@benjaminwittes I’m trying to build my base from the bird site. Welcome!
@benjaminwittes Glad to see you here. Bring your buddies and share some podcasts. And maybe share some good mischief here like, oh, a meaningful projection light show on some evildoers.
@benjaminwittes Nice to see some courage to break the cycle!
@benjaminwittes a web app called Debirdify will let you search your followed accounts or followed lists for people who advertise a Mastodon address.
https://debirdify.pruvisto.org/
Debirdify

This is a web app that helps you find out which of the people you follow on Twitter are on Mastodon/in the Fediverse already and follow all of them easily.

@benjaminwittes
I’m so happy to find you here, on Mastadon! Yay!
@benjaminwittes May not count for a whole lot but I'm here from Twitter and following you!
@benjaminwittes This was my biggest concern, but no longer. I've found so many new wonderful people to follow along with a few older bird site posters that it has eased withdrawal tremendously. I know it's harder for those with massive followings, but we'll find you in time.