headcoversDec 2, 2022
Tim Chambers

My team at work just launched new research on the #TwitterMigration: We analyze which platforms are growing - especially #Mastodon, #Tumblr & #Post.

We look at which sites users are adding to their Twitter bios, posting to their friends about & downloading apps for.

Please do boost this, and love to hear any comments or feedback on it!

Download it here:
https://www.deweysquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/DSG-Snapshot-of-the-Twitter-Migration-December-12-2022.pdf

Dec 2, 2022 at 3:52pmWeb
Show threadTim ChambersDec 2, 2022
Those still on Twitter, appreciate retweets of this same post there: https://twitter.com/tchambers/status/1598704211541168128
Tim Chambers - @[email protected] on Twitter

“New research from my team on the #TwitterMigration: We analyze which platforms are growing - esp @joinmastodon, @tumblr & #postnews. We look at which sites users are adding to their Twitter bios, posting to their friends about & downloading apps for. ➡️https://t.co/wiBHwKLNoq”

Twitter
Show threadCharles RoperDec 2, 2022
@tchambers I take a look at some of the popular accounts I used to follow every now and then to see how they're getting on (and also to wonder why on Earth they are still there supporting Musk). Accounts with nearly 10k followers getting 1 like and a couple of retweets is typical. The bubble seems well and truly popped.
Show threadindigoDec 2, 2022
what about freeing the image for the ones here :)
Show threadforvrinDec 3, 2022
@tchambers It is interesting to me that the peak is just before the Trump reinstatement, because that is what caused me to deactivate twitter entirely.
Show threadTed SpenceDec 3, 2022
@forvrin @tchambers that was always my red line. The whole reason I got into Twitter in the first place was because they were serious about applying content policies. When Ol’ Musky got rid of that I left
Show threadRyan SmithDec 3, 2022
@forvrin @tchambers I had the same reaction! That was the crossover moment for me from just a billionaire being a narcissist to the platform officially sanctioning misinformation and bigotry.
Also if you look back for the past 6 years, that’s not even new. Twitter has had an outsized negative impact even before Musk bought it.
Show threadDevan StormontDec 3, 2022
@forvrin @tchambers Likewise
Show threadAHDec 5, 2022
@forvrin @tchambers Perhaps the voting poll to reinstate DT that was made days before triggered the spike?
Show threadforvrinDec 5, 2022

@mindfulzombie @tchambers

The reason I called it out was because the methodology (checking Twitter Bios) would explicitly miss anyone, like me, who deactivated their account after that happened.

Show threadAHDec 5, 2022
@forvrin @tchambers Ahh, that makes sense. I was under the impression that the event actually was a major trigger... But that was likely based on my own biased opinion about the matter.
Show threadUnattributed 👤 ☑Dec 3, 2022

@tchambers

Here's you go...hopefully this helps a bit... 😃

Show threadTim ChambersDec 3, 2022
@Unatributed It really does. Twitter users are a key audience for this research... Thank you!
Show threadclacke: exhausted pixie dream boy 🇸🇪🇭🇰💙💛Dec 3, 2022
@tchambers Thanks, was looking for it.
Show threadShomilaDec 2, 2022
@tchambers thanks, this is great info! Useful for me to share at work too…
Show threadEverton Zanella AlvarengaDec 2, 2022
@tchambers I think you pasted the wrong link...
Show threadTim ChambersDec 2, 2022
@me fixed!
Show threadGabriele PollaraDec 2, 2022
@tchambers @me demonstrating benefit of edit toot feature! 😉
Show threadEverton Zanella AlvarengaDec 3, 2022
@tchambers thanks. I've posted it on reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Mastodon/comments/zaz8oj/awesome_analysis_of_the_twitter_migration/
Awesome analysis of the Twitter migration. Mastodon got the biggest share of new users.

Posted in r/Mastodon by u/eza137 • 102 points and 10 comments

reddit
Show threaddosch Dec 2, 2022

@tchambers re: hive... https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/12/hive-social-turns-off-servers-after-researchers-warn-hackers-can-access-all-data/

😅​

Hive Social turns off servers after researchers warn hackers can access all data

Site officials say site will be down for a couple of days.

Ars Technica
Show threadSteven HiltonDec 2, 2022

@douwe @tchambers

Yikes!

Show threadTim ChambersDec 3, 2022
@douwe Exactly.
Show threadJared White (ResistanceNet ✊)Dec 2, 2022
@tchambers Hmm, the link doesn't seem to be leading me to anything to download, at least on mobile. I'm just seeing the homepage of the company.
Show threadTim ChambersDec 2, 2022
@jaredwhite Just fixed
Show threadPete ForsythDec 2, 2022
@tchambers
This link seems to go to a general website, not the report?
Show threadTim ChambersDec 2, 2022
@PeteForsyth Just fixed.
Show threadKira Howe (McLean)Dec 2, 2022
@tchambers Look at that growth! This is really cool research, thanks for sharing!
Show threadf00f/eris/continuum/etcDec 2, 2022
@tchambers I'm gathering that Mastodon was well ahead of Hive at its peak.
Show threadDemocracyMatters Dec 2, 2022
@tchambers Cool! Thanks for doing this.
Show threadShoqDec 2, 2022
@tchambers Not seeing Post in that chart.
Show threadShoqDec 2, 2022
@tchambers Is Tribel federated?? Or was that not a requirement for inclusion, here?
Show threadTim ChambersDec 2, 2022
@shoq I was looking at all the platforms users were potentially going to, open and federated, plus closed and VC funded, etc….
Show threadShoqDec 2, 2022
@tchambers And you did this mostly by searching for migration-tell words, is that right?
Show threadTim ChambersDec 2, 2022
@shoq We did full scans of all of Twitter for about the last two months for all public posts and for all bios of Active users. That's how we got the data on new platforms being added to bios, and new platforms that users specifically said they were creating because of Elon.
Show threadShoqDec 2, 2022
@tchambers Nice work. And very useful. Thanks for doing it.
Show threadTim ChambersDec 2, 2022

@shoq If your Twitter account is still active, would appreciate the RT:

https://twitter.com/tchambers/status/1598704211541168128

Tim Chambers - @[email protected] on Twitter

“New research from my team on the #TwitterMigration: We analyze which platforms are growing - esp @joinmastodon, @tumblr & #postnews. We look at which sites users are adding to their Twitter bios, posting to their friends about & downloading apps for. ➡️https://t.co/wiBHwKLNoq”

Twitter
Show threadShoqDec 2, 2022
@tchambers It is. Sure thing. I boosted, but they are randomly not cross posting :(
Show threadJake Jarvis Dec 2, 2022

@tchambers this is awesome and all good news!

except for Hive's trajectory — that part scares me after their... clumsiness, to put it nicely, was exposed yesterday...

Show threadShawn NelsonDec 2, 2022

@tchambers @shoq

Is Misskey on the radar for anyone. It’s in the Fediverse too. Took a peak at it and it’s intriguing but not a lot of English instances listed yet.

Show threadShoqDec 2, 2022

@krnlkule @tchambers

Yes, and our fork of its Calckey fork is our platform of choice. Stay tuned :)

Show threadJon (now at neuromatch.social)Dec 2, 2022
@tchambers useful, thanks. On Post, I'm surprised you didn't mention their intentioal choice to exclude disabled users initially by not worrying about accessibility. And good choice on the images, almost all white guys, it very effectively conveys the racial disparities here even though you don't mention it in the text!
Show threadTim ChambersDec 2, 2022
@jdp23 That is a good note on the Posts TOS.
Show threadJon (now at neuromatch.social)Dec 2, 2022

@tchambers here's their recent response saying they're working on it. https://post.news/article/2IA6dCWwA86AijIbTVqcMnnEGe7

And I agree with @steven_aquino: "People have got to understand accessibility isn’t something you can bolt on. It’s not some auxiliary thing you add to the product. You build it in from the ground up. This is just classic PR damage control."

https://twitter.com/steven_aquino/status/1597260265275686913

Accessibility / Post.

Show threadVoronDec 4, 2022
@jdp23 @tchambers the fact a major owner of Post is a VC who is buddies with Musk and also part owner of musks Twitter having helped with musks purchase of Twitter to the tune of 400 million…well it gives me less confidence in post
Show threadOblomovDec 4, 2022
@voron @jdp23 @tchambers
Too few people are aware of this. I spend a lot of time on Twitter rising awareness about it, but it feels a bit like trying to empty the ocean with a colander.
Sometimes I wonder what would happen, moderation-wise, if people on Post started writing posts about this and on why people should move to Mastodon.
Show threadJon (now at neuromatch.social)Dec 4, 2022
@oblomov @voron @tchambers it'd certainly be an interesting experiment!
Show threadRuediger GadDec 2, 2022
@tchambers thanks!
Would it be possible to also see how donations to mastodon (maybe mastodon ggmbh and the biggest instances listed separately) developed? From my bubble it looked like many are willing to support via donations.
Show threadTim ChambersDec 2, 2022
@ruedigergad Love to get that data if it were public.
Show threadRuediger GadDec 2, 2022

@tchambers I looked a bit around and came across this:

https://graphtreon.com/creator/mastodon

What do you think?

Mastodon: Patreon Earnings + Statistics + Graphs + Rank

mastodon Patreon earnings, statistics, graphs, and popularity rank updated daily

Graphtreon
Show threadRuediger GadDec 2, 2022
@tchambers
Also other instances seem to be around, e.g., Fosstodon:
Show threadMurshed ZaheedDec 2, 2022
@tchambers Very useful info. Thanks so much for sharing - going to share in my networks.
Show threadMessagingMattersDec 2, 2022
@tchambers I am curious if "Twitter users" means registered users or active users. I suspect many others like me have not deleted our account yet, but are inactive. Meanwhile, I'm sure Elon is bragging about how many registered users he still has.
Show threadTim ChambersDec 2, 2022
@MessagingMatters We took this data from users actively posting right before musk takeover onward - so active users during that time…
Show threadSteveDec 2, 2022
@tchambers Why is Counter Social considered different from Mastodon? I'm asking because I don't know. I thought it was just a customized version of Mastodon.
EDIT: The answer is that they are defederated.
Show threadTim ChambersDec 2, 2022
@ThatSteveGuy They forked and defederated…
Show threadSteveDec 2, 2022
@tchambers Oh, I see. I didn't know they defederated. Interesting.
Show threadMy camera shoots fascistsDec 2, 2022

@tchambers

The 2-day lag between major negative events at Twitter and Mastodon migration is interesting. I think I was one of those. I hit my trigger point, but had to stay for a while just to watch the fallout.

[edited to change 3-day to 2-day lag]

Show threadNathan A. StineDec 2, 2022
@Mikal @tchambers What counts for you as "staying?" I still have an account there but it's protected now. I haven't tweeted since a day or two after Musk closed and haven't logged in for nearly as long.
Show threadTim ChambersDec 2, 2022
@stinerman @Mikal We didn't make a distinction between those who fully left and deactivated (who we couldn't track frankly) and those who showed they began the process of creating new accounts elsewhere.
Show threadMy camera shoots fascistsDec 2, 2022

@tchambers @stinerman

Lots of people made "just in case" accounts, so the active daily users is a better metric than account creation. Also, when I go to check to see if some of the big names are here yet, I see some of them who have (wisely) squatted their names on multiple servers.

The delay for me to actually start using my account was the effort of importing follow list and learning something new. I set aside a couple hours for it one day and did it.