Dream of the EndlessDec 16, 2022
christina b

hi wonderful people

i know a lot of folks are detoxifying and the birdsite incentives sometimes made it seem like only posting your own stuff was wise. Maybe never boosting others over there made sense.

It's different here. Here, #PeopleAreTheAlgorithm

Which means, if you interact with me, and I look at your profile and it's full of yourself. Well...kinda speaks for itself.

Boosting others here helps re-knitting lost and creating new networks of care. Be generous and share your discoveries.

Nov 17, 2022 at 2:22amWeb
Show threadAbraham SammaNov 17, 2022
@christina thanks for this reminder. I've trained myself into always thinking about how the algorithm over at the bird site will take into consideration my actions and throw stuff I won't necessarily like at me as a result. It's like constantly battling with a haunting presence! The battles can be interesting but the constant warfare is exhausting. Then there's the Trends section ☠️
Show threadMike FraserNov 17, 2022
@christina There's no algorythm here, it's all about the follow. Even follow people you may not agree with, we all need to be challenged and our timelines need to be rich. #TheFollow
Show threadPaul d'AoustNov 25, 2022
@mike @christina I like that advice -- I like to always include a few people I don't agree with, just to keep myself open.
Show threadMike FraserNov 25, 2022
@pauldaoust @christina Honestly shotgun follow as many as possible. You can always weed them out later. Initially I had a really hard time adjusting my head from selectively follow to mass follow, but it was worth it!
Show threadPaul d'AoustNov 25, 2022

@mike @christina I'll cautiously consider your advice -- on Twitter I've been very selective about who I follow, and I'm already feeling a bit overwhelmed just scrolling through my feed of only (checks profile) 28 followees.

What have you found to be beneficial about shotgun-following a lot of people?

Show threadMike FraserNov 25, 2022
@pauldaoust @christina Your home feed becomes more lively and you get exposed to a lot of different ideas. It sort of amplifies things.
Show threadPaul d'AoustNov 25, 2022
@mike @christina ah, got it. The very thing I like about Twitter and Mastodon... still, I think I'll stick to my conservative approach. I already find Mastodon more overwhelming, somehow, I think because people are allowed to write bigger posts :)
Show threadSparkle TeaDec 20, 2022

@mike @christina @pauldaoust

Following a lot of people (not indiscriminately, but broadly if we have any overlapping interests) gave me a really lively Home Timeline. I see all the people I follow plus all the people they boost.

But I am an extrovert, and crowds of people are kind of my thing, virtually and IRL preCovid.

Show threadMike FraserNov 25, 2022
@pauldaoust @christina One last tip, if you're overwhelmed, create lists. You can have a list of people you really like, or a list for people in your region, etc. Then that list will only show those posts.
Show threadSpliceFixer   Nov 17, 2022
@christina It’s so fun here! I am boosting people all over the place and it feels wonderful.
Show threadchristina bNov 17, 2022
@SpliceFixer
ain’t it loverly? 🥰
Show threadBecNov 17, 2022

@christina

Hi.

One's profile is to introduce oneself to other people so, that's not the place to expect people to draw attention to things not about themselves.

Now, in their stream, they should definitely be reposting other people's posts (I deeply dislike the term "boost."). In that way they can promote other people.

Same with hashtags, they can promote subjects and people via hashtags.

Show threadchristina bNov 17, 2022

@beccanalia
oh, right. I guess I should have said stream?

Hashtags are great. I learned that #Defaidodon exists and it shows you many welsh sheep! 🐑

Show threadone-day-at-a-timeNov 17, 2022
@christina great post, thank you! That is something I've really noticed here, that people are more open, I feel freer to be myself too, I don't have to be the brainiac sharp shooter to have some decent interaction (not that I am! 😂 )
Show threadKalany Vir'harellanNov 17, 2022
@christina I think a lot of birdapp refugees are either used to having to Be A Brand … or they're afraid to RT too much because it drives a lot of pile-ons back on birdsite. I find myself bracing every time a new name RTs me here.
Show threadChelle (she/her) 🐸☕Nov 17, 2022
@christina I saw someone complain about profiles that had too many boosts. And I just... No... That's not the energy we want here. Boosts are our community.
Show threadPaul L. ArvidsonNov 17, 2022
@christina I love this vibe 💜
Show threadDave SampsonNov 17, 2022
@christina do you have any thoughts or research to share on a suggested balanced approach? What ratio of original to boosted content should we consider aiming for?
Show threadchristina bNov 17, 2022

@Samperd
Interesting question! IDK the ratio, but I think that right now there’s a phase shift in the metaverse.

Right now especially it’s important to help people find each other, not just ourselves.

In 6 months, as maybe the last of the late adopters are stumbling in, it’ll be less urgent. And I don’t count metrics, just surf serendipity.

But even on the birdsite, a stream full of only the one person was a real red flag for me.

Show threadAlexandra ThornNov 17, 2022

@christina

I actually kind of disagree with the idea that boosting is important. I do boost stuff quite a bit, but I often feel apologetic doing so, and I try to put some real thought into whether the toot in question is really of high enough quality that my followers would appreciate seeing it.

(Not that I think I'm perfect at this, but the intention is there.)

Show threadAlexandra ThornNov 17, 2022

@christina

With Mastodon's strictly chronological feed, it's very easy to end up absolutely flooded, and given a choice between following someone who posts 5 of their own thoughts a day and nothing else, and someone who posts 20 boosts a day, I'm much more likely to follow the former (assuming that I appreciate what they have to say).

Show threadAlexandra ThornNov 17, 2022

I know that there are supposed to be tools to filter out boosts by the people you follow, but historically I've had trouble getting that feature to work, and I don't know how reliable this feature is across instances.

(My own experiences were quite some time ago, on a now defunct server, so it may be that this is an old bug that is now resolved.)

Show threadchristina bNov 17, 2022

@athorn
That’s a nice balance to my perspective, thanks! I wish I’d qualified in the original post that I think it’s especially important *now*. Once the folks running over here have connected and found their niches, it will become less so.

Of course (thinking of a person I followed on the birdsite), 20 posts might be before coffee on a Tuesday for some..

I will keep that in mind as this phase shift settles. 🙂

Show threadMr OmneoNov 17, 2022

@athorn

If using the web interface, you should find controls on each column /timeline that allows you to filter out replies and boosts. Layout may vary by version but attached is location on Mastodon v4. I find they work well, as do the filters.

Show threadAlexandra ThornNov 17, 2022

@mr_omneo

Interesting. That feature is set up on that instance, but not on my other instance. The arrival of Twitter migrants is teaching me a lot about the functional differences between Mastodon versions!

Show threadMr OmneoNov 17, 2022
@athorn I was quite excited when my instance upgraded to v4.0 as it has the edit functionality (which doesn't seem to have stopped me littering toots with typos!)
Show threadAstrid SawatzkyNov 24, 2022
@mr_omneo @athorn I'm with you.
#standByYourTipo
Show threadcailín síNov 18, 2022
@athorn @christina I have a similar struggle with people who default to posting threads of 5-10 toots at a time dominating my feed. What’s worked best for me there is corralling those posters in their own list and everyone else in a second. Having to build lists by adding everyone individually makes it a time consuming solution though.
Show threadcailín síNov 18, 2022
@athorn @christina
It’s interesting to hear how others are tailoring their mastodon experience as I’m curious how and why it varies. I tend to focus more on curating what I see than who, so a 20-boost person boosting things I wouldn’t have seen otherwise, esp from outside my instance, would likely get a follow. But I’m also someone who is more inclined towards commenting than making my own posts, so that probably plays into it somewhere.
Show threadchristina bNov 18, 2022

@athorn @elfgirl

Yeah, it’s all contextual. This is such a unique moment right now, and I wish I’d specified the importance of this *in this moment* in my original statement 🙃

Show threadcailín síNov 18, 2022
@christina Yeah, part of what makes mastodon so cool (imo) is ultimately there isn’t right way to ‘do’ mastodon. Want to only follow/chat with friends and never venture outside your home feed? You can. Love being a content nexus and want to just find and boost all the coolest stuff? You can do that too. And choice of instance too, a huge influence. But, to your point I think, the gradual socialization that has normally led people to those choices isn’t happening right now in this moment.
Show threaddevoluteNov 17, 2022
@christina I read this and thought "oh no, this is me" but then i went on Linkedin again and nah, I think I'm okay.
Show threadLizNov 17, 2022
@christina Thanks for the reminder. I've been on social media forever, but the last few years I've only been on the big sites where the "rules" are different.
Show threadJoel De RoseNov 17, 2022
@christina In my time walking on this pale blue dot, I keep passing out hope and gratitude for finally coming across a site where we really matter. Getting older thank goodness does mean paying attention to life's lessons.
Show threadFirehorseart Lives!Nov 17, 2022

@christina
As I wanted to lurk and read tips first, it took several days before I posted my introduction. In the meantime I just Boosted other people's stuff and followed interesting people and most of those who followed me.

My introduction got some attention but then my next post got nothing, so now I'm lost.  

Any advice?

Show threadchristina bNov 18, 2022

@srfirehorseart

Hi Suzanna, I'm not sure!

I'm new here too, but have lots of connections in the dweb / fediverse worlds. But from a peek at your profile and website, I have 2 suggestions.

1. make an intro toot / post with your hashtags as well as the #introduction one, and pin that to the top of your stream. (Use hashtags you want to see in your feed, not only about what you do.)

2. I love your takes on #PeopleWatchingAsArt - start talking a bit about that?

and have fun!

Show threadLex Starwalker 🚀Nov 17, 2022
@christina That's an interesting take. I think I'm the opposite. If I look at a profile and it's a lot of boosts/retweets, I tend to be less likely to follow. I follow someone because I'm interested in what they have to say. On Twitter I disabled retweets on many accounts I followed.
Show threadchristina bNov 17, 2022

@lexstarwalker
yeah, this is a needed balance i've heard in a few comments.

I do wish I'd constrained it to 'needed *now*' because of the rapid phase shift happening as networks are torn and re-formed. Helping people find their people *now* is critical, and diff than in a few months / years.

I also think that following creators and following curators you like are different decisions.

It's so funny that this has taken off like this! The need to boost or not to boost is always contextual.

Show threadJaseNov 18, 2022
@christina It's one of the things I'm liking so far about being here.
Show threadJessica PellienNov 18, 2022
@christina I was just saying a quiet thank you someone had boosted a professional society because I wouldn’t have known they were on mastodon otherwise. Boost boost.
Show threadDavvi DavinaNov 18, 2022
@christina I'm still at the terribly confused stage so I am basically doing nothing but looking for interesting people.
Show threadMichela Marie 🇨🇦Nov 19, 2022
@christina This post has 377 boosts. I see what you did there. 😜
Show threadCody ToombsNov 19, 2022

@christina But also, a PSA: Boost responsibly.

If people find that their timeline is filled with boosts from one or two people, and the quality of the boosts is low, it’s no better than Twitter’s terribly algorithm that shoved random tweets into the timeline and notifications.

And most people don’t know they can mute an individual’s boosts (especially since most apps don’t seem to implement this yet), so they’re more likely to unfollow to cut down on the noise.

Show threadKeitoNov 19, 2022
@christina thanks for sharing your wisdom! Still learning how things are here and so glad to have people like you to take time for newbies.
Show threadRead A Book 📚 Be Happy 😊Nov 24, 2022
@christina I'm new here but I'm interested in knowing you.
Show threadPaul d'AoustNov 25, 2022
@christina huh, shows that I didn't have a clue how to use Twitter 'the right way' -- I always retweeted stuff that I thought deserved to be heard :)
Show threadIdealistic Pragmatist Dec 16, 2022
@christina interesting. For the record, I have exactly the opposite reaction when I look at someone’s toots. If I’m going to follow someone, I want to mostly read what THEY have to say (with occasional boosts, sure). If I go to someone’s accounts and find only boosts, I don’t follow because I don’t get a sense of who they are.
Show threadBrian HawthorneDec 20, 2022
@christina @leo If building big networks is what you are focused on, boost away! But nobody should feel there is anything wrong with not doing so. If I look at a profile and find that it mostly boosts other people instead of posting their own interesting posts and replies, well, that says something to me, and I am much less likely to follow.
There is room here for all styles of interaction in the Fediverse, so don’t let people guilt you into thinking there is just one. Choose your own path.
Show threadJan ThieDec 20, 2022
@christina
Amen.
Show threadHoward ChengDec 20, 2022

@christina I've said this so many times before, but since discovering Mastodon, I have found the interactions with people, as compared to bird site, feel so much more real, genuine, and human.

Interaction is more meaningful, unlike on bird site (and maybe even IG) where interactions feel more designed to game the algorithm to just tell it you're interacting, but without the substance.

Show threadBobbyDEllisDec 21, 2022
@christina my head is already just me. I don't want my timeline to be just me either.
Show threadmanishaFeb 16, 2023

@christina I totally agree with most of what you've said here. I also find it a bit irksome when there are folks with a large number of followers who would pop on the instance only once in a while, post something with a link to their blog (which would get boosted like crazy) but they would never engage with the community otherwise. it's like they want a community to exist to hear them out but they are never the one doing the listening :(

Re: "Which means, if you interact with me, and I look at your profile and it's full of yourself. Well...kinda speaks for itself." -- on small instances that routinely run the purge and delete commands to clear up storage, you may not see a user's boosts. just something to be mindful of :)