2. Picking the right instance matters, but not for the reasons listed in most Mastodon documentation! Topics matter much less than filters you want applied over the gaping maw of the unmoderated internet.

Assuming you do not want to live your new life on the federated equivalent of 4chan, pick an instance with clear, strong mod rules and a nice big blocklist to keep the nazis and trollfarms away. (You can find this stuff on the About page for most servers.)

3. On server rules: If you don't want to share space with assholes, picking a server with rules like "Free ThinKers 4 Life, no snitching, the end" that will not go well for you.

A well thought-out set of rules/code of conduct is often a sign of thoughtful, engaged moderation, which is what you want.

4. On blocklists/defederation: The better managed your instance's blocklist, the fewer racists, transphobes, and other jerks you will need to pick out of your teeth.

Once your instance defederates from, say, a trollfarm, the people on the trollfarm can no longer see or interact with the users on your instance—and you won't see the trolls at all either. It's super nice! But your mod team needs to be proactive about it bc the trolls are always making new nests.