I think all those “How to Mastodon” articles are going about it all wrong. They start by explaining federation and talking about how to choose a server. Yes that’s the first step but it’s also where we lose people. Just put that aside. Start by talking about how you use Mastodon, all the great apps, the culture, etc. Then end with the first step, that “all you have to do is pick a server to get started” and explain how. You have to hook a fish before you can reel it in.