Mastodawn

Florian Krammer Dec 21, 2022

Professor Mark Osborn

Interesting piece in the #Nature journal about the #birdsite and its importance in #science.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-04506-6

As a very recent arrival on #Mastodon and in the #Fediverse, I'm seeing far more engagement here than on Twitter, despite having far fewer followers here.

Being here feels like the earlier days on Twitter, where posts are generously shared and where there is a genuine sense of building and supporting a community

I hope this continues and that the wider #Science and #Environment communities and also #universities jump on board.

For a now slightly dated view (in Nature) of the merits of Mastodon for scientists, see also this:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03668-7

#ScienceCommunication

Twitter changed science — what happens now it’s in turmoil?

The microblogging platform has transformed research communication, but its future is in doubt.

cowboybanjobiker 🤠🪕🚴Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife I'd follow anyone from Nature here on Mastodon - I jut need their Mast address.

msgbi Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife @charles_ex @aloa5

Diana Bolsinger Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife True for so many of us in academia. The network of friends and colleagues I found on the bird site is precious and I don't leave easily. I just pray we can build the same here.

Professor Mark Osborn Dec 21, 2022

Thank you @DianaBolsinger - yes I felt the same in starting all over again here. I think though that those of us who are migrating are keen to make it work for the #science and other communities here. After less than a week here, I am hopeful.

TexasScientist Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife @DianaBolsinger I’m really glad to see others scientists here. I’ll miss twitter but, yes, the engagement difference is very real.

Gabriele Pollara Dec 21, 2022

@TxScientist @MicrobialLife @DianaBolsinger sadly it's led to fragmentation. Many good people still on twitter who won't / can't come over till really necessary. As a science community, although I really like Mastodon, the disruption has been detrimental.

Holof Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife i do feel like being able to follow hashtags makes engagement feel more organic. That and how more decent people are with engaging in conversation.

Richard Grant Dec 21, 2022

@Holof @MicrobialLife I agree! Following hashtags — for example, #Botany — is a cool and crucial tool. "Organic" is a great way to describe it.

In case anyone has not discovered this, here is a brief how-to:

https://fedi.tips/how-to-use-mastodon-and-the-fediverse-basic-tips/#HowDoIFollowHashtags

How To Use Mastodon and the Fediverse: Basic Tips | Fedi.Tips – An Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse

An unofficial guide to using Mastodon and the Fediverse

Pam, A Scrivener Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife The quality of social media, like the economy, is not a purely technical thing. Both are made of people, and the qualities of the users affects the quality of the system.
As cool people have left #birdsite the environment has become way less friendly. It has become stimulating in a disturbing and frustrating way. A good platform is the lesser part of a social media idea, it’s all about the people who hang out there. Life is too short to be in a perpetual state of emotional inflammation. I’m gonna start by deleting it from my phone. Its probably a security risk at this point anyway.

Lori Dec 21, 2022

@chipchirp @MicrobialLife It def is a security risk.

Justathought Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife
Hear hear!

twitACTION Dec 21, 2022

I've been feeling a bit lost since moving from Twitter to Mastodon so I've taken heart from your following comment:

"Being here feels like the earlier days on Twitter, where posts are generously shared and where there is a genuine sense of building and supporting a community'.

I hope to reconnect with former Twitter friends and find new fellow travellers on Mastodon.

@maurenegrundy AND @twitACTION

Professor Mark Osborn Dec 21, 2022

Thank you @maurenegrundy
Glad that my post provided a lift. From what I've seen here the key to getting going and to build engagement is to post and boost and to use and search #hastags to connect with those with shared interests. Thanks again.

Grrsly Adams Family Vacation Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife The early days of Twitter were good because they had yet to figure out how to monetize it. They had a massive IPO.

I like the idea of having local instances, personally. You have a local community which connects you quickly to others around you, and the #fediverse, with a great sense of global community.

Yowie Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife boring old industrial chemist here, but I do like keeping in touch with my fellow scientists. They've almost always got something interesting to say, whether that be about their own area of science expertise, or some other subject I am likely interested in. Its a #Scientists thing.

Watts to the Wheels Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife Not sure about the last chapter.
Good Content always wins.
This is also true on Mastodon

silverhorseman Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife
Part of this is 'early adopters' self selection.
But, the platform is fundamentally very different. Twitter is a for profit marketing company. So it is (or was, pre-Musk) a slicker, more professional platform. But, the users are the product, not the customer.
Mastadon is a network of 'instances' each with it's own agenda. I suspect more and more organizations will set up their own instances to serve their purposes.

Jason B 🧙‍♂️Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife I've been trying to highlight science articles and people.

At least every other week I'll send an article written about or by a scientist.

Charles Roper Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife I have a bit of a theory about Twitter. I suspect much of the “wealth” - that is, followers and influence - was tied up in the top 1% (or whatever the actual figure is). Those folk are feeling the loss most acutely. The difference in engagement between there and here for them is large. However, for most of us, with few followers there, engagement was low and unsatisfying. Over here, it feels much more equitable. The wealth is more evenly distributed.

Charles Roper Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife Iike after a fire*, or when a tree falls in the wood, many new organisms are given a chance to grow and thrive. I hope the fediverse can maintain that structural irregularity and diversity, and not become dominated by a few algorithmically enhanced loud voices.

* https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_ecology

Fire ecology - Wikipedia

Andrea Ghermandi Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife Let us also not forget that Twitter has become over the years an invaluable source of data for social scientists working in fields such as #environmental #sustainability (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-04362-4) and #conservation #culturomics (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-04361-5). Hopefully Mastodon will also play a similar (better?) role in the future.

Twitter’s totter must prompt research rethink

Letter to the Editor

George Du Bocage Dec 21, 2022

@MicrobialLife Absolutely agree. I have experienced a sense of connection in Mastodon as I haven’t felt in the bird for quite a while where personal attacks have become a big part of the culture. One ends up being pulled into the negative exchange. I am really enjoying the experience here.

Monika Wolkers Dec 30, 2022

@MicrobialLife
i could not agree more. engagement is very pleasant, without the rage factor. My scientific community (immunology) is not much here yet, but i have good hopes it will come to this place at one point...

Gabriele Pollara Dec 30, 2022

What do you think is the best way to encourage them to do so @MonikaWolkers?

Struggling in my mind at times about this. This feels the right place to be, but most are still on the other side (not judging them for it, at all) and there is always an inertia against change.

Thiago Carvalho Dec 30, 2022

@gpollara @MonikaWolkers @MicrobialLife

I had essentially turned my account on the Other Site into a Mastodon phonebook for immunology, but now that possibility has been blocked by team muskrat.

Monika Wolkers Dec 30, 2022

@cyrilpedia @gpollara @MicrobialLife
jop it sucks. Unfortunately ,the #immunology community seems quite conservative. There was a lot reluctance (and to my surprise still is) with entering the #BioRxiv era. Perhaps we have to be patient and keep spreading the word? that is what i keep doing on meetings with BioRxiv, so Mastodon can be added to the list...It is not as user friendly yet as Twitter with its different servers (or me too stupid for using it well), but still a 1000x better!

Thiago Carvalho Dec 30, 2022

@MonikaWolkers @gpollara @MicrobialLife

I noticed the same with #ReviewCommons at EMBO - neuro, cell bio, evolution, evo-devo and many other fields seem to have much more of a pioneering spirit.

Gabriele Pollara Dec 30, 2022

@cyrilpedia @MonikaWolkers @MicrobialLife yes, i do remember that reluctance with biorxiv. Even twitter itself, many have been slow / late adopters, using it mainly to disseminate their work. Which is fine, but personally it's the discussion where the half the value / fun is. I think of these academic social networks as an open ended Q&A at the end of a talk someone gives!

Gabriele Pollara Dec 30, 2022

@cyrilpedia @MonikaWolkers @MicrobialLife

FWIW, i think @MonikaWolkers you're right - persevere here and see what happens. Obviously time is not infinite, so my strategy at the moment is to post the same material in both sites (only 1 or 2 a day at most- i don't have that much to say!) but spend more time on Mastodon for discussions etc.... Essentially set up a community here, ready in case there are further pushes off twitter on horizon.

Maybe it's a bit of a passive approach, don't know. 🤷

Rod Rahimi Dec 30, 2022

@cyrilpedia @MonikaWolkers @gpollara @MicrobialLife

I'm impressed with the neuroscience community. Most of the intro posts I see are from neuroscientists. They have clearly committed to moving to Mastodon. Respect. I hope more immunologists move over time.

Professor Mark Osborn Dec 30, 2022

Thanks @MonikaWolkers
Yes, I think it will take time but if Twitter continues in the same direction, more people will jump ship.
Personally, I like it here and the community here is positive.

Thiago Carvalho Dec 30, 2022

@MonikaWolkers @MicrobialLife