Annalee Newitz 🍜Gotta love tech journalists who describe Mastodon as "that impossible-to-use website." First of all, it's an app. C'mon. Second of all, aren't these the same people who write breathless explainers about the wonder of cryptocurrencies, which are not only impossible to understand but literally built from bullshit?
taylor hatmaker@annaleen it’s such a confusing sentiment bc it’s basically the same experience (without a few refinements) except you pick a server??
Jeremy Kahnpicking a server is almost exactly as fraught as picking a neighborhood to live in, only it's somewhat easier to move if/when you figure out that the neighbors aren't kind.
similarly, people with privilege can pretty safely just throw a dart at a map and come out okay; people with less privilege usually have to check with their own personal networks -- is it safe for me to be myself in this neighborhood? would the neighbors call the cops on me for walking my dog?
@trochee @Tayhatmaker I completely agree with that. Mastodon has a lot of problems, especially with abuse of marginalized folks. What gets me steamed up are tech journalists calling it "impossible to use" on what I assume are UX grounds, often without even bothering to try it.
Dominique Julia