cyberpugDec 23, 2022
Adam Conover
I haven't posted much on Mastodon yet, but I've noticed my posts here have gotten as much engagement as they would have on Twitter, despite the fact that I have 1/100th of the followers here. Wondering what to credit that to: Non-algorithmic timeline, less people to follow and therefore more attention paid to each post, and a friendlier atmosphere. Most likely, all three!
Dec 19, 2022 at 11:25pmWeb
Show threadEthan J. A. SchoonoverDec 19, 2022

@adamconover Same experience. My engagement numbers on twitter declined after the purchase. Why? No idea. I was still doing the same thing there as always (nerdy content). Mastodon engagement has been MUCH higher relatively.

I'm wondering if it's also the self-selected early adopters are also generally more likely to engage.

Show threadAphrodite (recharging)Dec 25, 2022

@ethanschoonover @adamconover

Well my suggestion is that it’s the differences in how the algorithms work.

Commercial social media algorithms increase controversy. QTing on The Foul Site and 😡 in the Zuckerverse are signs of controversy that the AI algos spot and rev up. AI Algos push people into bubbles with people with less in common.

Mastodon’s #HumanAlgorithm is simple: friends sharing cool things with friends. I trust my friends & if they say something’s cool I’ll give it a look.

Show threadJoé McKenDec 19, 2022

@adamconover Twitter follow counts are pretty bloated with both bots and abandoned/inactive accounts. Similarly, I have about 1/6 the following here I have on Twitter (which still ain’t much), yet my posts here regularly get more engagement – both likes/boosts and replies – than I get on the birdsite.

Though I suspect the local/federated timelines probably help with that, too.

Show threadMichaelDec 19, 2022
@adamconover add to that, fresh feeds - not a bunch of people you haven't talked to in years but are too lazy to remove additing clutter.
Show threadLycusDec 19, 2022
@adamconover I mean, I'm sure a lot of everyone's Twitter followers are old followers that don't use the site much anymore.
Show threadStefanDec 19, 2022
@adamconover I say it's mostly less people and knowing engagement will bring people over.
Show threadKyleDec 19, 2022
@adamconover Also what percentage of your Twitter followers are still active?
Show threadAdvisory Briefs 🛠️Dec 19, 2022
@adamconover definitely the full trifecta, I have the same experience, even with only a couple hundred followers. Glad you're here man.
Show threadch1m3r4c0mpl3xDec 19, 2022

@adamconover

It's also worth noting that without said algorithm, engagement is infinitely more deliberate. You're literally seen because other people want you to also be seen. Everyone mutually supports each other.

Show threadDecolonize Your Bookshelf🧡Dec 21, 2022
@ch1m3r4c0mpl3x @adamconover This!! Exactly!
Show threadHereticErikDec 19, 2022
@adamconover well, I'm here for it. Love the podcast and all the content you post, thanks for creating so much excellent content!
Show threadJohn MorrisonDec 19, 2022
@adamconover I also think anyone who has been on Twitter long enough with a high profile has a substantial amount of zombie followers who haven’t logged in in a matter of years which really makes the follower number less reflective of the number of actually engaged followers.
Show threadChris ReedDec 19, 2022
@adamconover You haven't ruined Mastodon.
Show threadLewis WeilDec 19, 2022
@adamconover i have 1000+ on twitter and 16 on mastadon and have way more interaction and fun here.
Show threadJack Phoenix: comics librarianDec 19, 2022
@adamconover Toot at your own pace and know that your toots are loved
Show threadJaluna RolikDec 19, 2022
@adamconover I think a mix of all three is probably accurate. I actually got more engagement on a poll I posted on both sites here than on Twitter, where I have a multitude more followers. It's kind of amazing... yet oddly not shocking to me.
Show threadCalla Soliloqueer 🏳️‍⚧️Dec 19, 2022
@adamconover There are apps to cross-post between both sites in a way that could help compel you over to Mastodon. That's what happened for me anyway; once I saw the numbers difference on the same exact posts it was an easy decision.
Show threadCapnMarrrrkDec 19, 2022
@adamconover And frankly Adam. You rock
Show threadMichaelDec 19, 2022
@adamconover I think no ads possibly helps too and might mean there’s less noise on the feed?
Show threadnohhueDec 19, 2022
@adamconover Being fair: My Twitter is locked and there is no "locked"/private function here (besides Direct Messages) so any reply I make here is read by you, whereas on Twitter I'm shouting into the void because of locked account.
Show threadocdtrekkieDec 19, 2022
@adamconover We like to just chat over here. *shrug* Hope you're enjoying it here, Adam!
Show threadZalnoDec 19, 2022
@adamconover Same, honestly!
Show threadRod HiltonDec 19, 2022
@adamconover I've found the same thing. I think people underestimated just how much algorithmic interference was in place to bubble up viral stuff and maximize addiction, necessitating that your own followers see your stuff less to see more of that stuff instead.
Show threadthedarkniteDec 19, 2022
@adamconover I think the lack of algorithm is a big part. On Twitter I would quite often start reading a tweet, only to have the timeline randomly update and I wouldn't be able to find it again.
Show threadJon_Danger Dec 19, 2022
@adamconover yup. It is, so far, a much nicer platform to be on.
Show threadProgGrrlDec 19, 2022
@adamconover Many higher profile posters here have been making that comment on my feed in past 2 weeks…
Show thread❄️❄️❄️Dec 19, 2022

@adamconover for me at least, I never bothered to engage with my celebrity follows on Twitter, because I'm just one voice in so many, and I can't be bothered to speak if I don't expect to be heard.

Here, I feel like if my replies are ignored it's because whatever I had to say wasn't actually interesting, not because it was lost in a deluge.

Show threadNeil A. EvansDec 19, 2022
@adamconover I’ve noticed the same thing. It’s so nice to have people genuinely engaging - I’m loving this.
Show threadIan ApplebaumDec 19, 2022
@adamconover I’ve been wondering exactly the same.
Show threadErnie SmithDec 19, 2022
@adamconover I honestly think we’d be much happier with a half a dozen medium-sized networks rather than one or two big ones
Show threadDerek Powazek 🐐Dec 19, 2022
@adamconover yes and: people with old Twitter accounts like us have a lot of inactive followers, and Twitter has become so toxic (and not just lately) that it scared a lot of people off of replying at all.
Show threadGeorge BarwoodDec 19, 2022

@adamconover I think it is that there are relatively few people such as yourself on Mastodon. On twitter, you can have a huge number of followers, but that does not mean they ever see your posts. Everything depends on the "algorithm".

[ But I don't really understand, I am just guessing ]

Show threadPoppaCappDec 20, 2022
@adamconover I'm so glad you're on here! I'm such a huge fan of yours
Show threadchadbertDec 20, 2022
@adamconover I think people finally started to actually transition away with these latest antics by Musk. I know that I’m interacting more than I did on Twitter and I’ve only been here a day.
Show threadSam GavinDec 20, 2022
@adamconover I think that as more folks migrate here, engagement will start to follow the same patterns as Old Twitter, i.e. those who post the most have an advantage on a non-algorithmic timeline. I feel like my feed is already clogged by the most active users and I've been unfollowing a lot of folks I don't personally know!
Show threadIdealistic Pragmatist Dec 20, 2022
@adamconover all that plus no bots?
Show threadskullivanDec 20, 2022
@adamconover I’ve gone into read-only mode on Twitter, I stopped liking or commenting on 99% of posts a few weeks ago. Last week I started unfollowing most people as I’ve followed them either here or on Hive. Also have unfollowed a few people entirely who’ve bizarrely continued tweeting as if nothing has changed.
Show threadKMDec 20, 2022
@adamconover I’ve been a fan for years. I’ve watched many of your shows and listened to many podcasts. But I never once saw you on Twitter, not by any fault of yours. I’m sure I missed a lot your work. I ran across you within my first two weeks on Mastodon, and I followed you immediately. Just an anecdote. Glad you are here!
Show threadTiffany LiDec 20, 2022
@adamconover I’ve noticed the same effect, made even more clear because engagement on Twitter might be be going down. I feel like different types of posts do well here though, depending on your network.
Show threadKira MurasakiDec 20, 2022
@adamconover I agree w/ that viewpoint, indeed. Ye, it's a bit of a ghost town around here but at same time, it's very cozy. 
Show threadJessica!!!  Dec 20, 2022
@adamconover Glad to see you over here, Adam!
Show threadzbeckerDec 24, 2022

@adamconover

Oh yeah, #mastodon definitely has much more engagement. Tbh that is probably because the #FOSS community tends to be have a lot more engagement IME

Show threadStuart Dec 24, 2022
@adamconover Same for me. 1/20th the followers here but far more engagement. I've been half convinced for a while that Twitter has been penalising me for regularly including links to websites as they want to keep people on Twitter.