John RowleyJan 7, 2023
Neil Mullens

Why aren't people staying here?

#ElonMusk drove more than a million people to #Mastodon, but many aren’t sticking around

The number of active users on the Mastodon social network has dropped more than 30% since the peak and is continuing a slow decline, according to the latest data posted on its website. There are around 1.8 million active users in the first week of January, down from over 2.5 million in early December.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2023/jan/08/elon-musk-drove-more-than-a-million-people-to-mastodon-but-many-arent-sticking-around

Elon Musk drove more than a million people to Mastodon – but many aren’t sticking around

More than 130,000 people were joining the new independent social media network a day in November. So why hasn’t it taken off?

The Guardian
Jan 7, 2023 at 10:11pmWeb
Show threadDuncan Evans 💙✌️Jan 7, 2023
@3DayMonk many struggle with change whether motivated or not.
I think that motivation will to leave twitter will remain. And people who've moved across will come back and try again.
A reduction in active users does not mean people have left...I think they are just going through that change curve in their own time.
Show threadNeil MullensJan 7, 2023
@Duncan Yes, I hope so. Federated is the way to go.
Show threadDavid Palk#RejoinEU 💖🇪🇺🕊🌈Jan 7, 2023
@3DayMonk What a simplistic load of clap trap referring to the article, not you guys. If people migrated from #twitter expecting similar over here, then tough t**ty. I never liked #twitter largely because the folk using it had the attention span that precisely matched the size of twit data they could send. Pretty close to zero. Me, I'm here for the foreseeable. Toodle pip. xPalky
Show threadNeil MullensJan 7, 2023
@Palky55 What is the ‘simplistic clap-trap’, exactly? There are a lot of dicks on Twitter that I don't waste my time engaging with. There are also a lot of brilliant people who I would like to see on here. Tweet-size is a moot point because anyone with half a brain uses threads.
Show threadMake Fascists Afraid AgainJan 7, 2023
@3DayMonk you tend to read a lot of stuff
Like this
Now maybe there's a niche audience but
Its not huge I'd say..
Show threadMake Fascists Afraid AgainJan 7, 2023
@3DayMonk cetra et cetra
Show threadNeil MullensJan 7, 2023
@culturalfawa 🤣 Yes. Having said that, when I first came over here, people were incredibly helpful. It feels like a community and, of course, it is!
Show threadMake Fascists Afraid AgainJan 7, 2023
@3DayMonk no its got a lot of nice things going for it and I'll certainly stick around but I'll also poke at it a little just to keep things fizzing
Show threadzbeckerJan 7, 2023

@3DayMonk

Well, when you hear from all sides that it's complicated, there is less motivation to stay.

Show threadNeil MullensJan 7, 2023
@zbecker Yes, which is annoying, because it really isn't complicated!
Show threadHarald EilertsenJan 7, 2023
@Neil Mullens Not sure what is counted in those numbers, but some are also finding that other fediverse software suits them better. While that is probably a minuscule amount, it is a positive move.

As @Katharsisdrill says, we've seen these waves come and go for a decade or more now. Unless you're an ad agency those numbers are worthless, and the network grows at a slower and healthier pace again.
Show threadNeil MullensJan 7, 2023
@harald Yes, it may well be for the better. I was starting to see a lot of Twitter-like trolls on here in early to mid-December, but they seem to have largely crawled back into their holes again.
Show threadAris TeonJan 7, 2023

@3DayMonk I'm not sure we can draw conclusions from those numbers. There's always a drop in activity around the holidays. That's also why media companies, podcasters, YouTubers etc produce less content around this time.

On the other hand, I think many Twitter accounts with lots of followers have decided to keep feeding and empowering the Twitter monster because they don't want an internet without corporate gatekeepers, and don't want to relinquish their status.

Show threadNeil MullensJan 7, 2023
@aristeon Yes, very possible true. And, for some, that last point will be a major factor!
Show threadAris TeonJan 7, 2023

@3DayMonk indeed. But I think it's fine even if Mastodon doesn't become huge. We can build our community and make it better than the birdsite.

If people still refuse to hold the far right oligarch to account and don't understand how flawed the corporate social media model is, then maybe they're better off over there enjoying their drama, outrage, awful takes, promoted disinformation accounts, and algorithmic manipulation.

Show threadNeil MullensJan 7, 2023
@aristeon I feel quite conflicted about it really. I'm more comfortable here than on the birdsite. However, an alternative to the right-wing capitalist agenda also needs its voice to be heard by people who wander in over there. It’s bad enough that main street media is totally dominated by the right.
Show threadAris TeonJan 7, 2023
@3DayMonk I hear you. We need to try to get people over here. For instance by cross posting from here to there and reminding followers of Mastodon. But if we cannot, we should do our own thing and make this platform work for us. There are enough people who are tired of internet oligopolies, and gradually more and more people will join and use it.
Show threadNeil MullensJan 8, 2023
@aristeon Totally agree.
Show threadAris TeonJan 7, 2023

@3DayMonk indeed. But I think it's fine even if Mastodon doesn't become huge. We can build our community and make it better than the birdsite.

If people still refuse to hold the far right oligarch to account and don't understand how flawed the corporate social media model is, then maybe they're better off over there enjoying their drama, outrage, awful takes, promoted disinformation accounts, and algorithmic manipulation.

Show threadannewJan 7, 2023
@3DayMonk
I joined the bird site because of a couple of journos. They haven’t made the switch so it’s a lot less interesting here
Show threadNeil MullensJan 7, 2023
@annewithers Same for me. A number that I follow have made the move but a lot haven't.
Show threadSteve WilliamsJan 8, 2023

@3DayMonk @annewithers

I'm conflicted by Journalists who would never work for Fox, on principle, but continue to support a Neo Fascist nutjob like Musk, because.. err...reasons.
Many of these publications could federate, but it's all about advertising.
TBH the interesting journalists that I followed are easy to track by other means.
What I love about this place is reading about what people love - not what they hate.

If that makes sense?

Show threadNeil MullensJan 8, 2023
@blabberlicious @annewithers Yes, totally makes sense. I was happy to see the @BylinesNetwork setting up their own Mastodon server. There is definitely a lot more positive content on here.
Show threadBenJan 7, 2023
@3DayMonk I think as long as they aren’t going back to the other place, it is a net positive for society.
Show threadNeil MullensJan 7, 2023
@tallben Absolutely!
Show threadLeslie 🇺🇸🌻🌈 🌊Jan 7, 2023
@3DayMonk as much as I couldn't stand people on twitter whining, "no one sees my tweets" I find it's really rare to get a response here?
Show threadNeil MullensJan 7, 2023
@Lesliesez I think I get as many responses as I got when I had a similar number of followers on Twitter. I haven't noticed much difference. It takes time to build online relationships with people.
Show threadLeslie 🇺🇸🌻🌈 🌊Jan 7, 2023
@3DayMonk I had over 8k followers but still spoke to the same dozen people most of the time 😉
Show threadNeil MullensJan 8, 2023
@Lesliesez Yes, there are people I interact with more than others, too. Mind you, I'm a bit like that in the real world! The thing with having followers, though, is sharing information to a wider audience, especially in the current climate where the media is dominated by right-wing agendas.
Show threadLeslie 🇺🇸🌻🌈 🌊Jan 8, 2023
@3DayMonk I don't miss how angry I would get on twitter 😉
Show threadNeil MullensJan 8, 2023
@Lesliesez Mastodon is definitely better for your health, Leslie!
Show threadLeslie 🇺🇸🌻🌈 🌊Jan 8, 2023
@3DayMonk I just hope some of the more popular people from Twitter start getting some "action" on Mastodon. Just saw Steve Schmidt is here and he got 3 reposts 😱😉
Show threadNeil MullensJan 8, 2023
@Lesliesez Yes, I hope so!
Show threadSahhmiJan 7, 2023
@3DayMonk Rebuilding your circles in a new environment is hard, and slow. And then I agree with previous poster saying that posting at Mastodon results a tiny fracture of replies, likes or any other engagement than I would get on tweetland. It's depressing if you're just talking to ourself.
Show threadNeil MullensJan 8, 2023
@Sahhmi Yes, that’s true. I think it’s important to comment frequently on other people’s toots to build up relationships.
Show threadThe Casual CraftsmanJan 8, 2023

@3DayMonk I have no authority to speak on this other than as a past bird site user and this post showed up in my timeline.

For whatever it’s worth, I’m here to stay. I totally dig the DIY vibe of #Mastodon, the artists I’ve come across and have inspired me, the scientists and cyber brains putting up thought-provoking posts, the hilarious weirdos posting two liners of comedy gold, what am I missing?

I couldn’t give less of a fuck about what’s trending. I like this place, I like the peeps.

Show threadNeil MullensJan 8, 2023
@casualcraftsman Yes, I will be staying too, for all the reasons you have mentioned!
Show threadRealBillyGJan 8, 2023
@3DayMonk algorithm addicts. Let ‘em go.
Show threadNeil MullensJan 8, 2023
@RealBillyG Yes.
Show threadbfried68Jan 8, 2023
@3DayMonk Mastadon isn’t the engagement crack that Twitter is. It doesn’t press your outrage buttons by design.
Show threadNeil MullensJan 8, 2023
@bfried68 It’s funny, though. As I mentioned to someone else, I was getting a few Twitter-like trolls on here in early to mid-December, but they seem to have largely disappeared now. Hopefully, they are a large percentage of those who have left the platform!
Show threadbendaJan 8, 2023
@3DayMonk well because a lot of those people came expecting a thing that is the same as the other thing in one respect or another. the people that didn't find the thing they wanted left. the point is, whatever proportion remains probably did find what they wanted and that'll be lasting.
Show threadNeil MullensJan 8, 2023
@benda Yes, absolutely. I hope that is the case. To be honest, most of the journalists that I care about have come over and remained here. Some have even set up their own servers, so I'm happy with the way it is going.
Show threadXibeeJan 8, 2023
@3DayMonk i’m still not even sure I’m in the best part of it for my interests. Not finding anybody from my Twitter accounts here except two or three… what I did find was good constant updates on Ukraine, so I’m staying for that reason.
Show threadNeil MullensJan 8, 2023
@xibee I’m not sure if it makes much difference which server you are on. Very few of the people that followed me on Twitter are using the same server as me on Mastodon. If you would like to find people that you were connected with on Twitter, use #Fedifinder or #followgraph. It’s been 50-50 for me, between people I follow on both platforms and people I've connected with exclusively on Mastodon.
Show threadJagsterJan 8, 2023
@3DayMonk Apps have issues and finding people here is difficult, even more or less impossible. Must build circles from zero is a bit awkward.. I reckon there isn’t bigger than those two reasons.