Logan Five Thousand

So before I joined Mastodon, I read a couple of articles about it, and they said, "Use a lot of hashtags! A LOT!" And I said, "OK!" to myself aloud. So I've been using a lot of hashtags, but as I look at my feed...I don't think a lot of people use many hashtags. And one friend mentioned that they find them annoying.

So when should a person use hashtags? Just for very specific topics (e.g., #StarTrek)? And maybe to make a joke?

Do you like to use #hashtags? Or do you just leave them out?
Thanks!

Mar 22, 2023 at 4:28amWeb
Show threadNick 'The Viking'Mar 22, 2023

@LoganFive

I've found if I'm the only one using a particular hashtag it's not so flash.

#DLG #DiscusLaunchGlider

Show threadDopeGhotiMar 22, 2023
@LoganFive
I'm admittedly still getting used to sprinkling them throughout my posts, but I absolutely don't mind seeing posts that are absolutely lousy with them. I would imagine it's more utile to tag everything topical to your post. Preferences vary as to whether to put them in the prose, or dump them all before or after the prose. I kind of do both- I will tag in the text if I'm using a relevant taggable word or phrase, but if I think of probable tags that didn't fit with what I was actually saying in the text, I will drop a list of tags as a suffix to my post.
Show threadRupert 🇪🇺🏴‍☠️😾🔭📷🍺🍪🌍🔥Mar 22, 2023
@LoganFive I try to remember to use #hashtags, but tend to forget unless specific and important (to me) like #ClimateEmergency. Then I found you can #follow #hashtags and found some cool ones like #today and #3GoodThings and #WindowFriday. And now I’m wondering if using them out of context will break #Mastodon and the #Fediverse 😹
Show threadJaneishlyMar 22, 2023
@LoganFive I don't use them much but I'm still pretty much at the lurk and retoot stage of using Mastodon. I highly recommend #mosstdon as the best possible hashtag to follow, however. Moss is so soothing.
Show threadLogan Five ThousandMar 22, 2023
@Janeishly Thank you for that! Following!
Show threadTim Ruppert 🌻Mar 22, 2023
@LoganFive Yes to #hashtags. It’s how this stuff works. With no algorithms, how else do we see the topics we want to see?
#mastodon #HowTo
Show threadhybrid havocMar 22, 2023

@LoganFive If I know that it’s a particular topic that other people follow, or that there is an ongoing general discussion about the thing, I’ll add in the relevant #hashtags in order to better become a part of that public discussion.

If they can fit nicely into the existing text, I add them there. Otherwise, I’ll tack them on at the end.

Probably the worst bit for me is when the topic has several variations that could each be an intuitive hashtag for the topic.

Show threadhybrid havocMar 22, 2023

@LoganFive

I also wonder if some different styling might not make them better to handle for those that don’t like them.

Show threadVoronMar 22, 2023
@LoganFive look through my timeline 😂😜
Show threadLogan Five ThousandMar 22, 2023
@voron Thank you for that! I responded to you there as well.
Show threadVoronMar 22, 2023
@LoganFive 😊
Show threadacmMar 22, 2023
@LoganFive Well, I follow a bunch of hashtags, so if people are posting about those things but NOT hashtagging, I'm missing their posts. But I do find it annoying when people post a photo or, like, four lines of text and then 35 hashtags at the end -- my eyes glaze over. Also, hashtagging nearly every word in a post can make it unreadable. So, I guess, use enough to connect with the audience/community you want to, but don't just pad your posts with hashtags of dubious relevance.
Show threadacmMar 22, 2023
@LoganFive I guess a good test is to look up the hashtags you're considering and see if they're actually in use. ad hoc hashtags are like wasted space (unless you're using them to make a joke, just occasionally).
Show threadLexMar 22, 2023

@LoganFive

Maybe it's too obvious, but I always start out with the question "Who could find this post interesting?" and then use hashtags that might apply.

For example, I post a lot about solarpunk, but then I often use hashtags like books, gardening, climatejustice as well when they fit the theme of the post.

Finding the relevant and much-used hashtags is a science in itself - it took me forever to find the hashtag allstartrek for example 😀

#mastodon

Show threadLogan Five ThousandMar 22, 2023
@lex Thank you for this. Can I ask, what is the difference between the hashtags allstartrek and startrek?
Show threadLexMar 22, 2023

@LoganFive

I'm not sure - let's ask the crowd!

Trekkies can you help us?

What's the difference between #allstartrek and #startrek ?

How do you use them?

Show threadfuzzfaceMar 22, 2023
@lex @LoganFive Three letters? OK, seriously I never saw the AllStarTrek hashtag before today.
Show threadCrash13Mar 22, 2023

@lex @LoganFive

#AllStarTrek is the episodes (TOS, TNG, DS9, Voy shown one after the other) shown regularly on the H&I digital TV channel. For people that want to watch the same episode and live toot together.

Show threadLogan Five ThousandMar 23, 2023
@GenXAndBitter @lex Thank you for the 411!
Show threadCrash13Mar 23, 2023
@LoganFive @lex