Chris TrottierApr 18, 2023

The Guardian wrote about Mastodon yet again today. I find @wilf’s reporting on Mastodon stats to be dodgy.

While MAUs are half of peak—to be expected when comparing to November 2022—HYAUs are at their current all time high of 4.5 million. That’s important because, as it turns out, a month isn’t enough to assess whether people use a service.

That said, kudos to him for actually interviewing real Mastodon users.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/18/mastodon-users-twitter-elon-musk-social-media

@fediversenews

Thousands fled to Mastodon after Musk bought Twitter. Are they still ‘tooting’?

The decentralized social network has seen user numbers drop in recent months, but tech-savvy users remain passionate

The Guardian
Show threadChris TrottierApr 18, 2023

As well, at least some of @wilf’s critiques are valid. Mastodon can feel like the Home Owner’s Association.

That was especially the case when the Twitter migration happened and old timers felt threatened.

However, the culture has changed.

There was a time when journalists were met with hostility. Now people really do want journalists to be on the Fediverse. This is a 180 degree change.

Show threadChris Trottier

That said, a few of the critiques in @wilf’s article about Mastodon also seem wildly suspect.

One activist complains that they cannot hijack hashtags.

Which isn’t the type of behaviour I endorse, and seems downright toxic and hostile.

Apr 18, 2023 at 6:53pmIceCubesApp
Show threadChris TrottierApr 18, 2023

The Mastodon detractor that I have most sympathy with is @shengokai. He’s right. Search and discovery is terrible here, and I wish that was fixed.

However, he still continues to use Mastodon due to the Star Trek and cat memes.

Show threadChris TrottierApr 18, 2023

I also disagree with @wilf’s assessment that Mastodon isn’t “great”.

Mastodon is a non-profit made by a small team utilizing a technology that’s in its infancy.

Most projects like this never get off the ground. I should know this—I started one.

Judged by those metrics, Mastodon is great.

Show threadChris TrottierApr 18, 2023

Here’s the other perspective @wilf should have: Mastodon validated ActivityPub in the eyes of the public. Specifically, the notion that decentralized and federated social media can work.

Now that millions have used the service and it’s proven to scale, more software engineers are iterating on that concept.

Show threadChris TrottierApr 18, 2023

Another thing @wilf needs to know is that, in the world of decentralized social media, Mastodon is the market leader.

There’s lots of competing software. Planetary, Nostr, and Bluesky are all competing with it—all made or funded by former Twitter employees to boot.

All those products wish they had Mastodon’s success.

Show threadRob BosApr 18, 2023

@atomicpoet @wilf It is, IMO, a silly mindset of the modern Internet that something must be a world-bestriding colossus in order to be a success.

Linux doesn't have to have a monopoly on literally every computing device to be a roaring success. The desktop market is a holdout, so what.

There is room for diversity in the world. Twitter AND ActivityPub AND bluesky AND nostr can all be successes.

Show threadRob BosApr 18, 2023
@atomicpoet
I suppose it would be more accurate to say that it is a symptom of late stage capitalism: if something is successful, the expectation is that it will eat all competition. So the immediate reaction to a competitor is defensive fight response.
@wilf
Show threadk cavaliereApr 18, 2023
@atomicpoet @wilf #Mastodon is great at this early stage in its evolution. I wish I had discovered it earlier.
Show threadWilfred ChanApr 18, 2023
@atomicpoet Hey, thanks for the comments and engaging with the piece so closely. Just to clarify, I didn't say that Mastodon wasn't "great" - my usage of that word in the last paragraph was in reference to funding models, which is what Schneider was discussing.
Show threadChris TrottierApr 18, 2023
@wilf Understood, and thanks for the clarification.
Show threadLazarou Monkey Terror 🚀💙🌈Apr 18, 2023
@atomicpoet @shengokai it comes down to the basic question "what do you want from Life?"
Star Trek and Cat Memes!
Show threadRob BosApr 18, 2023
@atomicpoet @shengokai Pretty much anyplace is going to have its tradeoffs, I expect. Centralized control has some advantages!
Show threadsmarter than a waffleApr 18, 2023
@atomicpoet @shengokai as the Prophets foretold...
Show threadMorganaApr 18, 2023
@atomicpoet @shengokai The important things in life….
Show threadmsgbiApr 19, 2023
@atomicpoet @shengokai @charles_ex
Show threadjoel bApr 18, 2023
@atomicpoet @wilf yet more evidence these people aren’t interested in contributing to a community. They merely want to be the all powerful man-behind-the-curtain who use others as a means to their own ends.
Show threadsub_oApr 18, 2023
@atomicpoet @wilf I mean, 80% of my social media usage is to look at cat pictures.
Show threadLes OrchardApr 18, 2023
@atomicpoet @wilf Hijacking a hashtag sounds like a good way to get yourself muted or blocked or server-limited and find your ability to get any material in front of people degraded altogether (instantly or not)