sin[e]May 3, 2023
malena

Rad things about mastodon we take for granted

CW -these are amazing

Editing posts -hard to go back once you taste this

Alt text as the norm - (edit: you can be brief! edit it in later!)

Replies -option to delist them so we don’t clog the feed

Timeline curating -we have near infinite timeline options with filters, lists, local, federated, hashtags

Muting -we can choose a time period!

Character count -500 let’s you get an effing thought out

Ownership -we can own the damn thing ourselves

May 3, 2023 at 5:09amWeb
Show threadmalenaMay 3, 2023
I’m not a tech person and never really thought about ANY of this prior to Elon musk buying twitter a year ago, but popping onto baby bluesky has highlighted for me just how dynamic and mature mastodon actually is. It gets a LOT of criticism and omission from mainstream journos, but the reality is that mastodon is a fascinating and very user friendly global group project, and deserves some credit for what it has, not just (appropriate and important) criticism of what it lacks
Show threadmalenaMay 3, 2023

All that said, I’d love to see masto continue to evolve in ways that make joining (and starting instances) much easier for regular people, BIPOC and people who don’t enjoy thinking about tech features! Would also love to see quicker adoption of features people are calling for, like opt-in quote toots.

Also, more humility & dialogue pls on how to make the fedi mirror the demographics of our planet: more ownership and participation from the global south, more BIPOC leadership and participation

Show threadhackbyte Antifa (friendica) 13HB1May 3, 2023

@seachanger The overall really most rad thing about mastodon is, for me at least, that they _still_ struggle to implement features which are completely normal in the #fediverse..

Like;

Formatted text.

Really long articles (no need for a separate blog).

Quoted posts! (and, no, no toxicity from that so far. ;)

Show threadEric 🏖️May 4, 2023
@seachanger 1+ on the humility. Mastodon can be shaped but some minds are closed to changes that would make it more accessible. Not invented here syndrome.
Show threadmalenaMay 4, 2023
@ericsfeed as mastodon grows their influence wanes. I love the idea that no one group gets to define the vibes. It’s customizable and we get to use it how we wanna
Show threadCartyBostonMay 3, 2023

@seachanger

no ads!

Show threadMartin Vermeer FCDMay 3, 2023
@CartyBoston I wouldn't even mind ads (under a proper oversight regime), as long as the platform is not profit driven.
Show threadRichMay 3, 2023

@seachanger Agreed! Some of the things it lacks are relatively straightforward to fix.

I agree that for POC and LGBTQA+ groups, Mastodon often sucks, and we collectively need to figure that out pronto - I'd bet on the Fediverse coming up with some kind of solution over private cos. with priorities in conflicted places though.

Or neither, of course. But I'm glad there's a new model - FB, Twitter, Discord etc are pretty clear demos of what *doesn't* make for a safe community.

#mastodon

Show threadBev Robb ✍️ AKA: TeksquisiteMay 3, 2023
@seachanger i love 💕 #mastodon! I have no complaints—just patience. Yes, I peek around baby BlueSky too :)
Show threadjoe•iuculano May 4, 2023

@seachanger

Well-summarized! :)

Show threadBryan  Calckey May 3, 2023
@seachanger 💯🎯🎯🎯
Show threadvagabondMay 3, 2023
@seachanger this is "signal" more please :)
Show thread[Yaseenist] CauseOfBSOD  May 3, 2023
@seachanger and with other activitypub software, you have even larger character counts as standard, while still being able to talk to mastodon
Show thread[Yaseenist] CauseOfBSOD  May 3, 2023
@seachanger Additionally, there is a standard mechanism to move between instances, transferring followers. This works across different software (except misskey and most of its forks, which only let you import mutes, blocks, and people you follow, although calckey implemented moving the follows of people who follow you with the standard mechanism)

This lets you change software semi-painlessly (you lose old activity) and move away from an instance if it does something you disagree with.
Show threadhypergirls on a questMay 3, 2023
@seachanger perhaps it should require alt text to post an image and have a way largert character count.
Show threadPierreNick  💾May 3, 2023
@calotriton @seachanger I know it’s not a protocol thing, but in some clients you can turn on “require alt text” (I do this myself). And for the character count, it’s an instance config. Some go much more then 500!
Show threadMartin Vermeer FCDMay 3, 2023
@calotriton There is a warning account that nags you if you forget the alt text.
Show threadJohannes  May 3, 2023
@seachanger @glynmoody 500? We got 10,000 over here 🤓🤓🤓
Show threadKees N ✅🔻May 3, 2023
@jkbecker @seachanger @glynmoody
You even have "max_toot_chars":11000 and there are instances with even higher limits. Not really #microblogging
Show threadSigyn Kjarr (she/her)May 3, 2023
@seachanger some servers even have different character limits. Witches.live ... made it 666 for the lulz. 😅
Show threadMike FraserMay 3, 2023
@seachanger Preach!
Show threadaddieMay 3, 2023
@seachanger And the sad thing is, 90% of this is "too much work" for most "normal" social media users and thus it won't become the standard
Show threadmalenaMay 3, 2023
@EposVox tho watch bluesky steal many of these and improve on them over time! People are already spreading alt text culture from mastodon to bluesky as we speak
Show threadaddieMay 3, 2023
@seachanger I mean, "alt text culture" is just supporting accessibility. That spreading everywhere is a W for the internet
Show threadMaryPot 🏳️‍🌈May 3, 2023

@EposVox @seachanger

Yet. Efforts are being made. Maybe too slowly for the people now running away from the Cuckoos' Nest, but things are improving.

Good part about it taking a bit of time - they aren't just throwing everything in the soup and seeing what floats and doesn't.

Show threadMattO Oh there’s way more spMay 3, 2023

@seachanger Showing that I’m a total noob, what is CW?

Thank you for categorizing the advantages of mastodon. I’ve been trying to formulate such a list in my head.

Show threadArchnemysisMay 3, 2023
@MattO Welcome! CW = Content Warning. It is a method for identifying the type of content in your post and then hiding the main content until a user chooses to expand and view the content. It can be used for almost anything, such as hiding violent or offensive content, spoilers from popular TV shows and movies, NSFW content, or even telling jokes. Many clients let you automatically expand content warnings or even automatically block posts containing certain content warnings.
Show threadMattO Oh there’s way more spMay 3, 2023
@Archnemysis Thank you for that thorough explanation. I think I’m gonna like it here.
Show threadmalenaMay 3, 2023
@MattO the content warnings that allow you to hide the post behind a heading! On the ivory app it shows as a triangle warning icon in the menu below your post as you type
Show threadMattO Oh there’s way more spMay 3, 2023
@seachanger Thanks. This seems like the place to be.
Show threadregphuntMay 3, 2023
@seachanger I have 1000 character limit on mine, but Jesus ppl, learn to be concise and get to the point. I'm starting to just scroll past long posts cuz there's just too many.
Show threadChopMay 3, 2023

@seachanger @clifff Curious what this means?

“Replies - option to delist them so we don’t clog the feed”

Show threadclifffMay 3, 2023
@chopaganda @seachanger I think this option in the advanced web view? Can't say I've ever used it before myself though
Show threadmalenaMay 3, 2023
@chopaganda @clifff
Show threadChopMay 3, 2023
@seachanger @clifff Meaning you would choose to unlist your own replies that you write to not clog the public feed?
Show threadclifffMay 3, 2023
@chopaganda @seachanger ah yeah, I think that's exactly it. some people do that for threads
Show threadregphuntMay 3, 2023
@seachanger CWs are a great idea, but they could work better.
Show thread🐚 Undo Influence 🐚May 3, 2023

@seachanger

Being able to approve follow requests without people just showing up has done wonders for my anxiety levels. Though it's been years since I've been on Le Birdhouse. Can't remember if they allowed that option or not.

Show threadFrosty ❄️🌨️May 3, 2023
@seachanger “500 characters” glances down at their 5,000 character count limit
Show threadMark TomczakMay 3, 2023
@seachanger Interestingly, editing posts is one of those per-instance features. The instance I'm on allows delete-and-re-draft but doesn't allow modification.
Show threadmalenaMay 3, 2023
@mtomczak gotcha, kinda like character count.
Show threadnSonicMay 3, 2023
@seachanger @leo I LOVE CW! It’s used to avoid spoilers when writing about a tv show or similar. So so great!
Show threadgotluckyMay 3, 2023
@seachanger I'm seeing that people signing up no longer have to pick a server. What about those of us who are already here? Can we expand?
Show threadmalenaMay 3, 2023
@gotlucky what do you mean by expand? You can get on a different server and bring your followers but your posts stay on the old one…
Show threadgotluckyMay 3, 2023
@seachanger I guess I'm not sure how it works. I thought new people did not have to choose a server, period. I'm one of those who find this all very confusing. Thanks for any help you can give.
Show threadmalenaMay 3, 2023
@gotlucky well no matter what everyone needs to be on a server. Maybe now they automatically put you on one of the large ones unless you pick a different one… I understand it can be super confusing! Kind of like learning a new language.
Show threadCraig McgeeMay 3, 2023
@neil @seachanger even better, the char limit can be increased by server admins. although not sure if that then stops your posts going to servers that enforce a lower limit?
Show threadmalenaMay 3, 2023
@guiltmanager @neil seems like we just see the top section of longer posts, which works for me!
Show threadCraig McgeeMay 3, 2023
@seachanger @neil wonder if you can then click to go to the rest of the post on the original server. might have to test this with a long post of my own, then view it from another server.
Show threadmalenaMay 3, 2023
@guiltmanager @neil on ivory at least you can just click to read more and it expands the view within the timeline
Show threadCraig McgeeMay 3, 2023
@seachanger @neil nice!
Show threadPaulAlanLevyMay 3, 2023
@seachanger I haven't seen any content warnings yet, and thank goodness.....
Show threadch0ccyra1n is leaving fedi soonMay 3, 2023
@seachanger
"Total community enforcement" sounds like cops to me
Show threadmalenaMay 3, 2023
@ch0ccyra1n ha ha you’re right, I could soften that lol
Show thread🥥 Tucker Carlson's Nuts 🥥May 3, 2023
@seachanger 🥥 I can haz meaning of #CW in this context pleez? 🥥
Show threadmalenaMay 3, 2023
@JStatePost just this! Hiding content behind a heading to give readers a choice if they want to read it
Show thread🥥 Tucker Carlson's Nuts 🥥May 3, 2023
@seachanger 🥥 Ah, so obvious, Malena! A blessing on your house for taking the time to decrease my ignorance and the mystery that is #Mastodon just a bit. Thank YOU! 🥥
Show threadmalenaMay 3, 2023
@JStatePost ha ha I have the same experience all the time, never obvious until it is
Show thread🥥 Tucker Carlson's Nuts 🥥May 3, 2023
@seachanger 🥥 And then it's just SOOOO obvious, amirite? 🥥