How to use Mastodon:
Step 1: Sign up.
Step 2: Do regular social media stuff.
Journalists: Only those with advanced degrees in computer science should even attempt to navigate Mastodon, the frustrations of its complexities will drive the average user to a state of hysteria.
And yet:
"Unlisted has a slightly complicated behaviour pattern in the Home timeline, and this isn’t officially documented for some reason. Here’s how it works:
Unlisted posts and replies from people you follow WILL appear in your Home timeline, unless they are a reply to someone you don’t follow. If they’re a reply to someone you don’t follow, they WILL NOT appear in your Home timeline."
Why should anyone care about this?
I can explain why I care: I've been seeing the occasional toot in my timeline (or is it notifications) that is clearly a response to another toot, but I don't and can't see what it's replying to.
And then I wonder if I'm doing the same thing, and at the same time feditips drops some info on setting visibilities. As a result I do change my default visibility, but I'm still not sure I'm doing it right .....
... and that thing I posted was part of the page explaining visibility.
It's not like I give much credit to journo's saying "it's too hard". (I suspect the real reason is "my colleagues aren't there, and the audience isn't big enough.) But people who dismiss new users genuine issues aren't helping us much either.
Yeah, I see those too sometimes, but I just chalked it up to a quirk of federation and the dissemination of posts.
Low Quality Facts
jz.tusk
Jonathan Hendry