@rra and I have a new, #OpenAccess article out: "Shifting your research from X to Mastodon? Here's what you need to know"
https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2666-3899%2823%2900323-9
This article is an opinion piece in which we argue that social scientists cannot simply port their work from X to #Mastodon or the rest of the #fediverse. There are key differences in culture, expectations of privacy, and of course topology to consider.
@rra @commodon @academicchatter
Our conclusion:
"While Mastodon and the fediverse are quite distinct from Twitter/X and other corporate social media, and while these systems present new challenges to researchers, the benefits for both researchers and for the fediverse can be tremendous. If researchers work with instance admins to produce useful knowledge, that work can be adopted by the fediverse, helping to improve a rapidly growing network."
@rwg @rra @commodon @academicchatter
I like the way you're thinking. I think users here have a much higher willingness to proactively guard their privacy but conversely a much higher willingness to providing help when the goals are transparent and obviously ethical.
Just saying.
Robert W. Gehl
PJ "Vote Green" Coffey