Mastodawn

nixCraft 🐧Sep 21, 2024

I asked around so-called influencers why they were not on #Mastodon . Here are the most common replies:

1) We can't go viral on Mastodon (read as we can't game the system because humans only boost good stuff)

2) They want a algo driven system (why do you want to see angry posts all day & night?)

3) You can't make money on Mastodon (WTF that even mean?)

4) It is way too technical & confusing. Which server to join? WTF is the server?

Only the last one is valid. The rest are all lazy reasons.

The disdain for anyone that makes money through content online, is palpable. I'm not trying to change your opinion on that. I'm just pointing it out.

Going viral doesn't mean gaming the system. Most content goes viral because it is novel, entertaining, and fun.

And as I've said on here many, many times, the most viewed content on social media by far isn't angry content. It's happy/funny content. Twitter and 4chan are miserable places. TikTok and Instagram are happier places.

I see a lot of replies of the form:

"You can make money on Mastodon! You just have to do A, B, and C! It works!"

And:

"We don't want influencers on Mastodon."

The thing I find funny about the "You can make money on Mastodon!" claim, is that it's almost always proclaimed by Mastodon dudes that don't make any money through their social media content, talking about people that do make money on their social media content. 0% experience, 100% confidence.🙂🙃

2/N

The thing I like about the other replies, ("We don't want influencers on Mastodon!") is that at least it's honest? 🤷🏿‍♂️

People sit around and imagine what influencers are like, decide that they don't like these people as a group, and then say that they're happy those people are not here. In all sincerity, I respect that.

I feel the same way about "prank content" creators. I find the pranks annoying, dangerous, disrespectful, and unfunny.

3/N

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Taggart

@mekkaokereke @nixCraft I would never consider myself an "influencer," but I do promote the material I produce on social media. Most of it is free, but some is paid. And I like to at least break even on my efforts/operating costs for @thetaggartinstitute.

There is a very specific kind of Masto user who always aggressively attacks the idea of paying for someone else's work. They are a vocal minority, but boy are they vocal.

I'm here because I believe in the platform, but it hasn't exactly been a business driver. If content creation were my primary income source, I would see little reason to engage with a platform that was mostly hostile to me, and had almost zero return.

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Nemo Sep 21, 2024

@mttaggart
May I suggest attacking people selling their cultural production sucks.

And likewise attacking a platform because it's not designed to work well as a sales platform also not cool?
@mekkaokereke @thetaggartinstitute @nixCraft

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Taggart

Sep 21, 2024

@iinavpov @mekkaokereke @thetaggartinstitute @nixCraft I don't know where you found an attack in "I believe in the platform." Identifying the reality that it does not drive business is not an attack; it's a statement of fact.

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Nemo Sep 21, 2024

@mttaggart
I did not mean you.

But the flip side of the reply guys, is the "influencers" so very, very keen that people join them elsewhere.

It's not a consumers Vs producers thing.

It's just that there are people who... In every role.
@mekkaokereke @thetaggartinstitute @nixCraft

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Taggart

Sep 21, 2024

@mekkaokereke @nixCraft @thetaggartinstitute I'll also add, I don't know what "influencers" the OP asked, but the uh, demographic mismatch between this platform and others is not doing it any favors.