Werner Herzog’s Mastodon: A Descent into the Federated Abyss

(Footage of server error messages, ancient memes and a lone penguin trudging across ice)

Herzog voiceover: Mastodon is not a social network. it is a cruel experiment in decentralized yearning. Each server a fragile island in a sea of loneliness held together by spite and CSS

The people here: disillusioned scholars, artists, shitposters, furries,and someone named [email protected]
, speak in codes I cannot decipher

There is no algorithm. there is only what you choose to see.
and what you choose may destroy you

@Taweret If you gaze too long into the Federated Abyss, the Federated Abyss asks you to add alt text to it.
@jef @Taweret ah, the wisdom of Federatrich Nietzsche.
Who would have had 8,1 billion twitter followers btw.

@Quantensalat
Surprised there isn’t a Nietzsche bot doing daily posts, given his many aphorisms. 🙂

@jef @Taweret

@Su_G @jef @Taweret I'd lie if I said that I haven't considered it

@jef @Taweret

Nonsense! I've been running from alt text and it hasn't caught me yet!

@jef @Taweret If you gaze too long at the federated abyss a safety troll appears complaining that abyss gazing should be an opt in feature.
@jef @Taweret "Please describe the Abyss for those of us that are unable to gaze into it."

@paul_edwin @jef @Taweret

ALT:
The Abyss is a dimensionless void of empty nothingness; a bottomless gulf, pit, or chaos, lacking in light, absent of meaning or morality, immeasurably deep.
The Federated Abyss connects to other abysses through finicky connections that require signing in repeatedly.

@anarchademic @paul_edwin @jef @Taweret <realises it's The Abyss he's been staring at all this time>
@jef "An abyss. Dark, cold, unforgiving. Cute eyes gazing back."