People often cite confusion or uncertainties in choosing a Mastodon server or instance as a major hindrance in signing up.
Others push back and say it’s not hard, it’s easy, there’s nothing for you to worry about, more than 1.5 million accounts are active on the platform, just pick any server and you’re good to go. If you don’t like it, just change servers.
I’m sorry, that’s garbage. If there are people who say it’s daunting to sign up, then it’s daunting for them. Who are you to deny their experience and say it’s easy?
When I first signed up in 2017 I ended up on octodon.social because mastodon.social was swamped and closed. Choosing this instance was random. It was like jumping into a barren land with no guide and no map. No clue about local or federated timelines or where people I know were. I jumped right back out after a handful of posts.
However, it doesn’t have to be daunting. When you go to the mastodon website and check out the list of servers available, it tells you the name and a description of each server and a button to sign up, but nothing else. The information you get at the start is lacking.
You don’t know that instances can block or limit others or are blocked or limited by others. You don’t know that blocked servers means they’re invisible to you and you can’t interact with anyone whose accounts are hosted there, and vice versa.
You can’t see, let alone interact, with people in blocked servers. You try to follow someone and it’s a follow request, not immediate because you don’t realize their instance limits yours. And they don’t see your request because they don’t use the website. Annoying? Yeah, a bit.
It would help if servers let people know about character limits and server limits and suspensions, what they mean, who’s hosted where, what’s happening, population size, etc, all right at the start.
If they’re reluctant for whatever reason, it’s where tools like these come in:
Mastowatch
https://apps.apple.com/app/mastowatch/id1662271463
Fedifinder
https://fedifinder.glitch.me
Debirdify
https://debirdify.pruvisto.org
Instances.Social
https://instances.social/
Some of these probably should be first party tools because of the lack of visibility as third party.
I belong to a support group for other parents of #trans kids. One of the parents just posted the obituary for their 16 year old on our group page.
This isn’t a game. It’s not idle or trendy. And it’s not up for debate. WE ARE FIGHTING FOR OUR CHILDREN’S LIVES. And we are fighting against an unending tidal wave of discrimination, misinformation, apathy, and bad faith punditry.
Please repost/like if you are someone in 2023 and still actively thinking about health risks related to airborne viruses in social places. I'd like to feel less lonely while still knowing that the pandemic is not over #CovidIsAirborne #CovidIsNotOver
Great post by @mmasnick detailing what's at stake in the upcoming Supreme Court oral arguments in the Gonzalez v. Google and Twitter v. Taamneh cases. Shoutout to @LegalEagle@twitter.com for the excellent video as well!
#Section230 #ContentModeration
https://www.techdirt.com/2023/02/17/next-week-the-supreme-court-could-destroy-everything-good-about-the-internet/
@phocks what a coincidence :)
@justlisa ❤️
Imperial Jezebel. Delias harpalyce.
So cool.
#butterfly #butterflies #jezebel #lepidoptera #iphonephotography #insects
@mayor ugh, they were so ugly
@scibidoo so peaceful and beautiful
Wow, I was not expecting to be triggered into memories of being threatened by my mother to "wait until we get home" by a communal movie watch.
I can't abide anyone who equates criticism with hate, and I'm not going to stand being yelled at in a supposedly 'fun' environment for not reacting the correct way.
The best post @robynelyse has written on a devastating subject:
"The Problem With Police Reform Is That Police Already Know It's Bad To Beat People To Death"
@BelfastRoadster what a damn mess :(
@nomoremister 2/2 On the other hand, Bush (the younger?) banned media from showing the coffins of returning dead from Afghanistan because he knew how important such images were in turning public opinion against the Vietnam war.
I think nothing will make the crazy right change their course. It might make the 'non-political' Americans wake up to what's going on.
Or not :(
Australian. North Brisbane.
Fierce #Feminist and lefty #Atheist. She/her.
Recently diagnosed as #ActuallyAutistic - bit of a shock at the age of 60!
Loves all #Cats, hates all fascists. My cats are Shula (black) and Jana (tortie)