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I see we're likely going to be getting an influx of new users as yet another platform succumbs to a narcissistic owner looking to profit off their users' misery. Props to those who make it easy for them, and otherwise keep the wheels on the bus rolling here in the #fediverse.
I personally credit Elmo for curing me of my #Twitter addiction, so maybe it'll work for #Reddit users, too. Mastodon really is what you make of it, which can be daunting at first. But it works and I like it. Welcome!
I also get why some users are seeing barriers to entry here, even those that border on harassment. YMMV for sure, depending on your instance and who's running it. And some people just shouldn't be running instances. But so far I've found most people I've met here to be decent, and all of us should strive to be kind and welcoming. It was necessary that Mastodon adjust, too, because it's no longer a private geek club. The Twitflux should have made that clear: the gates had to be opened wider.
The fediverse isn't going to replace anything 1-to-1, but it might replace *some* things. I was a Twitter addict, pretty much, but I think Mastodon doesn't deliver that "hit," so to speak, because what I'm looking for also has changed. I find that I'm not doomscrolling here, primarily because I don't *want* to doomscroll, whereas Twitter makes that easy and enticing. Ex-Reddit users may similarly find something worthwhile here, even if it's not the same.
And it's true what they say about #hashtags here: you need to use 'em. I still forget, and while it's a hassle, it's also a strong way of customizing your experience, not just on who reads your posts, but also what you choose to see. You can create custom channels based on your interests—I'm following #writingcommunity, for example, and on some days, that's the *only* channel I watch, so I don't get any Elmo, no politics, no other news that isn't writerly and aimed at those folks. It's useful!
摏 @alan@mindly.social@ChrisWinters I long for the day when I can follow a hashtag minus another hashtag, like "#WritingCommunity -#snot" so I can avoid all those posts about snot that don't interest me (okay, not snot but something else where there's a lot of overlap).
@alan
Sounds useful. I'd like that too, but I'm not a developer. Maybe one of the devs in the fediverse can take it on... right after they save the fediverse from being overloaded with six million new users all arriving in the same week.
@ChrisWinters I haven't been paying close attention but I'm sure it's one of the many proposals on the table. At this point it is unlikely that a lone developer would submit a patch and have it accepted without some sort of collective evaluation and vetting process.
Also for the most part it's site admins who are dealing with the capacity challenges. While I'm sure there's an overlap between the two, I see a number of devs who are just running their own instance.
@alan Yeah, I'm still a newbie here and only vaguely know how it all works.
@ChrisWinters Well then, welcome and pleased to make your electronic acquaintance. There are imperfections and many reflections of the problems in wider society but still I find it a much nicer place than the available alternatives.