If you’re tired of Twitter, Mastodon has you covered. But, is it the real alternative to Twitter? We explain why this confusing social network is far from perfect.
The landing of Elon Musk on Twitter catapults a social network… but not the one the tycoon imagined. Or at least not for now. If there’s been one clear winner with Elon Musk’s moves to date, it’s Mastodon.
Since October 27, more than 300,000 users have joined Mastodon, this gives more than 1 million active users with more than 70,000 new subscribers per day currently. That’s 700% more than before Elon Musk took over Twitter. The increase in subscriptions and downloads is a real challenge, it leads to setbacks and many questions about Mastodon’s ability to establish itself as an alternative to Twitter. But, is this really the expected alternative?
What is Mastodon?
This Is Mastodon: A Microblogging Website open-source managed by the community. Mastodon was launched as a decentralized, user-friendly alternative to Twitter.
It allows you to publish toot” (Where ” toots ” in French) and you can ” booster» posts from other users. It’s mostly like Twitter, but instead of living in one place, the social network lives in different pieces, called ” instances», each with its own rules and administrators. This is what constitutes a federation», and this protects the integrity of the service: no central server exists. Thus, if an instance stops paying for its server, it disappears, but the other instances are still there. Instances can be funded by thecrowdfundingtherefore ensuring an ad-free experience and ensuring no one owns it.
Even though instances can be open to everyone, Mastodon also has an option to let you keep it private. Users from different instances have the power to follow and communicate with each other. If you think of IRC, Reddit, Discord or the good old forums, we are really not far from it technically.
Basically, as long as admins pay to maintain their instances, Mastodon can grow or shrink naturally without threatening the entire network. Because it isopen-source, you can even create your own if you want. There is one main instance —mastodon.social, which is the default instance for beginners. There are dozens and dozens of them, some of which are specialized around a specific subject: a video game, a series, a social subject and so on.
Is it an alternative to Twitter?
Technically, Mastodon is an alternative to Twitter. Decentralized software built on open standards, Mastodon is a promising platform for those looking to escape Twitter. But, it is complicated to make it a serious and unique alternative to Twitter.
Still in its infancy, the platform is riddled with flaws of its own. First, there are far fewer high-profile influencers than other social media sites, so you won’t necessarily find the accounts you like to follow. And if the person you like to follow is there, you will have to find out which instance they are creating content on. It’s as if several Twitter networks co-existed side by side, some of which would be private, others public, with different operating rules. It is a semi-organized chaos which is very confusing for new users. And, this is the case from the profile creation interface.
When new users want to try Mastodon, they can choose to join a server based on their interests, language, or region. You really will find very different communities. In other words, we are between us, and generally the users of these communities are very similar.
Mastodon is not a mainstream social media platform, some even compare it to GNU/Linux when it comes to PC OS and Windows alternative. New users are often unaware of its features and frustrated with its complicated structurewhich is very different from the one-stop shop offered by Twitter.
You will see confused users wondering where their friends went when they switch instances. In addition, you will be frustrated by the instances that no longer accept new users, by the functionalities that you will miss… The other challenge for the evolution capacity of Mastodon which has very limited resources compared to Twitter. Rather than relying on investors, Mastodon survives on donations, crowdfunding, sponsorships and grants.
In any case, nothing prevents you from testing Mastodon. Nevertheless, you are warned now.
Elon Musk has officially taken over Twitter. What is your position on the social network after this change of direction? Do you want to leave, or stay? This was the subject of our survey of the week.
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