Twitter’s gone mad – What to do

Since Twitter was sold, it has gone mad. I think a lot of us can agree on that. With trolls roaming wild, neo-nazis plundering, extremists threatening, and general mayhem, it has turned into a pile of manure and no one wants to dive in one of those.

So, what can we do? We can, for sure, not change their policies, since they don’t seem to know them, very well by themselves. For me, I’ve generally stopped using Twitter because of all the hate and weird people and moved away to other socials. There will probably never be another Twitter but I’ve found Mastodon to fulfill some of the parts I’ve been missing.

Mastodon is an open-source, decentralized social networking platform that allows users to create and share content with each other. Unlike traditional social media platforms, Mastodon is not controlled by a single company or entity, and it is designed to prioritize user privacy and data ownership. In this article, we will explore how to maximize the use of Mastodon by exploring its features and highlighting best practices. Mastodon is available as an app on various app stores or as a web service in your favorite browser.

Setting up your Mastodon Account

To start using Mastodon, you will need to set up an account on one of the many Mastodon instances available. Instances are independent servers that run the Mastodon software, and each instance has its own set of users and content. When choosing an instance, it is important to consider factors such as its size, community guidelines, and privacy policies. Once you have chosen an instance, you can create your account by providing a username, email address, and password.

Navigating the Mastodon Interface

The Mastodon interface is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, with a layout that is similar to other social media platforms. The home screen displays a timeline of posts from users you are following, along with various options for interacting with those posts. You can also access your profile, notifications, and settings from the navigation menu.

Finding and Following Users

Mastodon is a social network, so finding and following other users is a key part of maximizing its use. You can search for users using keywords or hashtags, or browse through the profiles of other users to discover new content. When you find a user you want to follow, simply click the follow button on their profile. You can also interact with their posts by liking, commenting, or boosting them.

Using Hashtags

Hashtags are a popular way to organize content on Mastodon and make it easier to discover related posts. When you include a hashtag in your post, it becomes clickable, allowing other users to easily find related content. To maximize the use of hashtags, it is important to choose relevant keywords and to avoid overusing them.

Boosting and Favoriting Posts

Boosting and favoriting posts are two ways to show appreciation for content on Mastodon. When you boost a post, it appears on your timeline and is visible to your followers, increasing the reach of the original post. When you favorite a post, it is added to a list of posts you have liked, making it easy to find and revisit later.

Creating and Sharing Content

Creating and sharing content is a core feature of Mastodon, and there are several ways to do this. You can create a new post by clicking the compose button, which allows you to write text, add media, and include hashtags. You can also share content from other websites by using the share button, which will create a new post with a link to the original content.

Privacy and Security

Mastodon is designed to prioritize user privacy and data ownership, and there are several features that allow you to control who can see your content. You can set your account to private, which means that only users you approve can follow you and see your posts. You can also choose to only share your posts with specific groups or individuals. Additionally, Mastodon supports end-to-end encryption for direct messages, ensuring that your private conversations remain secure.

It’s an alternative

Mastodon is a powerful social networking platform that offers a decentralized and user-centric approach to social media. By following best practices such as setting up your account, navigating the interface, finding and following users, using hashtags, boosting and favoriting posts, creating and sharing content, and prioritizing privacy and security, you can maximize the use of Mastodon and create a valuable social network that meets your needs.