In January I blogged about leaving Twitter. I did turn my attention to Mastodon and other things, but only yesterday did I deactivate Twitter. Its remaining appeal was the chance to reach the largest audience among similar apps. In reality, though, its algorithm makes a list of VIPs more visible than everyone else. Goodbye.
I'm grateful for the friendships I maintained on Twitter. I hope they continue elsewhere. If you're considering Mastodon, learning how to use it takes longer than Twitter, but it offers a lot in return. Some of my favorite features:
- Verify your account for free by adding a referring link to your personal website(s) and then adding your website link(s) to your account profile;
- 500-character limit on each post;
- You can edit, delete, and/or re-draft published posts;
- "CW" button toggles a blank warning label you can fill in to hide the post body in case of triggers or spoilers;
- There's no algorithm. You can control the flow of other users' posts to you, for example categorize your total follows into private lists so you don't have to be bombarded by all Mastodon users posting at any given moment;
- You can follow hashtags instead of people, so you only see when someone mentions a topic you're interested in, not everything else they post.
- Hashtagging your own posts lets you more easily look them up later.
Knowing that people pay for, administer, and moderate the instance that hosts my account, I mind the load I put on the server. I use the features to create a calmer, less time-consuming experience than I let Twitter become. If you're looking for that, too, pro tip: Skip following breaking-news accounts. Go to news websites to stay as informed as you like.
Also note a couple of changes to this blog: The front page shows my latest three posts. The sidebar has a Mastodon widget, a contact form, and a blog search box.