So, I am back to trying out Mastodon (mastodon.social/@neurobongo). I was on Mastodon back in 2017, but the server I was on disappeared after the wave of new interest I rode in on dissipated.
Some thoughts:
For now, Mastodon seems like the best hedge against the rich idiot who seems determined to speed-run Twitter into oblivion. Between the new debt he's saddled the company with and all of the "hardcore engineering" (aka toxic workplace), I am not confident abt the future here.
That said, I am also nervous about Mastodon, esp given my past experience there. Mastodon forces users to make a highly consequential, highly uninformed decision at sign-up: what instance to join. And they frame it as a benefit. Yay, decentralization!
@neurobongo I have seen in other’s posts that there may be tools to migrate your account including those who you follow if you do move instances. Don’t hold me to it and I’m not sure if there is still something that gets lost in the move.
I picked the instance I’m on and I feel I’m pretty lucky. I think there are a couple thousand active users so the local timeline is full but there isn’t so much content that it’s a firehose.
I hope it works out for you here and welcome back! I just happily deactivated my Twitter account last night.
@DrCuff @derickflorian the main problem with import/export is not who *I* follow, but who follows me. This is why the idea of account portability in the current state is a little silly... but I am happy to start to bootstrap up a new account!
@DrCuff @derickflorian I wish there was some canonical database for mapping Twitter refugee handles to mastodon handles...
@neurobongo @DrCuff Yeah, all of the above seems true. Whether migrating from mastodon or leaving twitter you are rebuilding. I have 3 mutuals from twitter that I managed to connect with again but the rest are new people to learn and share with. It is bittersweet.
Twitter
@derickflorian @neurobongo Similar discovery for me also - staying put with "the big instance in the sky" for not to see how it pans out. Import/export seems to be well documented, bit of a two step as you move your identity and the posts in two moves. Seems to be some sort of "redirect" on the old server if you move, think ~/.forward from the proper old email days. Great write up David, you hit all the main points of friction right now. It will get better - volume counts!