So searching hashtags searches only your local instance. I'm sorry, that is completely useless.
@neuralengine According to this, mastodon searches the federated timeline, which includes posts and boosts from accounts that anyone on your server is following:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Mastodon/comments/z0m4yu/comment/ix6p3ls
It still means that results depend a lot on the local instance, but it's not as restrictive as only searching in the local timeline
@matrig hmmm. I think I am on a big instance though (mastodon.world). And it does not seem (for me) to be showing anything in searches for neuroscience terms like #hippocampus etc. Maybe there are not many neuro people on the same server. So server choice does matter...
@neuralengine strange my search searches everything... (How I found this!) Maybe tweaking your search in preferences?
@macaskillaf yes its entirely possibly that it is a cluelessness issue. But maybe because you are on fediscience and I am on mastodon.world.
@neuralengine @macaskillaf When I search #neuroscience, I find you and many others across instances. I’m on mastodon.social.
@NicoleCRust @macaskillaf yes I find results for that hashtag. But for instance I didn't find anything for #FluorescenceFriday which is a commonly used tag in bioimaging - and I had just seen some posts go by earlier in the day...
@NicoleCRust @macaskillaf
I mean, I just "boosted" a #FluorescenceFriday post myself and then searched:
@neuralengine @macaskillaf I see n=1 (you)
@neuralengine @macaskillaf Oh wait - it says one person but when I click, a long list of posts appears. 🤷♀️
@NicoleCRust @macaskillaf damn, why not for me.
@neuralengine @NicoleCRust have you tried using a 3rd party app like e.g. tusky? Maybe it's just the specific interface you're using...
@macaskillaf @NicoleCRust I’m using it via web browser, which I understand has all the features. I have tried two iPhone apps as well (the mastodon one and toot!), both if which have slightly less functionality. (In particular dont allow following of hashtags).
@neuralengine @macaskillaf @NicoleCRust metatext is supposed to be the best iOS app. I use tusky on Android and it's excellent. Using web browser, use the advanced interface (select in settings), it's much better, and allows you to pin a column of a hashtag (or hashtags) like#neuroscience
