For those new to mastodon...
There is no algorithm there. (for better or worse, mostly better)
Boosts are the *only* way that a post will get more visibility.
Bookmarks = I'd like to find this again in the future
Star/favorite = I read this, and it didn't suck.
Boost = more people should see this.
Yes, exactly. Your post points out, correctly, that boosting is the only way to increase a post's visibility.
I'd like to point out one thing explicitly for newcomers accustomed to other platforms that count and display likes/stars for everyone to see. Mastodon doesn't work that way. A like/star is only visible to you and the poster. Nobody else knows that you clicked the like/star. As stated in the OP, boosting is the ONLY way to increase visibility.
