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Mastodon Is Better Than Twitter: Elevator Pitch

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Re: Mastodon Is Better Than Twitter: Elevator Pitch

#61

Post by tablethnuser »

PretzelFisch wrote: post #33

I guess I don't understand why so much effort is put into these federated social networks rather then starting with a blog and rss perspective to build the same kind of network.

I'd like things to go in this direction as well, but with slightly different tech than rss. What you really want is the notification layer of social networks as a standard, so that ppl who follow you are merely alerted that they should visit your site. RSS can be used for this of course, but it's really meant for content syndication rather than as a notification transport layer

Re: Mastodon Is Better Than Twitter: Elevator Pitch

#62

Post by 0xcde4c3db »

wool_gather wrote: post #46
jamesrcole wrote: post #25

I think the term "toots" is spectacularly bad, and could majorly hinder broader uptake of their service. Word of mouth (or 'word of text') is a major way services like this spread. Imagine discussions of Twitter in the media but where the words "tweet" and "tweeted" are replaced with "toot" and "tooted".

Can you elaborate on the problem you see with the word "toot"?

It's an onomatopoeic term for briefly sounding a horn, but I almost never hear it used for that. In my experience, there are two primary uses of the word in American English:

1) In the expression toot [one's] own horn, which means to praise oneself. Often in the form "I don't want to toot my own horn, but [...]".

2) A cutesy word for a fart, used primarily when talking to young children.

Notably, an elephant using its trunk to make noise is said to be trumpeting, not tooting.

Re: Mastodon Is Better Than Twitter: Elevator Pitch

#63

Post by maxerickson »

guelo wrote: post #60
simula67 wrote: post #52

> One of the most pernicious parts of Twitter is how people will retweet something dumb, offensive, or awful that an opponent said, along with a message mocking that opponent. Over time, this leads people on all sides of an issue to see only a distorted caricature of their opponents, comprised of an amalgam of all the worst features of that group. > How does Mastodon solve this issue? Well, Mastodon doesn't have retw…

Twitter didn't used to have retweets with comments but people did basically the same thing using manual retweets or . replies. I imagine if Mastodon develops a big partisan political community the same thing will happen there.

Yeah, that particular criticism dances right up to "The problem with Twitter is that people are using it".

Re: Mastodon Is Better Than Twitter: Elevator Pitch

#64

Post by dangom »

simula67 wrote: post #52

> One of the most pernicious parts of Twitter is how people will retweet something dumb, offensive, or awful that an opponent said, along with a message mocking that opponent. Over time, this leads people on all sides of an issue to see only a distorted caricature of their opponents, comprised of an amalgam of all the worst features of that group. > How does Mastodon solve this issue? Well, Mastodon doesn't have retw…

> Refuting bad ideas often takes longer than 240 characters.

Not necessarily true.

> Showing bad ideas to be bad is very important in civil discourse, not being able to point out bad ideas by "retweeting" them with commentary will likely make this social network an echo chamber devoid of intellectual curiosity

Theoretically yes, but the problem with Twitter is not "properly" refuting ideas, because there is no such thing as absolute truth when it comes to human interactions. People will tend to believe whatever they want, independent of facts. Furthermore, people may interpret the same fact in completely diverging ways, depending on their prior conceptions.

Not allowing awfulness to spread could be more efficient than helplessly trying to refute it.

Re: Mastodon Is Better Than Twitter: Elevator Pitch

#65

Post by mepian »

tablethnuser wrote: post #32

I am interested in joining a Mastodon instance but I don't know how to find the right one to join. Every pro-Mastodon article mentions I can pack my bags and leave for a new instance but if you do research you find that that feature isn't built yet and the community can't agree on how it should work. So picking the right server is currently a very heavy decision. I've tried some of these instance finder tools but the…

You'll probably like this Mastodon instance, it's about video game development: https://mastodon.gamedev.place

Re: Mastodon Is Better Than Twitter: Elevator Pitch

#66

Post by how_to_bake »

thsealienbstrds wrote: post #17
how_to_bake wrote: post #3

I recently joined Twitter and I have to agree that Retweets are the most cancerous part. Accounts with many followers act like schoolyard bullies with their gang of yes men. I still see federation as being too niche, but it doesn't have to be that way! I think in an ideal situation, federated servers would rely more on physical location than on deviant niche hobbies or addictions. The Smith family should have a serve…

ISPs could even provide the federated services like they provide e-mail. Another way it might work is companies that sell people federated service servers as products that they can deploy for example in their home or let the company host it. In any case maintenance must be included. I don't see how federated will take off without commercial support. The Smiths might be technically capable but I doubt the Jones's who…

There is at least one[0] company providing mastodon hosting as a service. There really should be more though. The more Mastodon becomes compliant with Activity Pub, the more you could potentially replace all social media with it. Then both email and social media would be properly federated.

I agree that the Jones' wouldn't want to be hosted by the Smith's instance. But I can forsee something like a local co-op managing an instance for all neighbors. But personally, I'd rather just pay a company that I know is subject to various laws and consumer agreements, etc.

[0]: https://masto.host/

Re: Mastodon Is Better Than Twitter: Elevator Pitch

#67

Post by TeMPOraL »

tablethnuser wrote: post #59
TeMPOraL wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> and I really just want a place to talk tech, philosophy, and video games mastodon.technology? Been on it for past couple of weeks; feels quite ok so far.

Thanks, I'll check this one out next time I get the itch to find an instance. It seems straightforward enough but the website gives me a 502 atm

Might be scheduled saturday maintenance. Time window is AFAIR max 3 hours.

Re: Mastodon Is Better Than Twitter: Elevator Pitch

#68

Post by sacul »

jamesrcole wrote: post #25

I think the term "toots" is spectacularly bad, and could majorly hinder broader uptake of their service. Word of mouth (or 'word of text') is a major way services like this spread. Imagine discussions of Twitter in the media but where the words "tweet" and "tweeted" are replaced with "toot" and "tooted".

I love open source software, I hate Facebook and I dislike twitter. People in my community want to know what I think about technology, and I’m strongly inclined to recommend stuff that isn’t FB, Google, Apple, etc.

But a mastodon “tweet” is called a “toot”? Honestly? Am I insane? Is it just in the USA that that means “fart”? It truly is spectacularly bad. Branding and naming matters, and it’s not shareholders that care. Users care.

Re: Mastodon Is Better Than Twitter: Elevator Pitch

#69

Post by pbhjpbhj »

radus wrote: post #15
pbhjpbhj wrote: post #6

Who names these things - cumbersome, heavy, ancient ... doesn't look like they did even a cursory test. I'm as anti-marketing as the next person but that doesn't mean I'd call my child Shithead.

I'm a little turned off by posts being called toots but I suppose I could get over it.

The system should be called Trumpet/Bugle, fits well with toots. "Toot" is a childish term for a fart; but most words have some downside and it's quite a fun word, much better than a wanking-professor (masto-don).

Re: Mastodon Is Better Than Twitter: Elevator Pitch

#70

Post by tablethnuser »

tablethnuser wrote: post #32

I am interested in joining a Mastodon instance but I don't know how to find the right one to join. Every pro-Mastodon article mentions I can pack my bags and leave for a new instance but if you do research you find that that feature isn't built yet and the community can't agree on how it should work. So picking the right server is currently a very heavy decision. I've tried some of these instance finder tools but the…

Thank you for all the thoughtful replies everyone. It's helped me understand Mastodon a little better. I think what I want for my primary instance is to immerse in a culture of makers and then I can follow my interests like tech, philosophy, and games, by following ppl in other instances
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