Another Reason Why Now Is a Good Time to Join Mastodon, an Open Source Alternative to Twitter
Mastodon finally launched its free official Android app last week, making it easy to use the open source alternative to Twitter on Android devices. Timing for Mastodon is perfect: Twitter’s board just approved Elon Musk’s $44 billion offer to buy Twitter . The suddenly looming ransom has split Twitter’s user base. Some users support Mask’s vision of a more “open source” Twitter algorithm and the promise of features like tweet editing. Others are rightly concerned that Musk’s ownership will undo the hard-won moderation policies that the billionaire often criticizes, and worry about the precedent this acquisition sets. Should one person be able to buy a large company on a whim, only to change its operating policies to suit their own preferences?
Whatever your opinion, the fact is that many Twitter users are taking this acquisition as a sign that it’s time to try alternative online spaces like Mastodon.
Mastodon is similar to Twitter in many ways: users post microblogs in their own timeline, follow each other, and share each other’s posts. There are hashtags, you can yell at someone else with “@” and view the latest or trending posts. The new Mastodon app for Android is even very similar to the Twitter app. However, Mastodon is not one large global user base that tweets each other, but a decentralized platform with numerous small communities like subreddits or public Discord servers. Each is a separate, stand-alone “mini-Twitter” where users log in and chat about similar interests. Some communities are regional, while others are based on specific topics such as technology, games, art, and more.
Less focus on the community makes it easier to curate your Mastodon experience, but be aware that each community has its own guidelines and rules that you need to follow. You should also expect a much quieter experience on Mastodon than on Twitter. Although Mastodon says it has almost 4.5 million users, you will only see posts from users in the community you are currently logged into. This can make it easier to have meaningful conversations and find relevant content, but you’re not going to cultivate a large audience and some groups may not be active.
You can learn more about Mastodon and how to use it in our Mastodon beginner’s guide, or download the new Android app from the Google Play store and dive straight into it. Mastodon is also available for iOS , web browsers , or as a progressive web app . on the desktop.
[ TheNext Web ]