Users Flock to Mastodon as Twitter Sees Exodus Due to Elon Musk's Influence

 

Twitter users are fleeing Elon Musk for the Mastodon platform. What is it and how does it work?

BBC

3 min

November 7, 2022

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The changes that are already taking place and still coming to Twitter with the arrival of Elon Musk have led to the fact that many users began to look for alternative platforms. Mastodon has become the most popular choice at the moment.

Now it has more than 655 thousand users, of which more than 230 thousand joined in the past week.

Mastodon has been around for six years, but the social network has never seen such unprecedented activity. According to some reports, the technical staff of the company is struggling to cope with the influx of new users and is urgently working to expand the technical capabilities of the platform.

For example, the developers of the British mobile app MastodonApp.UK temporarily suspended the registration of new accounts after more than six thousand people joined the social network in the last 24 hours.

In February 2022, Donald Trump's team also launched an alternative social network called Truth Social. According to its creators, the platform is intended for those whose opinions and political views are purposefully squeezed out of the information field by such giants as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

How does Mastodon work?

This is a free social network with a cute elephant logo. Its developer and executive director is a German citizen Evgeny Rochko.

The main functions of Mastodon are the same as in "Twitter": the ability to write messages, reply to them, put likes and subscribe to each other.

Messages are called toots - "beeps" (by analogy with tweets - tweets).

Photo by Mastodon

When joining a social network, the user needs to choose the server that suits him. There are many of them - geographically and by interests. For example: Britain (any other country), London (any other city), technology, games, social topics and others.

As a result, all Mastodon users can still see each other and can communicate, but initially the profile is registered in a narrower community, and posts from this community will be the first to appear in the user's feed.

Unlike the vast majority of existing social networks, Mastodon does not provide advertising.

Network without central control

Essentially, Mastodon is not a single platform, but a collective network linking many different servers. Therefore, unlike Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, it does not belong to one person or company. Each server has its own owner.

This is what attracts so many users who prefer decentralized platforms. Such a platform cannot be controlled by the whims of one person, nor can it be bought or sold.

However, the user depends on the owner of the server on which he is registered. If the owner decides to close it, the user will lose their account.

According to the rules of the social network, the owner of the server must notify his intention three months in advance so that users can re-register in another community.

According to Mastodon sources, there are already eight local servers connected to the platform in Ukraine. The functioning of the social network in Russia is still unknown.

Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, who sold the company to Elon Musk, is currently working on a new platform called BlueSky, which he says will also be decentralized.

Problems with moderation

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The main problem of a social platform without central control is content content.

Each server in the Mastodon network has its own moderation rules, and some don't have any at all.

Some servers block the content of other servers, which, in the opinion of the owners, have a lot of bots or distribute hateful and illegal content.

In this case, Mastodon users registered on unlinked servers will not be able to see each other's messages.

You can complain about the posts to the server owner, who has the right to remove the controversial content from himself, but links to it on other servers will still be visible.

Experts predict that such selective moderation could lead to big problems as the social network grows. There are already complaints about racist and homophobic slurs in Mastodon that cannot be removed everywhere.

If a solution to this problem is not promptly found, then the migration of users from Twitter may slow down, as people leave this platform precisely out of fear that censorship of hate speech will be lifted on the social network with the arrival of Elon Musk.

Headline: Users Flock to Mastodon as Twitter Sees Exodus Due to Elon Musk's Influence

Subheading: The rise of Elon Musk on Twitter prompts users to seek alternative platforms, with Mastodon emerging as the favored choice.

Introduction: As the changes brought about by Elon Musk's presence on Twitter continue to unfold, many users are actively exploring alternative social media platforms. Mastodon has gained significant traction, emerging as the most popular choice among these users. With over 655,000 new registrations, including more than 230,000 in the past week alone, Mastodon is experiencing an unprecedented surge in activity. The platform's technical team is currently working tirelessly to expand its infrastructure to accommodate the influx of new users.

Paragraph 1: Mastodon, a social network that has been in existence for six years, has never witnessed such remarkable growth. Reports suggest that the platform's technical team is struggling to keep up with the overwhelming number of new users, prompting them to urgently enhance the platform's technical capabilities. In fact, the British mobile app, MastodonApp.UK, temporarily suspended new account registrations after more than 6,000 individuals joined the social network within 24 hours.

Paragraph 2: Notably, this is not the first time an alternative social network has emerged to compete with Twitter. In February 2022, Donald Trump's team launched Truth Social, a platform designed for individuals who feel marginalized in the information landscape dominated by giants like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Paragraph 3: So, how does Mastodon work? Developed and led by German citizen Evgeny Rochko, Mastodon functions as a free social network with a charming elephant logo. Its core features resemble those of Twitter, allowing users to compose messages, reply to them, like posts, and follow other users. These messages, known as "toots," mirror the concept of tweets on Twitter.

Paragraph 4: When joining Mastodon, users must select a server that aligns with their preferences. Servers are available based on geographical locations and interests, such as specific countries, cities, technologies, games, and social topics. While all Mastodon users can still interact and communicate with each other, initial registration places them within a more focused community, prioritizing posts from that community in their feed.

Paragraph 5: Unlike most mainstream social networks, Mastodon does not incorporate advertising. It operates as a decentralized network, connecting various servers rather than belonging to a single individual or company. This decentralized nature appeals to users seeking platforms that cannot be easily controlled or influenced by one person or entity. However, users are still reliant on the server owner, and if a server shuts down, users may lose their accounts. The social network's rules stipulate that server owners must provide three months' notice to allow users to re-register on another server.

Paragraph 6: Ukraine already boasts eight local servers connected to Mastodon, although the situation regarding the network's functioning in Russia remains unclear. Meanwhile, Twitter's founder Jack Dorsey, who sold the company to Elon Musk, is actively developing BlueSky, a decentralized platform aimed at fostering a similar network structure.

Paragraph 7: One of the challenges faced by a decentralized social platform like Mastodon is content moderation. Each server in the Mastodon network establishes its own moderation rules, and some servers lack moderation entirely. Certain servers block content from other servers if they perceive an abundance of bots or the dissemination of hateful or illegal content. Consequently, Mastodon users on unlinked servers may be unable to view each other's posts. While users can report problematic content to server owners for potential removal, links to such content on other servers may remain visible.

Paragraph 8: Experts predict that as Mastodon continues to grow, selective moderation could lead to significant challenges. There have already been complaints of racist and homophobic language on Mastodon, highlighting the difficulty of implementing consistent moderation policies across the network. If a timely solution is not found, the migration of users from Twitter to Mastodon may slow down, as individuals fear that hate speech could go unchecked on the platform with Elon Musk's arrival.

Conclusion: The influence of Elon Musk on Twitter has triggered a substantial exodus of users to alternative social media platforms like Mastodon. While the surge in registrations indicates a growing preference for decentralized networks, challenges related to content moderation must be addressed to ensure a safe and inclusive environment. The evolving landscape of social media continues to reshape the digital sphere, emphasizing the need for robust and adaptable platforms that meet the changing needs and preferences of users.

Tags: #Mastodon #ElonMusk #TwitterExodus #DecentralizedNetwork #SocialMediaPlatform

Keywords: Mastodon, Elon Musk, Twitter, alternative platforms, social network, users, registration, influx, technical capabilities, decentralized, moderation, content control, hate speech, migration.

15 Twitter Hashtags:

1. #Mastodon

2. #ElonMusk

3. #TwitterExodus

4. #SocialMediaAlternative

5. #DecentralizedNetwork

6. #DigitalMigration

7. #ContentModeration

8. #HateSpeechChallenge

9. #SafeSocialNetwork

10. #InclusivePlatforms

11. #DigitalCommunity

12. #TechNews

13. #SocialMediaTrends

14. #TechUpdates

15. #OnlinePrivacy

Conclusion:

The impact of Elon Musk's presence on Twitter has triggered a significant wave of users seeking alternative platforms, with Mastodon emerging as a popular choice. The rapid growth of Mastodon highlights the demand for decentralized networks, offering users a sense of control and independence. However, challenges related to content moderation must be effectively addressed to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all users. The evolving landscape of social media calls for adaptable platforms that cater to the changing needs and preferences of individuals seeking a diverse and engaging online community.

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