Strypey
activity timestamp 6 months ago
What can we learn from all this, as we brace for another influx of confused, excitable newbies from Titter? How can we make it a positive experience, both for newbies, and for the old hands (that's probably you by now)?

The most important things IMHO;

1) We're all in this together. Literally. Be *excellent* to each other.

2) Old hands, don't overwork yourselves. There are millions of us to share the load. Put on your own oxygen mask before helping others.

3) Less is more.

(7/?)

#fediverse
Strypey
activity timestamp last week
I haven't yet seen the huge influx of new fedizens I predicted after the US election though;

https://mastodon.nzoss.nz/@strypey/113518032575906032

There's a few possible reasons. Maybe my account (or server) has ended up on a blocklist that's populars with newbies, so I'm just not encountering them. Maybe people leaving DataFarming platforms are mostly going to BlueSky or Nostr, or Threads, where they still can't see posts from the fediverse. Or maybe people have gone off social media altogether for a while.

(2/2)
Strypey
activity timestamp 6 months ago
I feel like point need 3 needs a bit of unpacking. What do I mean, in this context, by less is more?

Keep in mind that newbies have a huge amount of new stuff to grok, to understand even the basics of how the fediverse works. They're learning new apps, and trying to figure out how to find fellow émigrés, and figure out who to follow for juicy posts.

(8/?)
Strypey
activity timestamp 6 months ago
They're also dealing with the grief of being chased off a platform they felt a part of, by crypto-fascist corporatist trolls. If they're USAmericans - and most of them probably will be - they're also dealing with the shock and grief of having the government of their country totally controlled by the same sort of trolls. Many will be really hurting.

You don't turn up to a funeral underslept and grumpy, and expect it to go well. Which is why points 1 and 2 will be so important.

(9/?)
Strypey
activity timestamp 6 months ago
Beyond that, try to focus on the collective power we have to organise together for a better world.

Reorganising our communications into channels we have more control over is one part of that, small but measurable. With a potential amplifier effect, if those channels help people organise more effectively in other areas.

Take the Power Back!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yMlW9YkpmA

(this video is a Brass Against cover, and is *literally* the coolest thing I've seen on the internet!)

(10/10)