@taylorlorenz the biggest barrier to join Mastodon is having more than two functioning neurons.
You know that's becoming rarer and rarer.
Ask yourself if you do really want the hordes of monocellular organisms to flood in?

@taylorlorenz In USA it is for sure artists and sports, it's a religion basically.

@taylorlorenz Lack of search. Inability to click on a user’s follows/following and see who they follow/are following.

@taylorlorenz Mastodon's biggest barrier is network effect, a budget to attract users, and it not being, or wanting to be, the new Twitter. Bluesky has the first two, which has given it the advantage on the first, but not yet enough to overtake old Twitter.
The future for Mastodon is to continue not being the next Twitter, but pull in users that should naturally prefer decentralized and non-profit, like government organizations and sane people. That and journalists adding it to their byline.

@taylorlorenz Mastodon's biggest barrier is network effect, a budget to attract users, and it not being, or wanting to be, the new Twitter. Bluesky has the first two, which has given it the advantage on the first, but not yet enough to overtake old Twitter.
The future for Mastodon is to continue not being the next Twitter, but pull in users that should naturally prefer decentralized and non-profit, like government organizations and sane people. That and journalists adding it to their byline.

@taylorlorenz
🇪🇺 🇪🇺 🇪🇺
“At this historical moment, I’d value the fact that Mastodon is made in the #europeanunion. I’m a new user myself who joined as part of a Trump-led US boycott campaign, so I was looking for a #EU-made alternative—Mastodon seemed like the most structured one anyway.
#EU #buyeuropean we should follow the Canadians’ example #buycanadian”
🇪🇺 🇪🇺 🇪🇺

@taylorlorenz It lacks an addictive algorithm.

@taylorlorenz just like substack

@taylorlorenz Mass produce the stuffed mastodons and get them in every Wal Mart, etc. in the world, with a QR link on the tag.
Bam.
Done.

@taylorlorenz I think famous people need to get on here, most people I've spoken with regarding Mastodon or Fediverse is that they follow news and gossip mostly on the commercial platforms.

If the people come, the people will follow

@taylorlorenz the name

@taylorlorenz It's just a case of it being not as trendy. Mainly a marketing issue. Even when a product is identical there is no guarantee of equal market share because of human nature to judge anything based on social cues, especially when a product isn't novel or offering something significantly different. (short term material gains).

As distasteful as it is to me what is missing in this case is high profile celebrity endorsement. People go where their idols are. What does Taylor swift use?

@taylorlorenz effective action against misogyny and racism would help, as well as toning down the reply guys and OSS liturgy perhaps.

@taylorlorenz
They aren't spoon fed Mastodon like all the other corporate social media.

I hope Loops takes off due to TikToks new maga ownership but last time I tried it out the android app wasnt a very good experience.

@taylorlorenz The network effect is working against adoption of more decentralized social networks like Mastodon or Nostr. These networks tend to attract certain type of users and do not cover wide variety of subjects that would attract wide base of users. This is both a positive and negative thing depends how you look at this.

At the same time it is refreshing to join a network like Nostr where you have full freedom to express your opinions and there is nobody that can censor you.

@taylorlorenz Mastodon isnt "a product".

@taylorlorenz There are a million little friction points for non-technical people. Example: somebody links somebody else's post, I click on it and I am brought to their server. Which means I am no longer recognized as logged in and can't follow/comment/like etc.
To me this is a minor bump on the road, and in two clicks I can sort it out. For my mother it is an impossible wall of confusion (my father gave up on understanding any technology that appeared after the '80s).

@taylorlorenz recommending a server is always a barrier but https://fedi.garden/fediverse-servers-sorted-by-topic/ helped in my recent fedi-evangelist efforts

@taylorlorenz
Not having a multi-billion corp/national govern't pushing it.

@taylorlorenz The selection of server still seems to be a big deal.

@taylorlorenz People the world over are fantastic. I'm certain there are many people at present who are missing that would make this place better. However, we can't corral people -- that's corpo crap. And, having ALL the people also invites a lot of... uh, crap. If there is less friction people won't slow down to assess a new environment. If there is too much on-ramping people bubble and never seek new ideas. I can only use a few characters. Arts, tech, and inclusivity is always a small set.

@taylorlorenz People just dismiss it right away, and I never understood it why. Worst case they come up with excuses that they maybe heard from a person who heard it from another person's cat that it was cumbersome.

"It doesn't work, I hate it" has been a response from people with exactly 0 experience too many times and I cannot fathom why. They haven't even given themselves a chance to get angry at clumsy federation and they're already dismissive :P

@taylorlorenz In my opinion the major "problem" with Mastodon is the lack of many sources that are present on Twitter. I'm Italian and on Twitter I was following many journalists, newspapers and politics, while here on Mastodon there are really few of them. The same applies for other kind of accounts

@taylorlorenz
An advertising budget

@taylorlorenz I think joining Mastodon is really easy, especially with all the amazing join(this, that) .org
What could be improved is making self hosting easier and more accessible. I think that will make this beautiful project more attractive to communities (local or digital). Small self-hosted instances of people who know each other will probably be more active and engaging and thanks to the fediverse they'll connect with inspiring skeletons and the rest

@taylorlorenz The Fediverse is impossible to censor, no one can buy it, it would negate. Its the future. The ability for anyone to spin up a server and there being no suggestion algorithm are features that ensure it will eventually dominate the web.

Bluesky and Upscrolled still have much of the same problems of the major SMPs. Centralization always ensures eventual enshitefication. RSS, Wikis, Federated Platforms, these are the true tech marvels of the internet.

@taylorlorenz the big two seen to be the decision paralysis surrounding choosing a server, and the mastodon hoa shaming new users for stuff

@taylorlorenz capitalist realism. People (even leftists) refuse to understand that these apps don‘t exist to "compete" with the big monetized platforms. This place has been so good for my mental health because it‘s designed with freedom in mind!

@taylorlorenz I think it's because the fediverse, for me at least, works more as a social network than social media. And because of that it needs a network effect...but if you're joining without knowing anybody it's hard to get into a circle like that. It's a catch 22.

I was lucky on my main account to find a server for a common interest and everyone in that cluster of servers knows and interacts with each other. In a way it's ended up feeling more like old school facebook than twitter?

@taylorlorenz I love Mastodon just like I love my local owner-run vegan cafe. The decor definitely has a DIY vibe, the staff flaunt an array of tattoos and beanies, and who knows what might be on the menu on any given day. The coffee and cake is to die for.

Tried taking the family there once. The kids complained the hot chocolate was "too chocolatey" and the Quorn dippers weren't "chickeny enough"

So McDonald's it is still with them. Nothing like the buzz of a McFlurry and Chicken Select box

@taylorlorenz Onboarding is still the biggest hurdle. Asking new users to pick a server, understand federation, and think about migrating later is a lot. Better defaults and clearer explanations would help without breaking decentralization.

@taylorlorenz There is also the problem of retaining people. @davidallengreen, a UK lawyer with solid takes on pretty much everything, just went on an extended fedi break because the purity police didn’t like him using substack and he got bored of the hassling. Lovely own goal reply guys, the only behaviour you changed was his posting on the fedi. This is a people issue not a tech issue, which I’m not quite sure how to get around. He’s not the only one either.

@taylorlorenz Just a couple of politicians, influencers and journalists using Mastodon as their primary medium would do wonders. Dutch news routinely refers to posts on X/Twitter.

@taylorlorenz
Getting them to stay is the harder part. How many abandoned accounts are there that post a couple of times. Dont get followers, dont connect and never come back.

Welcoming people.
Answer their questions
Give them tips
Help them connect to other with similar interests.
Explain how it works
Suggest content or people

@taylorlorenz I think ultimately it boils down to the crux of human nature; being in groups. On Facebook, Instagram, TikTok etc., you'll find that's where most of your family and friends are and so naturally it's very hard to migrate to a newer, "unknown" platform. Do we remember how hard it was to get a parent, or grandparent, on Facebook? History repeats itself like that, except this time, we're the boomers!

@taylorlorenz 👍👍👍

@taylorlorenz this is very chicken/egg, but I think it needs a more heterogenous user base. if you’re into programming or leftish politics, there are many users to engage with. if you’re looking for discourse around a major sport like football/soccer, there’s almost nothing here.

@taylorlorenz Explain that the Fediverse cannot be bought by some tech bro millionaire. It is ours.

@taylorlorenz
in a brief explanation: It's a matter of breaking the habits by themselves...

@taylorlorenz the network effect, for sure :)
Big fan of your yt channel btw 🙌

@taylorlorenz We should market the Fediverse as fun, not only as virtuous. It’s like praising your fruit as „healthy“. True, but I buy where it says „sweet“ 🍇

I think the #Forkiverse got this right.

And, as always, do write alt-texts, do not harass new users who don’t.

@taylorlorenz honestly, the people that love (are addicted to?) Tiktok and Instagram *want* an algorithm feeding them, or at least want the option. Additionally, Mastodon simply doesn't have the same addiction-based behavioral design... When most of your time is spent reading text or viewing a static image, the endorfin hit is just much smaller and spread out. In that way neither does Twitter, but the last ingredient is siloed rage. Fewer people with more consistent views means less excitement.

@taylorlorenz transparency/trust on legal & effective free speech protection; commercial content instances (de)-federation; lack of visibility for famous accounts; lack of context for posts; lack of any algorithm.

And additionally the fact that commercial social media to everything to maximize engagement and time on the platform, while Mastodon tries to keep the protocol and the initial instance up, running, and minimally sane.

@taylorlorenz Maybe too confusing to know which one, since there are so many

@taylorlorenz I believe the problem is that there is not a lot of information about Mastodon. I just joined yesterday because I wanted to get away from TikTok and just happened to stumble upon this platform by searching for No Tracking Social Media.

@taylorlorenz .. it’s all about interactive communication.. people want a news feed page where they can share an opinion of feelings and thoughts and have it available to interact.. Facebook is very good doing so, that is why it is so popular.

@taylorlorenz if Mastodon had exploded at the same time as Twitter back in the late 2000s, I don’t think there would be an issue. As much as people complain though, I think they generally prefer algorithmic, simpler alternatives.

@taylorlorenz
I think the biggest barrier is that it is just a social network. It is missing commercialisation. You can just be here. So it doesn't work for the majority of influencers, that make money on advertising. It works for the ones that have an interest in a topic and earn their money otherwise. But Mastodon will never develop the drive as other platforms and I think that is good...

@taylorlorenz when I explain mastodon to people they are thrilled to join. I haven't ever enjoyed FB like this platform. Give it time. The word is out!

I encourage anyone to try LARPING as a potential mastodon user who has experience with other social media but not Mastodon. For example, let's say they're a new user that likes reading books and wants to find posts about books. Or sports. Or anything. Mastodon tells such a user at multiple checkpoints that it's closed to them or that it's a ghost town and no one here is discussing such things.

@taylorlorenz Perhaps nothing needs to be changed and Mastodon's strength lies precisely in its decentralised nature and the abundance of choice it offers. As the saying goes, good wine needs no bush.

@taylorlorenz I just joined and I have no idea what I’m doing. So, there’s that.

@taylorlorenz Very often, it's a matter of not knowing the platform and ignoring the benefits of a decentralized social network, without algorithms, advertising, or profiling, and above all, with a real chronological timeline. When people begin to understand this, they'll realize the benefits. It's just a matter of time.

@taylorlorenz

Use it & Spread the word ✅

@taylorlorenz
At this point? Fully automated migration. Let me explain:

- i want my aunt to join
- i send her an invite link over whatsapp (urgh)
- she gets the option to do full auto migration by providing her current profile link on facebook, twitter, instagram whatever

where applicable, also optional
- copies bio, nick, media
- crawls the profile, pulls contacts and suggests them on the fedi
- reposts x time of posts unlisted not to spam the local feed
- posts a link to new profile on fb

@taylorlorenz new user here. i like it already lol.

@taylorlorenz

Inertia and uncertainty?

They are used to what they're currently doing and there's not enough public knowledge about Fediverse and Mastodon so they don't have an informed opinion.

I often tell people what I found on Mastodon and share articles and suggest that they join. They never do. All it took to get me on Mastodon was musk buying Twitter.

I've got friends who are far more progressive and leftist than me who are still using Facebook and Instagram. I get it. I gave up access to multiple artists whose work I enjoyed because I left Instagram. I have no idea what's happening with much of my extended family because I left Facebook. Some people are not willing to give it up.

@taylorlorenz looks a bit uggo, needs more swag

@taylorlorenz People are too lazy and too comfortable, it's as simple as that.

@taylorlorenz time and user counts. If more content creators swap it'll change the landscape a bit but also give it the cred.

@taylorlorenz A lot of good points here, so won’t repeat them. But to put it simple, and citing The Matrix, it’s a red pill, blue pill situation: red pill, you jump on the Fediverse, and take part in a new concept of social media. No corporations, no algorithm, no tracking, no centralized servers. Blue pill, you stay in corporate controlled land, with the algorithm and ad tracking cookies. You’ll keep yelling at bots and bigots. So, their choice.

@taylorlorenz one of the big reasons people stay on corp(s) media is because they are running their businesses there. Small businesses, crafters etc make a ton of sales through tiktok/IG. Leaving their audience is akin to leaving their businesses. I love mastodon! But I can't sell anything without getting blocked or reported.

@taylorlorenz

Institutions, companies, groups and organizations need to recognize that they can host their own social media instances, and thereby own their data and control their presence.

This is difficult for them to grasp, because they are used to depending on a corporate intermediary, and entire industries are devoted to fostering this reliance.

It's like telling a house cat they can be free and opening the door.

@taylorlorenz I both appreciate a chronological, unfiltered feed *and* the trending/explore feed of posts that are being boosted a lot. It lets me feel in control without getting in a rut.

But that's probably not exactly what people expect. I could see value in a feed that mixes the two, especially if you aren't following a lot of people yet.

Optional, of course. It's tricky balancing being accessible with having full control.

@taylorlorenz A name change might help, and for people to be able to build their own little algorithms on top of the non-changed feed.

@taylorlorenz Do you find enough audience here to engage with?

@taylorlorenz Its own community. The purity tests they demand are impossible for the masses. Just look at what happened when Instagram federated.

@taylorlorenz

My own take is that the US fascists consolidate power to the point that every US-based social media platform turns to shit so people will flock here.

I've got half a dozen news articles of that happening right now, and it's going to get much worse before November.

@taylorlorenz The majority of people can not and will not accept anything that frees them from conformist slavery. They never have, and never will. We'll always be cursed by kings, churches, record labels, whatever force there is that allows people to be conformists. It's literally what most people want.

This sort won't try Mastodon any more than they would stop buying number one records or skip watching the Superbowl even if they don't care about football.

@taylorlorenz I love Mastodon and I completely agree with you about decentralization being the way to go. People are fiercely addicted to the big apps, and for good reason, so I can't push. I just float the idea and let them consider it.

It may be partly a matter of critical mass, partly because it's too different, but perhaps it's also because Twitter-like apps like Mastodon just aren't everyone's cup of tea. So I've started matching their style: Loops for TikTok fans, Pixelfed for Instagram fans, etc.

The fediverse is still pretty young so I'm excited to see it grow.

@taylorlorenz Users of social media have been *deskilled* to the point where they expect a platform to essentially do everything for them: grab an app, put in your name, maybe tap some circles or something, and bang zoom, you get a feed.

The barrier is that Mastodon--and to a lesser extent Bluesky--are slightly less easy. Now, I'd argue that if you take five minutes to choose an instance that matches your tastes, it provides a feed right away, and then you can build your follow list, but...

@taylorlorenz I feel like the only way left is to set up huge armadas of influencer bots from the established social networks to draw people in and then delete them all once we've reached a certain threshold of network effect.

There really is a HOA here even if it's not fashionable to mention it. And there is a harassment problem that is made worse by no reply controls and the terrible, terrible misfeature of followers-only replies.
@taylorlorenz

@taylorlorenz

I think the product is just fine. Wonderful, in fact. I'm glad that Taylor Lorenz and Corey Doctorow and George Takai and Lisa Melton etc, etc are the local celebrities on this site. I also think scarcity and "being cool" (in other words, not trying) are the ultimate signifier of where folks should want to be.

It ain't broken.

Let's not fix it.

#Mastodon

@taylorlorenz for people subject to abuse (I'm not), I've seen requests for reply controls and support for shared blocklists.

You may know this, but Loops at @loops is a fediverse alternative to tiktok. It's pretty new but is developing quickly, from what I gather (I haven't used it).

@taylorlorenz I moved to Mastodon because of the it’s decentralized model, but as a not overly technical person it’s not as easy to use. Some of the other platforms and a lot of friends are coasting on the other corporate platforms because they have their friend networks there.

@taylorlorenz why does Mastodon needs to be fixed and not people?

@taylorlorenz I love this app. When I tell other people about it they say the image it conjures up is massive, slow and extinct and that's not instantly appealing. You have to get to know this place. The exploration, the finding and discovering is what's so exciting. But it's not a shiny bauble.

@taylorlorenz Black users have consistently reported hostility