Friends from Twitter, I think you’ll like Mastodon, but it can be confusing at first. Understanding the big picture will help. This long thread, in the form of an #FAQ will help: https://sanjuans.life/@lee/109780988457348465 #Mastodon #MastodonLetter #MastodonHelp #TwitterDown

I published the "Dear Friend Let's Talk About Mastodon" letter as an article on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dear-friend-lets-talk-mastodon-lee-lefever #MastodonLetter

🎶 MUSIC PLAYING ME OFF STAGE 🎶

I'll end the #MastodonLetter here. Thanks for tuning in!

If you'd like to share this thread, please do!
Use this link: https://sanjuans.life/@lee/109780988457348465

You can find (and make copies!) of the entire letter here: https://leelefever.com/dear-friend-mastodon

Please let me know if you have any suggestions or corrections. It's a living document.

Thanks to @bmann, @feditips, and all the developers and volunteers making Mastodon great.

Cheers!

🧵 46. #MastodonLetter

CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE FEDIVERSE?

That's going to require another letter. 🫣
For now, know that Mastodon's software is designed to connect seamlessly to other platforms.
You can follow someone *outside* of #Mastodon and see their posts in your Mastodon feed. For example...

Mastodon is to Twitter what...
- #Pixelfed is to Instagram
- #Peertube is to YouTube

Mastodon is one (currently relevant) part of a much bigger movement known as the #fediverse.

🧵 45. #MastodonLetter

I'VE SEEN MASTODON TERMS I DON'T UNDERSTAND. CAN YOU TRANSLATE?

Let's start with Twitter

- Twitter = Bird Site
- Tweet = Toot
- Retweet = Boost or Reblog

Now let’s translate Mastodon:

Server or Instance: Community Software

- Fediverse: Platforms and communities that work w/ Mastodon.

- Decentralized: Independent, self-supported communities using open protocols.

- ActivityPub: The connection (a protocol) between Mastodon and other communities and platforms.

🧵 44. #MastodonLetter

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO USE MASTODON?
(cont'd)

There are currently no ads or ad platforms. Mastodon communities are usually member-supported and don't require advertising revenue to function.

If you want your community to continue, consider donating or volunteering.

In general, Mastodon communities do not tolerate racism, harassment, bigotry, etc. The Mastodon Server Covenant is a guideline for community owners:
https://joinmastodon.org/covenant

🧵 43. #MastodonLetter

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO USE MASTODON?

A lot of Mastodon's recent growth is from people leaving Twitter and looking for a safer, friendlier, more helpful place to connect. You may find that people are nicer than you expect.

It’s important to note that Mastodon is not a safe haven. Disruptive people and communities exist on Mastodon. However, Mastodon provides tools for muting and blocking individuals and entire communities.

🧵 42. #MastodonLetter

WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE MASTODON WORK FOR ME?

The key is USING Mastodon. Participate, experiment, and learn. It's a fascinating new world that's growing and much deeper than it appears.

Identify a community that will serve as your home on Mastodon and join it. Once you have an account, you can follow anyone you want on Mastodon.

View peoples' profile info. Follow a lot of people so your feed has interesting posts. Unfollow too. Boost posts; reply to threads.

🧵 41. #MastodonLetter

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY TWITTER FRIENDS ARE ON MASTODON?

There are free services that will help you find and follow your Twitter friends on Mastodon. See: #Debirdify, #Movetodon, #fedifinder

https://pruvisto.org/debirdify
https://www.movetodon.org/
https://fedifinder.glitch.me/

🧵 40. #MastodonLetter

THIS SOUNDS PRETTY GREAT. DOES IT WORK?

Yes, it does. However, it’s important to note that Mastodon is NOT a clone of Twitter or Facebook. It’s a different platform with different features and values.
The user experience isn’t as smooth as other platforms and it may take some getting used to.
Once you get settled, using it becomes second nature. Mastodon and apps for using it are always being improved.

🧵 39. #MastodonLetter

WHAT IF MASTODON IS BOUGHT BY A BILLIONAIRE OR SOLD TO ANOTHER COMPANY?

There is no company to sell in the way that Twitter was sold. The organization that manages the Mastodon software is a non-profit. The software itself is open source and freely available.

Even if a specific Mastodon community becomes controlled by a billionaire or company, it's only one part of a huge network of independent communities. People can just move to a new community if it goes sideways.

🧵 38. #MastodonLetter

IF MY COMMUNITY GROWS QUICKLY. WHAT WILL I NEED TO DO ON A DAILY BASIS?

It’s up to you + other helpers to moderate the discussions and manage the community. This can be more difficult and time-consuming than it sounds.
As leaders, you can set the tone and enforce rules you feel are important. If a person is disruptive, for example, you can use built-in tools to prevent their participation. You can make your community private, request an application, or public.

🧵 37. #MastodonLetter

IF MY COMMUNITY HAS THOUSANDS OF USERS WILL I BE ON THE HOOK FOR THE COST?

Yes. This is what makes Mastodon special. Each community supports itself. Large communities use crowdfunding and donations to cover the server and admin costs. In some cases, organizations support the community. Running a smaller community means a couple of people can volunteer. Larger communities might need on-call server admins and a staff of moderators for around-the-clock coverage.

🧵 36. #MastodonLetter

IT SOUNDS LIKE I'LL HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO DO THIS.

There are costs in running a Mastodon community. You’ll pay for registering a domain and for using a web server. The server costs may start small (~$10USD/month) and rise as more people use the community.
You’ll also be using your time for supporting users, moderating content, sending updates about the system, and other community management tasks.

🧵 35. #MastodonLetter

LET'S SAY I CREATE A NEW MASTODON COMMUNITY. HOW WILL PEOPLE FIND IT?

You’ll need to register a domain name that serves as your community’s name. You can pick any domain you want, just like any other website.
A lot of Mastodon communities use lesser-known domains that end in .social, .life, .world, etc.
You’ll use the domain name to talk about your community and encourage people to join at that domain.

🧵 34. #MastodonLetter

I GET THAT THERE ARE 1000S OF MASTODON COMMUNITIES. WHO CREATES THEM? HOW?(cont'd)

There are also managed hosting options. In this case, you’ll pay a fee to have someone else manage the server hosting, updates, back-ups, etc. You’ll use Mastodon’s admin tools via a website. Once it’s hosted, a sign-up page will appear that people can use to join your community.

🧵 33. #MastodonLetter

I GET THAT THERE ARE 1000S OF MASTODON COMMUNITIES. WHO CREATES THEM? HOW?

Anyone who wants to start a Mastodon community can access the open-source software and host it on a web server, much like a website. This type of hosting is likely to require knowledge of installation, updates, back-ups, etc. There are instructions online.
https://docs.joinmastodon.org/user/run-your-own/

🧵 32. #MastodonLetter

🎶 BRIEF INTERLUDE 🎶
(music is playing in the background, trust me)

This thread is based on a document that is a #free resource for the #Mastodon community. You are encouraged to make copies of the post, edit it, improve it, and share with your audience. It's in the #PublicDomain:

https://leelefever.com/dear-friend-mastodon/

It's also available as a Google Doc for easy duplication:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_nA1tOBO2sOpTrBlDp0i4fUBYf60sK6GSVC7C7l-mqM/edit?usp=sharing

🧵 31. #MastodonLetter

SHOULD I USE A WEBSITE OR APP?

Mastodon works well in a web browser. However, many people use apps on mobile devices. The open nature of Mastodon means that app developers can offer unique features. Mastodon's list of apps is here: https://joinmastodon.org/apps

🧵 30. #MastodonLetter

WHAT CAN I DO TO FEEL SAFE ON MASTODON?

Like other social media, Mastodon is what you make it. You can unfollow, mute, or block anyone you want.
If you see a community rule being broken, you can report the account to the admins of your home community or contact them directly. @feditips has a useful post on this subject: https://fedi.tips/staying-safe-on-mastodon/

🧵 29. #MastodonLetter