I won’t lie, I’m not super optimistic about the future of #Mastodon

On top of obvious feature issues (such as the lack of quote posts, even though it’ll be addressed soon), Mastodon has a massive culture issue

Unless your use perfectly fit with how the so-called Fedipolice uses it, you’re taking the risk of receiving massive abuse from said Fedipolice

It’s unwelcoming, and rooted in privilege: "Mastodon isn’t a replacement for #Twitter, except for me"

@osc What are you referring to with the Fedipolice thing? I have no idea what you are referring to and am curious to learn more.

@Rothtran It’s basically the folks that jump in your mentions to lecture you on how bad quote posts are, how Mastodon isn’t a Twitter alternative (except for them), how non-White people should use content warning when they share their experiences of racism, and so on

@osc @Rothtran
This is a fascinating thread- thanks for stimulating discussion. I've been trying to get back on the Mastodon wagon lately (now that I'm finished teaching).
Have to say I haven't experienced anything like over instance, which has been chill & welcoming in all my interactions - though I haven't posted anything about experiences with racism, so can't speak to that. One theory for stagnating growth is simply that Mastodon has no real marketing plan/effort (that I can see) v. centralized, profit-oriented alternatives...

@thekazath @Rothtran You’re welcome Zack!

When it comes to growth, Mastodon isn’t doing that bad imo, especially for a complicated and confusing product

The main risk I see is instead its ability to be a credible alternative to Twitter. We’re currently moving from one equilibrium to another. If Mastodon misses the moment, the equilibrium will settle on a different platform (probably BlueSky).

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@osc @Rothtran
I agree re. BlueSky... and partly from what I see, one difference is a coordinated marketing effort there with some big names throwing their weight behind & active recruiting of high-profile figures. Even though it's a PBLLC, it appears to have a more aggressive marketing effort

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