@Dennis1212 Tilly needs cuddles while @mikmaqpeek is on a call. I hope someone will see to help, or I will help when Tilly allows.
@Dennis1212 This was intended to go to your post about getting your image, but it looks like you have it up. Having one hand full of doggie butt meant I hit the wrong thing.
@Romaq I have yet to figure out how to post a bio.
@Dennis1212 Are you using the mas.to website? I don't have an account there, but I suspect it's largely pretty much about like the server I'm on. On my website, under @Romaq, I have an "edit profile" button. Clicking it, the page has this:
Display name
Romaq
Bio
<blank>
@Romaq my settings don’t have that. 😱
@Dennis1212 I'm taking time to scroll around on mas.to a bit to see if I find anything useful there.
https://docs.joinmastodon.org/user/profile/ is from the source of the Mastodon server. While your specific instance may be different, or you could even be using different skins on the same server... this is "The Official Documentation" for how your site should work. I hope.
@Romaq Thank you for your help. Should I have chosen a different server? I am not truly computer savvy. i.e. I can use it, but some terms are ??? You’ve helped a lot.☺️
@Dennis1212 Relative to *policy*, because instances *do* exchange messages intended for public consumption, it does matter. Just as you may look at email from billybob@/yahoo.com with something of a jaundiced eye compared to will.robert@/Gmail.com compared to w.robert@/RobertLaw.com, the same stigma applies with Mastodon. It's more subtle, but I do see, "Oh God... someone from this instance again. This guy's going to be a piece of work."
Different email servers will flag as spam (or not flag at all) mail based on content or domain. Some email servers have policy to refuse to accept email from servers most likely to be spammers and such.
Because of the publicly intended nature of posts, all the more with instances. How do you think it would pan out if Twitter and Truth Social *by design* could exchange messages? Multiply that by "a bunch of instances," and that pretty much describes Mastodon. Some instances block all "Truth Social"-like instances. Some allow interaction, but under their policy expect you to be an adult and comply with *their* rules and not amplify messages going against that instance's policy. Some instances are focused towards having members in a particular professional field, language, or social topic. You may not get into those without an invite, and if *you* invite people outside of that, there may be consequences. Naturally, I would want to invite my close friends and family to what I'm using where I can help them. I can also watch "local (instance) feed, most likely see like-minded people I don't know, and start up a conversation more easily than I would someone outside of my instance. Of course, we already know one another and there is no barrier for us to chat. But for me to answer certain specific "how to" questions about your instance is something like me on Gmail helping you with a Windows Live email account: your milage may vary, your car may not run.
But you should be able to find helpful, supportive people on your instance to help you. And if not, that's a consideration as to invite your social group to it, or if you would want to remain. The vast bulk of the question of what instance is "mind over matter": if you don't mind, it just doesn't matter.
But you know me from the bird site. There are things I do mind, and I can get kinda noisy about it. But I can save that for another time and we can focus on helping you set your bio, secure your identity (are you really *that* guy from Twitter?) and answer what questions you have so you are at home on Mastodon.
@Romaq good info. It helps me realize there is much yet to learn. I’ll keep trying.
@Dennis1212 There always are new things to learn, as you already know. With any system involving people, "Anything not explicitly forbidden is compulsory." Mastodon is no exception.
Mastodon Meta
https://qoto.org/@freemo/109405618861950255
More of the stuff going on. I'll stop stop bothering you with it after this, but on the "which instance" question, I'd be fussy about an instance that supports factual evidence over "QAnon-like" tactics of spreading hate and lies.
With the evidence presented thus far, it ain't @\freemo.
@Dennis1212 Ugh... I'm working up an ear infection while trying to get sleep...
Relative to your "should I move instance " question, it's still back to "are you at home there?"
https://mastodon.social/@serenebabe/109402101902448458
That is one entry point into the very human side of Mastodon. I'm on qoto.org, more by accident than deliberate design. If I had evidence @/freemo were less than completely honest, I'd drop this instance and likely seek spacey.space. I would do so without hesitation or regret. I don't give a damn. I don't have to.
But what you see is the ugly side under the hood of the Mastodon mechanics. It's run by people. I don't know where mas.to stands on dropping qoto.org from the entry list over hate, lies, and petty jealousy. Had a been a week later, I would not have known about qoto.org. Had I come to know about the current kerfuffle, I'd have likely made enough of a pest of myself enough to get booted from whatever instance I was on. I saw one person claim they were booted just for asking about the situation.
"Mind over matter: if you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
Where ever you want to go (figuratively speaking) with this info from here, I support your choice. This will likely have no effect on your enjoyment of Mastodon. I just get cranky over the oddest things.