BETA YOURSELF MASTODON
As Twitter continues reshaping itself into the world’s biggest social media bin fire, Craig Grannell thinks there’s a better way to microblog – and explains how you can get started
THE BASICS
■ Don’t think it’s Twitter
Mastodon’s somewhat bumpy onboarding makes people think it’s tricky. And in use, many assume it’s identical to Twitter. Neither point is true. The service is simpler than it first appears, yet it has nuances that set it apart from the Musk mound. There’s more emphasis on discussion, so dial down the noise – and ramp up thoughtful chat.
■ Select a server
Mastodon is decentralised. Choose a server when signing up (either in the app or at joinmastodon.org), from large general-interest ones to niche topic-orientated ones. Ideally, peruse admin policies first and see how feedback is dealt with, and if a server routinely blacklists people. Don’t worry,