Are folks giving up on Mastodon already? In the last few weeks, I’ve noticed engagement on the bird site has been consistently better than on Mastodon, which wasn’t the case a couple months ago.
I've been generally less online since the holiday break. I took a social media break and it just kind of stuck. And when I do go online it's often to find out something about some current event, which the bird app does better (sadly). Could just be January doldrums.
I do not think so. I believe it is people calming down. It can be difficult to know if people are reading but have nothing to add, or they are offline because they are out shopping before the football games tomorrow.
I’ve honestly just been using social media less since leaving the bird site, and it makes me really wonder how healthy of relationship I had with it. Things are less algorithmicly driven here, less driven by outrage, and I get significantly less interaction on Mastodon. Right now my opinion is feature rather than bug.
Change does not come easy for some folx. From my own experience, I change when I have the right mix of desire and pain. Ideally, I like to be motivated by desire. However, sometimes it takes pain to get me to change.
It may take them time to realize the pain of the toxicity of their current environment is before they reach the pain/desire point where they change.
Some folks may never change. We'll be here on Mastodon for those who choose something new, different, and possibly better.
It's slowed down here, but I can't and won't go back. That said, this place is what we make it, and I'm still optimistic about what the Fediverse can be—even if it means I have to work much harder to get my content in front of folks.
They are in for an unpleasant surprise. Promoted contact, regardless of who you follow is very right wing. Good luck correcting it. Big Brother has decided what you will read.
I think "switching" is difficult. I personally have little motivation to interact, either here or there, but there are people I follow there that are not here; and subsequently my first visit is there
@girlgerms I will not go back to Twitter while Musk is running the show.
Switching to Mastodon has come with a substantial decrease in time using social media, but I think it’s more about change in general, and nothing about either platform.
@jerry 1/3 of peak sounds just about right to me and probably what I would have guessed. The musk wave was bigger than previous waves, but there pattern seems similar to previous waves.
@loke it’s an odd thing…. We tout the fediverse’s non-algorithmic timelines which are not constructed to drive engagement, but then seem surprised when engagement wanes. Twitter spent a lot of time and money tweaking things to keep people engaged.
I think a lot of people want the nonstop dopamine/adrenaline hit that twitter provides. The people who stay here want to be here. I’ve said from the beginning that this place isn’t for everyone. But the people who stay are amazing and awesome - because this is the kind of community they want.
@jerry right. Eventually someone will build an algorithmic feed for the Fediverse, and we (as in, those of us who are here now) will hate it. But it'll be successful in all the wrong ways.
Funny enough, I've seen several posts recently from newer accounts where they say that engagement on the Fediverse is currently much better than on Twitter.
Personally, I feel that I get less replies to my toots than a year ago, and it's more difficult to get into a conversation - even though my statistics say that the instance receives twice the number of posts from people that I am following.
My bubble also hasn't expanded in sync with the Fediverse - while the number of known instances and accounts has exploded, my follower relationships seem to have the same slow but constant linear growth as before... But at the same time I assume that there's a lot of unused accounts in the collection by now - haven't tried to check recently...
@jerry @loke There are a few things Mastodon should CHANGE of course.. Following people is very important to build your feed, so this should be easier: - seeding if you already follow someone - following someone
When reading a thread like this, I have to click each user name of someone saying interesting/insightful stuff. I'd like to be able to follow them right here if I'm not already following. Make engagement easier!
I've always used a chronological timeline and lists on Twitter rather than the chaos timeline so that is not a difference for me. However, having been on Twitter since 2009 means that I've found a lot of interesting people to follow. Moving to Mastodon means starting from scratch and not all people are motivated enough to stay long enough to get a new interesting feed.
@jerry @loke I've been struggling with this lately because the responses to my posts are so minimal, but looking through my followers, a lot of them haven't posted since November or December.
@mckra1g it’s really true that the engagement here is radically different from that on Twitter. I say it is better. Even when I’ve had disagreements here they haven’t devolved into flame wars, we have just stayed opposite positions and moved on. I rarely use the block feature here (or have it used on me!).
@jerry @loke To me, an important aspect of Mastodon, as opposed to Twitter, is the lack of the FOMO factor. Like with good friends, I drop in and scroll down my timelines as and when I feel like it. The good people are there, as is the good stuff.
This was inevitable. Many people on Mastodon are here because they truly care about decentralisation and what the platform is fundamentally about but it is obvious that many people who joined in the migration only did so as to avoid Elon Musk.
Once they realised that they don't have as much outreach and friends on here as they do on Twitter and seeing it still running it was inevitable that they'd go back
We're engaging right now ;). I deliberately put "engagement" in quotes because what is happening on birdsite is not real community-building engagement. It's a lifeforce-draining constant flamewar fueled by force-feeding you the most viral content. Which just happens be a contest on who says the dumbest shit and gets "engagement" because of it.
@enkiusz I’m talking about it the same way here and there based on what I experience. I found great community over there, but I probably used the platform very differently than a lot of folks.
im struggling to see a lot of value here compared with the other site. The news I want, the s posting about sports doesn't exist here, etc. But perhaps I'm not the target user here
I've honestly never been a huge fan of the "microblogging" format. I never engaged much on the "bird site" either. I've always preferred more topical / conversational things like Usenet and Reddit. I'm enjoying the content on here from folks like you and @campuscodi but it's unlikely I'll ever be a big poster myself, it's just not how I spend my (limited) time.
That said I don't think I'll ever reopen an account on the "bird site".
some are. Mastodon isn't naturally addictive so some people are going back to get their fix. A lot of people seemed to want to get this setup as a fallout shelter of sorts and still prefer to be on Twitter "until the bomb drops" so to speak.
I'm not going back. I like the functionality here better. I like the longer-format responses and more thought out conversation. I like that it isn't run by a Nazi sympathizer.
I think it depends on your "circle". I see increased activity on Mastodon in one group, but also marginally increased activity on Twitter in a different group. We are easily lead, and where strong voices lead, the rest of us follow...
People realized the hysteria around elon was blown way out of proportion, there was no actual need to learn a new platform, and fedi wasn't providing that good ol' silicon valley dopamine drip anyway.
Once it became clear he wasn't actually gonna sink the ship, at least not overnight, back they went. That's where their "fave celebs" are anyway.
I like Mastadon because of the more narrow focus of the posts here, but I keep finding myself going back to birdsite because it keeps getting pointed at by media and other news sites.
personally since leaving the bird site I’ve been less interactive on social media in general. I’ll catch up every few days, but coming here helped break some of the social media addiction.
I'd rather have less engagement here than awful engagement there. My mental and financial well being does not depend upon engagement though. Many have roles that do.
@dennisfaucher agreed. I feel like mastodon is the old school BB’s we grew up with and needed back. Twitter is more commercial. I like old school hacker vibes more
@ushi @dennisfaucher I definitely agree there. I’m just noticing a trend in the activity that I’m seeing. My experience with interaction on the other site was always really good.
I refuse to go back and legitimize or normalize that shitshow.
On the other hand, I’ve been doing a lot less social media and a lot more long-form writing the past couple months. So my participation here has dipped.
@jwgoerlich I’ve also found that given how I use Mastodon differently from other social media, I can go a few days or so and catch up in an hour. I stay engaged with the people I want to follow but don’t end up sucked into an endless barrage of weird stuff I don’t care about.
Then again, I also discovered the absolute joy of my IG Explore page which is basically: - Piercings - Yarn - tattoos - Knitting/crochet - Vivid hair coloring videos
And that’s so joyous and relaxing that I don’t care about much else 🤣
@GeekmomK The IG Explore page is so luring. Next thing I know, hours havw gone by, and I’m saying things like, “I really could do the shuffle or dance the Charleston.”
I don’t know. I’ve been enjoying plenty of engagement on a variet of subjects here in Mastodon. Maybe [redacted] might be better for some subjects and audiences. But I’m happy being done with that and being here.
@pauliehedron @enkiusz That wasn’t me. I think it might have been swiftonsecurity. I have only ever deleted a small handful of posts, and they were only deleted because typos changed the meaning. I’ve actually been very specific about not deleting posts, even the ones where jokes didn’t land and I’ve apologized to folks.
@pauliehedron @enkiusz I do agree that the lack of an algorithm means that the time of day that someone is active heavily influences who they will interact with here. It makes sense, though, is a little sad, because I’ve made so many great connections with folks that live in other parts of the world that I wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for the algorithm on the other site.
Jamie Booth
•silverwizard
Few hundred thousand to a million sign up, and a few thousand stay.
Network effects and all that
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•Quality not Quantity.
Accidental CISO
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derekheld
•Alan E. Yue (He/Him)
•From my own experience, I change when I have the right mix of desire and pain.
Ideally, I like to be motivated by desire.
However, sometimes it takes pain to get me to change.
It may take them time to realize the pain of the toxicity of their current environment is before they reach the pain/desire point where they change.
Some folks may never change.
We'll be here on Mastodon for those who choose something new, different, and possibly better.
#twittermigration
Dave Wilburn :donor:
•FWIW, reports regarding engagement on Twitter seem to be highly variable. Some folks aren't reliably seeing posts of the people they follow.
Taggart: ~# :idle:
•0ddj0bb
•I peeked back at twitter. Not much of value for me personally
Brian Clark
•Bill Diamond
•Michalis Kamprianis
•Bill Kyrouz
•Antranig Vartanian :freebsd:
•We will keep living here because it’s the right thing to do.
Now, which company should die next so the InfoSec community moves to XMPP? We do that and we’re golden! We won’t rely on “them” anymore.
EINGFOAN :donor:
•I myself see less clutter here.
What I really miss is a lot of news outlets. Especially local ones.
thegaryhawkins
•👩💻 Jess "GirlGerms" Dodson :ferdiverified: :donor:
•Chris Huff :rebelverified:
•Switching to Mastodon has come with a substantial decrease in time using social media, but I think it’s more about change in general, and nothing about either platform.
Jerry Bell :bell: :llama: :verified_paw: :verified_dragon: :rebelverified:
•Elias Mårtenson
•Jerry Bell :bell: :llama: :verified_paw: :verified_dragon: :rebelverified:
•I think a lot of people want the nonstop dopamine/adrenaline hit that twitter provides. The people who stay here want to be here. I’ve said from the beginning that this place isn’t for everyone. But the people who stay are amazing and awesome - because this is the kind of community they want.
Elias Mårtenson
•Alexander Bochmann
•Personally, I feel that I get less replies to my toots than a year ago, and it's more difficult to get into a conversation - even though my statistics say that the instance receives twice the number of posts from people that I am following.
My bubble also hasn't expanded in sync with the Fediverse - while the number of known instances and accounts has exploded, my follower relationships seem to have the same slow but constant linear growth as before... But at the same time I assume that there's a lot of unused accounts in the collection by now - haven't tried to check recently...
hallvors
•- seeding if you already follow someone
- following someone
When reading a thread like this, I have to click each user name of someone saying interesting/insightful stuff. I'd like to be able to follow them right here if I'm not already following. Make engagement easier!
Krister Renaud
•I've always used a chronological timeline and lists on Twitter rather than the chaos timeline so that is not a difference for me. However, having been on Twitter since 2009 means that I've found a lot of interesting people to follow. Moving to Mastodon means starting from scratch and not all people are motivated enough to stay long enough to get a new interesting feed.
Zeb Larson
•Nick Selby :donor:
•Pillosopher-Arjun Rajagopalan
•Paul Sanders
•Simon Zerafa :donor: :verified:
•¹ In the case of Tory politicians it's to point out their total incompetence and regular fraud and corruption.
CaveDave
•Once they realised that they don't have as much outreach and friends on here as they do on Twitter and seeing it still running it was inevitable that they'd go back
Enkiusz🇺🇦
•Accidental CISO
•Enkiusz🇺🇦
•Accidental CISO
•jjesse
•bmckeown
•That said I don't think I'll ever reopen an account on the "bird site".
Joe Beehammer (🐝 🔨)
•I'm not going back. I like the functionality here better. I like the longer-format responses and more thought out conversation. I like that it isn't run by a Nazi sympathizer.
Daniel Thomas
•Reea
•r000t
•People realized the hysteria around elon was blown way out of proportion, there was no actual need to learn a new platform, and fedi wasn't providing that good ol' silicon valley dopamine drip anyway.
Once it became clear he wasn't actually gonna sink the ship, at least not overnight, back they went. That's where their "fave celebs" are anyway.
Najam Ul Saqib :verified:
•Alice :amaze:
•Security Thoughts of Cats
•Dennis Faucher :donor: :mastodon:
•Ushi :linux: :unverified:
•Accidental CISO
•Michelle (she/her) :verified: 🇵🇷
•J Wolfgang Goerlich
•On the other hand, I’ve been doing a lot less social media and a lot more long-form writing the past couple months. So my participation here has dipped.
GeekmomK
•Then again, I also discovered the absolute joy of my IG Explore page which is basically:
- Piercings
- Yarn
- tattoos
- Knitting/crochet
- Vivid hair coloring videos
And that’s so joyous and relaxing that I don’t care about much else 🤣
J Wolfgang Goerlich
•GeekmomK
•Bill Taroli :neurodiversity:
•Zate 🦘🇦🇺
•I'm not. Fuck Twitter
Accidental CISO
•Accidental CISO
•SpaceLifeForm
•One should never assume when I am awake.