Which is Mastodon?
Mastodon was made available in 2016 and was founded by developer Eugen Rochko. The fact that the social media platform was decentralized, open source, and embodied the vision of what its founder wanted Twitter to be was its primary draw. Mastodon users select “servers,” which allow them to access the same platform and host their data, rather than being controlled by a CEO or centralized moderation team.

The terms “LGBTQ+,” “activism,” and even “Furry” are some of the general or specific topics that are used to organize servers. While some are free to join, others require users to sign up for a waitlist. Mastodon’s rules allow anyone to submit a server for consideration. Instead of relying on an algorithm like Twitter, the platform’s timeline is chronological and free of ads.

It can’t be sold and won’t go out of business because it’s open-source and decentralized. It gives people control over the network and respects your privacy. On October 28, the day that the court ordered Musk to close the Twitter deal, Mastodon tweeted, “It’s a product on top of a protocol, the way Twitter should have been.”

How does Mastodon compare to Twitter?
Mastodon has chosen the furry elephant-like mammal that went extinct around 10,000 years ago as its mascot, whereas Twitter’s theme is birds. Users of Mastodon are able to send “toots” that can be as long as 500 characters. Users can share media and re-share toots, favourites, and bookmarks with their own handles. Administrators are independent of each server.

However, people have been reluctant to join because of Mastodon’s relatively small user base. They are also concerned about the complicated structure of the servers and the social media setup, which appears to be more disjointed than Twitter. Additionally, users have expressed dissatisfaction with the user experience and the overloaded servers.

What distinguishes Mastodon from Twitter?
While Mastodon and Twitter are similar, there are a few key distinctions that distinguish them. Some of these are based on features, while others are related to the platform’s culture.

1. Decentralized Network: The fact that Mastodon is a decentralized network is one of the most noticeable distinctions between Twitter and Mastodon. Unlike Twitter, it is not owned or controlled by a single company. Mastodon, on the other hand, is run by a network of independent servers that are managed by individuals or groups of users.

2. Moderation of Content: Another difference between Mastodon and Twitter is the moderation of content. All content on Twitter is subject to the same moderation guidelines established by Twitter. Mastodon is based on “Instances,” which are individual servers operated by individuals or groups of individuals who choose the kind of content they want to allow on their server. This contributes to the development of smaller communities that are more focused than those found on larger platforms like Twitter or Facebook.

3. Privacy Settings: Mastodon’s privacy settings are more robust than Twitter’s. Users have the option of making their posts public, limiting their visibility to followers and mentioned users or both. This helps deter trolls and spammers and gives users more control over who sees their content.

4. User Interface: Before Elon Musk bought Twitter, Mastodon was only for tech-savvy people. This is largely due to the platform’s user interface, which is significantly less user-friendly and intuitive than Twitter’s. This is the case because Mastodon was designed to be an open-source alternative to Twitter rather than a “Twitter killer”.

5. Advertisements and Promotions: Users need not be concerned about seeing sponsored content in their feeds because Mastodon does not permit advertisements or any other form of promotion.

6. Target: Twitter has a much larger user base than Mastodon, so tweets have the potential to reach a much larger audience. Even if a piece of content is posted on one of Mastodon’s most popular servers, it may only be seen by a small number of people. This is because the decentralized structure of Mastodon prevents content from reaching users on other servers, which is why this is the case.

7. Audience: Mastodon typically has tech-savvy users looking for an alternative to Twitter, whereas Twitter typically has more mainstream users. As a result, Mastodon content may be more technical and focused on particular subjects than Twitter content.

In conclusion, Mastodon is a viable alternative to Twitter, but it is still only used by a small number of people: tech-savvy users looking for an open-source platform with greater control over content moderation and privacy settings. On the other hand, people who want to interact with celebrities and influencers and reach a much larger audience continue to use Twitter. In the end, each user’s objectives and preferences will determine which platform they choose. And who says you can’t use both accounts?