There are those who are still testing the use of Mastodon and trying to understand how this social network works. And there are those who already have a good command of the rather special codes of the platform.
Finding people who have invested in Mastodon for several months, or even since its debut in 2016, is not the most difficult task. But contact them elsewhere… In Mastodon, private messages don’t exist. You have to write a toot (equivalent to a tweet), mention the desired person and then restrict your toot to this same mentioned person.
In other words, an obstacle course to have a normal conversation. But mastodon aficionados are used to it. And the reasons that led them to invest in the social network are multiple.
get rid of the giants
Mastodon’s number 1 objective is to create an alternative to the big companies in the sector, such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Therefore, users of this type of network want above all to flee from the giants, which are often perceived as a threat.
Mastodon has often been cutting edge, developing certain features long before its competitors, such as content warning (content marked as sensitive) or restricted messages to a part of its community.
Allan, a technician for a large telephone operator, invested in the platform in 2017. “I usually go and try new things, even more so when they are alternatives to GAFAM. I don’t necessarily like big groups that decide everything and don’t pay enough attention to my personal data.”
The same story for Gee, an illustrator artist and computer engineer, who created his Mastodon account in 2017. The mastonaut with 3,500 subscribers is, among other things, a member of the Framasoft association, which works in education on digital issues. The association is therefore looking for alternatives to large companies. They even have their own instance on Mastodon, Framapiaf.
However, the engineer explains that he continues to use Twitter, in the same way as Mastodon: “I continue to post my drawings on both apps. Twitter allows me to have an echo, with a post that can sometimes ‘break through’. But Mastodon gives me Better visibility, since there are fewer people, my posts appear better on the users’ timeline.” And the numbers speak for themselves: Gee now has twice as many followers on Mastodon as he does on Twitter.
It should be noted, however, that most former Mastonauts come from the same background: enthusiasts of new technologies. Technicians, engineers or computer students, Mastodon users feel a strong attraction to this universe. And this is often what prompted them to leave their bags in this little-exploited territory.
a haven of peace
For these confirmed mastonauts, Mastodon also represents a space of freedom, far from the frequent lawsuits and controversies on Twitter. Allan claims that Mastodon has become a safe place (safe place, editor’s note) to share things about life without wanting to tell everyone. “It’s more personal, I haven’t looked to develop my network here, I just have a few close friends.”
Hakim, 27, a master’s student in computer science at the University of Lyon 2, also appreciates this peace of mind on the Internet.
It is true that even with the wave of newcomers to the platform, Mastodon is still a long way from the assistance of Elon Musk’s social network. The massive influx of disappointed tweeters helped Mastodon pass the 3 million user mark. But in the face of more than 430 million Twitter users, it’s hard to measure up. So calm still reigns, but until when?
A fleeting wave?
Everyone is unanimous: Twitter is not going to collapse. And Mastodon won’t be overwhelmed by newcomers indefinitely. “We’ve had waves before and it always goes down. Even if Twitter is paid for and no one goes there, I’m convinced it won’t work,” Allan acknowledges.
Small incoming spikes have been observed several times in recent years, especially after every big update on Twitter. The wave was accentuated last April, during the rumors of Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, before reaching the one we know today.
But Mastodon’s complexity continues to be pointed out, even by regulars like Gee: “What may scare and put some people off is the user experience, which is obviously ‘harsher’ than Twitter, but takes some getting used to. There’s also this impression of emptiness that is still there. As soon as you arrive, you immediately want to leave when you see the few people there.”
However, regulars are aware of one thing: even today it is difficult to leave Twitter completely. The platform is still needed to create a network or a community, to keep in touch with acquaintances or to find out what’s new. “I hope for the people who work at Mastodon that the boom lasts. But if I’m realistic, it will be difficult,” Hakim acknowledges.
Source: BFM TV
