The Complete Guide To Mastodon In 2024

Mastodon has exploded in popularity recently as more people look for Twitter alternatives. This guide will give you everything you need to know about Mastodon going into 2024.

What is Mastodon and How Does It Work?

Mastodon is a free, open-source social networking platform launched in 2016. It has a similar look and feel to Twitter but works in a decentralized way.

Instead of one single platform like Twitter, Mastodon is made up of thousands of interconnected smaller communities called "instances." Each instance has its own moderators, rules, and userbase. You can join multiple instances and follow users across the whole network.

This decentralized model avoids the problems that can come with a single corporation controlling conversations. No central authority can censor discussion or sell your data. The downside is instances have more autonomy to moderate content themselves.

Technologically, Mastodon runs on "ActivityPub" – an open standard that lets decentralized social networks communicate. This is what allows Mastodon users on different servers to interact.

So in summary:

Decentralized – No single corporation owns or controls the network
Federated – Made up of thousands of smaller communities ("instances")
Interconnected – You can join multiple instances and follow users across the whole network
Open source – Anyone can contribute to the code or host their own instance

Mastodon User Statistics and Growth

As of January 2023, Mastodon has over 5.2 million active monthly users across over 7,000 instances. Daily new account registrations number around 100,000.

This represents exponential growth. Mastodon only had around 300,000 total users in October 2022. Increased censorship and instability on Twitter following Elon Musk‘s takeover seems to be driving people to explore alternatives.

However, Mastodon still pales in comparison to Twitter‘s over 200 million active users. It remains a niche platform for now.

The vast majority of instances are in English or German. The most popular servers are:

mastodon.social
mstdn.social
mastodon.online

How to Sign Up for Mastodon

Signing up for Mastodon takes a few more steps than typical social networks since you need to join a specific instance first.

Here is the process:

Pick an instance – Browse servers on joinmastodon.org and choose one accepting registrations. Different instances have different focuses, rules and communities.
Create your account – Once on your chosen instance, enter your desired username and a working email to sign up.
Set up your profile – Upload a profile picture, cover photo and fill out your bio so others can find and identify you.
Start engaging – Search for people and topics you‘re interested in and follow accounts across the whole network. Make some introductory posts.
Find connections – See if people you know from other networks have Mastodon accounts using Twitter integration tools like Debirdify.

And that‘s it! It may take some adjusting from Twitter but Mastodon offers powerful chronological timelines, no ads, 500 character posts and more customization.

Choosing Your First Instance

Choosing your initial instance is important since this will be your account‘s permanent home and base community. Think of it like picking your neighborhood.

Keep in mind you can always follow and interact with users on other instances later. But here are some things to consider when selecting your first server:

Language – Instances form around languages. Pick one using your primary tongue.

Rules – Different instances have different content moderation policies ranging from extremely strict to virtually non-existent. Read the guidelines before joining.

Registration Status – Some servers temporarily close off new signups when overloaded. Check joinmastodon.org for open instances.

Themes – Some focus on specific topics and cultures like technology, gaming, music or activism. See what interests you.

For starters, general purpose/regional instances like mastodon.social offer a good place to get familiar with the platform.

Mastodon Features and Tools

Here are some key things you can do on Mastodon that you may miss from or improve upon Twitter:

Posting

500 Character Limit – Double Twitter‘s limit for longer thoughts.
Content Warnings – Mark sensitive posts and images as needing a click-through.
Editing Posts – You can edit your updates after posting them.

Timelines

No Algorithms – Strictly chronological with no "recommended" posts. See everything from people you follow.
Media Timelines – View just posts with images and video.
Local Timeline – See only updates from users on your home instance.

Accounts

No Ads – 100% ad-free for all users.
Custom Emojis – Upload your own emojis to use and share.
Verification – Verify your identity by simply linking to an official website.

Moderation

Content Filters – Client-side tools to filter posts containing keywords, usernames, text or media.
Locked Accounts – Make your updates visible only to followers.
Block Instances – Block entire instances with one click.

Discovery

Hashtag Timelines – View public posts under a specific hashtag.
Discover Tab – Check highlighted public posts from across the whole network.

Mobile Apps

There are official and third-party Mastodon apps for both iOS and Android bringing nearly full functionality with smooth interfaces.

Is Mastodon Right for You? Pros and Cons.

Mastodon offers many advantages Twitter lacks ranging from chronological timelines to no ads to user empowerment. However, it also has some key drawbacks to consider:

Pros

No centralized control or censorship
Server options for different rules and moderation
500 character posts
Post editing
Detailed content filters
Ad-free

Cons

Much smaller userbase
Server fragmentation
No content algorithm or recommendations
Stricter moderation on many servers
Less active development

So while Mastodon fixes many issues Twitter suffers from, it brings some of its own. And it can‘t yet match the ubiquity or real-time breaking news aspect Twitter offers.

The platform is ideal for more tech-savvy users frustrated with Twitter‘s direction seeking more transparency and control. But it will take time to reach mainstream success.

Conclusion

By early 2024, Mastodon will likely pass 10 million active users as part of an expanding Fediverse counterbalancing corporate social networks.

While still a relatively niche site, it continues to offer a compelling decentralized alternative for those wanting transparent, chronological and ad-free timelines.

If Twitter‘s ownership uncertainty or algorithmic timelines frustrate you, give Mastodon‘s free open-source platform a try! It offers the best of what Twitter could be while avoiding the pitfalls of centralized control.