My favorite hockey color commentator, Daryl “Razor” Reaugh, uses the word “mastodonic” from time to time when a goalie makes an incredibly big save. That is what came to mind every time I heard someone talk about Mastodon, and I wasn’t too far off. My journey into Mastodon is more robust than the one I took into Hive Social. As I did in my previous post, I will explain how I heard about Mastodon and then go into the advantages and disadvantages that I’ve experienced so far.
I vaguely remember the name Mastodon way back when the idea of the infamous Twitter purchase first made its way around my edtech ears. Then the speculation became legal drama. Then that legal drama became a reality. As I mentioned in my first post in this series, many members of my PLN and I realized we needed an alternative in case Twitter imploded. Quickly, Mastodon became a key term all over the place. I couldn’t avoid hearing or reading about it if I tried. I’d like to think I can take a hint, so I set aside time during Thanksgiving Break to learn everything I could about Mastodon and figure out how to get engaged on the platform.
Here’s what you need to know: you spell Mastodon with an ‘o’ in the middle and not a second ‘a.’ Mastodon is part of the Fediverse (federation + universe) which is a bunch of individual servers that are interconnected. These serves are called “instances.” In terms of Mastodon, I needed to join an instance. There are a LOT of opinions out there about which ones to join and why. Once I joined, then I could interact with users from other instances. Additionally, each user is beholded to the rules setup on their instance as opposed to one overseeing entity setting guidelines for all instances. Got it? Yeah, 1 – I am certain I got something incorrect in all of this 2 – I still am wrapping my brain around how it all works.
The learning curve was not as steep as I feared. Mastodon is very similar to Twitter in how you “toot” (post), follow others, “boost” a toot, and favorite a toot. Hashtags are also incredibly handy for organizing or finding what you are interested in seeing. I know one of the things users like is the lack of an algorithm tracking every favorite or click to alter a timeline. Toots are in chronological order which I dig because that is how I have my Twitter feed set up anyway. I also enjoy the fact there are no ads. It it nice not having a whole sidebar of trends and ads distracting from my main feed. Not to mention there’s nothing more frustrating than accidently clicking an ad while scrolling and forever altering what sponsored content I end up seeing.
In addition to the familiarity of features making learning Mastodon a little easier, this does appear to be the platform a majority of people, in education or otherwise, turned to as a Twitter alternative. I connected with many familiar names and even joined a couple of groups. (If you haven’t checked out the excellent wealth of Mastodon information on Miguel Guhlin’s Around the Corner blog, please take a moment to visit.) I also noticed organizations and celebrities created accounts and are tooting regularly which means if I also wanted to create a personal Mastodon account, I could more easily follow many of the people on my personal Twitter feed. Right now, I LOVE the instance I chose (mastodon.education) and feel like it is a good environment for connecting and sharing professionally. I have also considered starting my own instance to have a little more control over my presence.
The downsides aren’t really downsides. Here are a few thoughts on what might bother people about the platform. Let’s start with a silly one: I am not a fan of the term ‘toot.’ I get it, but it feels ridiculous to say toot instead of post. (I suppose I could just say ‘post’ in the end.) Next, it seems like most of what Mastodon does relies on individuals maintaining instances in their free time. It appears the same for mobile apps. With the influx of users, some of these people are having to step away because it is starting to take up too much time. That can leave things a little unstable. Also with a Mastodon instance, outside of the owner there isn’t a larger company to complain to if something is amiss. I could see this frustrating users who are still trying to understand the concept of the Fediverse.
Additionally, Mastodon feels very serious. One thing I enjoy on Twitter is seeing celebrations of classroom activities or group pics from conferences or shout outs simply because educators are supporting educators. Twitter feels more social. I am not saying this isn’t happening on Mastodon, but based on the content I see, I feel like it would be out of place. Perhaps I have not gotten to that level of engagement yet. Honestly, it’s made me stop to think about what I am actually trying to accomplish with the connections I make on social media. Again, none of these are really negatives about Mastodon.
Overall, it is pretty cool. Professionally, I do feel this is a good alternative for Twitter. I think if someone wanted to cut all Twitter ties and move solely to Mastodon, they could. I definitely understand those who left Twitter for ethical reasons, and I am certain they are happier on Mastodon. That being said, I am still thinking through whether or not deleting my Twitter account for a Mastodonic lifestyle is the right choice for me. I will probably rock both for a while longer before deciding: @EduCroupe@mastodon.education
Today’s tea: Jane Austen Persuasion Tea from Adagio Tea’s Fandom Blends
An Educational Cup of Tea 
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