Why I choose to switch to Mastodon for microblogging
5 min readJan 22
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Microblogging is a form of social media where users share short updates, typically no more than 280 characters. It is a way for people to share their thoughts, ideas, and information with a wide audience.
Mastodon is an open-source, decentralized microblogging platform. It is similar to Twitter in that users can share updates and interact with others, but there are several key differences that make Mastodon a more appealing option for many users.
Recently Twitter made some changes to their API and shut down 3rd party apps like Tweetbot that I used. This move made me consider alternatives and here are the 5 main reasons that makes me switching to Mastodon for microblogging:
- Decentralization: Mastodon is decentralized, meaning that there is no central authority controlling the platform. Instead, it is made up of a network of independent servers, or “instances,” that users can join. This allows for greater autonomy and control over the platform and helps to prevent censorship and the suppression of certain voices.
- Community-driven: Mastodon is also community-driven, which means that users have more control over the content and community on their instance. This allows for a more diverse and inclusive community, as well as the ability to tailor the platform to a specific community or interest.
- Privacy-friendly: Mastodon is designed with privacy in mind. Users can control who can see their updates, and the platform does not collect or share personal data with third parties. Additionally, Mastodon is built on open-source software, which allows for greater transparency and security.
- Customizable: Mastodon is highly customizable, allowing users to change the appearance and functionality of their instance. This means that each instance can have its own unique look and feel, and users can choose the features that best suit their needs.
- Interoperable: Mastodon is interoperable, meaning that users can interact with other users across different instances. This allows for a much larger and more diverse community, and users can easily connect with others with similar interests.
