Riding the Mastodon, Again

UPDATE 2023-12-01: The Mastodon experiment is over, I’ve closed that account. Long story short, it was a time-sink, again.

I had a brief stint on Mastodon a few years ago but had to step away as it was turning into a time sink for me.

I decided to have another go at the end of last year, courtesy of the folks at OMG.LOL.

On the web interface side, things have improved greatly: not just the user interface, but the ability to filter and manage the flow of posts. I’ve been taking it slowly this time around, following mostly folks I already know and using hashtags to discover new connections.

However, I’ve decided that having dedicated apps for Mastodon isn’t the right path for me. There are currently slim pickings when it comes to desktop clients, and I know from experience that having an app on my phone will be fatal for my focus and productivity.

I’m treating Mastodon, and the wider Fediverse, as an optional extra for now rather than a central part of my online life. My writing will remain here; if I feel like sharing it I’ll post a link to Mastodon.

The other lesson I’m applying, based on previous experience of weening myself off the big social media platforms, is to use email newsletters and RSS feeds for anything where I just want news or information, not conversation. Not only does it prevent me from going down rabbit holes; but it also reduces the time spent scrolling down a feed.

Overall, I’m enjoying the experience of easing back into social networking after a long break. I’m hopeful that the Fediverse will continue to grow and evolve, and I’m interested to see what happens next, particularly since the big social media platforms appear to be entering their twilight years.