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Mastodon
Mastodon is a free, open-source social media platform. It looks and works a lot like Twitter/X, but instead of one company running one site it's a network of independently run servers that can all talk to each other. You pick a server to join and can still follow and talk with people on the others, a bit like how email works across providers.
I'm on it at @DevInTheMtn on fosstodon.org, a server for people interested in open source and technology.
Getting started with Mastodon
The first thing you need to do is pick a server. There are many to choose from, each with its own focus, community, and rules. You can browse them by category and language on joinmastodon.org. Read a server's rules before you join. Some have open signup, while others are invite-only or need a moderator to approve you.
Don't stress too much about picking the perfect one, as you'll still be able to follow people on other servers.
Using Mastodon
Older guides call posts "toots", and you'll still see that word around, but Mastodon's documentation now just calls them posts and calls instances servers.
Home feed: the latest posts from the people you follow, in order. It isn't sorted by an algorithm.
Posts: the default limit is 500 characters, though some servers allow more, and you can add hashtags and media.
Who sees a post: each post is either Public, Quiet public, Followers, or a Private mention.
Boost: shares someone's post with your followers, similar to a retweet.
Quote posts: added in Mastodon 4.5, so they depend on your server having upgraded. Authors control who can quote them.
Follow: you can follow anyone on any server that federates with yours by clicking "Follow" on their profile.
Mentions: using
@username@serverin a post notifies that person.Hashtags: the main way people discover posts, since there's no algorithm doing it for you. Following a hashtag puts its posts in your home feed.
Customizing your Mastodon experience
Profile: set your name, avatar, header image, and bio in your account settings.
Filters: hide posts containing a keyword or phrase. You'll find these under Preferences > Filters.
Mute: hides a person from your view without them knowing.
Block: hides a person and also stops them from following you or seeing your public posts.
Apps: you don't have to use the website, and there are many apps to choose from.
More help getting started is on fedi.tips, and there are more Mastodon links on my articles page.
