Mastodon (software)

Mastodon servers run social networking software that is capable of communicating using the ActivityPub standard, which has been implemented since version 1.6.[11] A Mastodon user can therefore interact with users on any other server in the Fediverse that supports ActivityPub.

Since version 2.9.0 Mastodon offers a single column mode for new users by default.[12] In advanced mode Mastodon approximates the microblogging user experience of TweetDeck. Users post short-form status messages for others to see. On a standard Mastodon instance, these messages can include up to 500 text-based characters, an extension of Twitter's 280 character limit,[13][14] although numerous Mastodon servers have forked the source code to allow a larger character limit. Posts are called "toots" instead of "tweets", as is the case on Twitter.[15]

Users join a specific Mastodon server, rather than a single website or application. The servers are connected as nodes in a network, and each server can administrate its own rules, account privileges, and whether to share messages to and from other servers. Many servers have a theme based on a specific interest. It is also common for servers to be based around a particular locality, region, or country.[15][16][17]

Mastodon includes a number of specific privacy features. Each message has a variety of privacy options available, and users can choose whether the message is public or private. Public messages display on a global feed, known as a timeline, and private messages are only shared on the timelines of the user's followers. Messages can also be marked as unlisted from timelines or direct between users. Users can also mark their accounts as completely private. In the timeline, messages can display with an optional "content warning" feature, which requires readers to click on the content to reveal the rest of the message. Mastodon servers have used this feature to hide spoilers, trigger warnings, and not safe for work (NSFW) content, though some accounts use the feature to hide links and thoughts others might not want to read.[7][15]

Mastodon aggregates messages in local and federated timelines in real-time. The local timeline shows messages from users on a singular server, while the federated timeline shows messages across all participating Mastodon servers. Users can communicate across connected Mastodon servers with usernames similar in format to full email addresses.[14][15]

In early 2017, journalists like Sarah Jeong[18] distinguished Mastodon from Twitter for its approach to combating harassment.[15] Mastodon uses community-based moderation, in which each server can limit, or filter out undesirable types of content. For example, mastodon.social and several other servers ban content that is illegal in Germany or France, including Nazi symbolism, Holocaust denial, and discrimination. Servers can also choose to limit, or filter out messages with disparaging content. Mastodon's founder Eugen Rochko (born in Russia and based in Jena, Germany) believes that small, closely related communities deal with unwanted behaviour more effectively than a large company's small safety team.[19] Users can also block and report others to administrators, much like on Twitter.[15][20]

In September 2018, with the release of version 2.5 with redesigned public profile pages, Mastodon marked its 100th release.[21] Then, at the end of October, Mastodon 2.6 came out, introducing the possibilities of verified profiles and live, in-stream link previews for images and videos.[22] Since January 2019, it is possible to search for multiple hashtags at once, instead of searching for just a single hashtag, as was the case before the release of version 2.7. Version 2.7 also has more robust moderation capabilities for server administrators and moderators, while accessibility, such as contrast for users with sight issues, has also been improved.[23] The ability for users to create and vote in polls, as well as a new invitation system to manage registrations have been integrated in April 2019.[24] Since the release of Mastodon 2.8.1 in May 2019, images with content warnings are, by default, blurred instead of completely hidden.[25] The most significant addition to Mastodon's functionality in June 2019 has been an optional single-column view in version 2.9.[26] This view is now displayed by default to all new users, although it can be changed to the original column-based view in Mastodon's preferences.

In August 2020, Mastodon 3.2 was released. It included a redesigned audio player with custom thumbnails and the ability to add personal notes to one's profile.[27]

In July 2021, an official client for iOS devices was released. According to the project's leadership, the release was part of an effort to bring on new users.[28]

Mastodon is written as a free, web-based software for federated microblogging, which anybody can contribute code to, and which anyone can run on their own server infrastructure, if they wish, or join servers run by other people[29] within the fediverse network.[30] Its server-side technology is powered by Ruby on Rails and Node.js, and its front end is written in React.js and Redux.[31] The database software is PostgreSQL.[32] The service is interoperable with the decentralized social networks and platforms which use the ActivityPub protocol between each other.[33] Since version 3.0, Mastodon dropped previous support for OStatus.[34][35]

Client apps for mobile devices, desktop computers, and web browsers interacting with the Mastodon API have been released for a range of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.[14][36]

While Mastodon was first released in October 2016, the service began to expand in late March and early April 2017.[37] The Verge wrote that the community at this time was small and that it had yet to attract the personalities that keep users at Twitter.[15] The global use has risen from 766,500 users as of 1 August 2017,[38] to 1 million users on 1 December 2017. In November 2017 artists, writers, and entrepreneurs such as Chuck Wendig, John Scalzi, Melanie Gillman and later John O'Nolan joined in.[18][39][40][41][42] Another spike in popularity came in March, through April 2018, due to the concerns about user privacy raised by the #deletefacebook effort.[43]

Mastodon, along with a number of other alternative social media sites, saw a large uptick in membership, gaining thousands of new members in the period of a few hours compared to dozens in days prior,[44] following Tumblr's announcement of intent in early December 2018 to ban all sensitive content from their site.[45]

In November 2019, nearly 20,000 Twitter users in India temporarily shifted to Mastodon over complaints by left-leaning users against Twitter's moderation policies.[46]

To circumvent the increasing online censorship of social networks in the mainland China, an increasing number of Chinese language users have chosen to migrate to Mastodon since 2022.[47][48]

A spike in Mastodon's user participation occurred in April 2022, following the 25 April announcement of Elon Musk purchasing Twitter. By 27 April, 30 thousand new users had joined Mastodon.[49][50]

On 28 April 2022, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) launched the official ActivityPub microblogging platform (called EU Voice) of the EU institutions, bodies and agencies (EUIs), based on Mastodon.[51] Following the acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk on 27 October 2022, The Guardian noted that Mastodon experienced a increase of 70,000 new subscribers from the resultant diaspora.[52]

• ActivityPub
• Comparison of microblogging services
• Comparison of software and protocols for distributed social networking
• Diaspora (social network)
• The Fediverse

• Official website