What Is Mastodon And Why Are People Leaving Twitter For It

Unlike Twitter, you “twoot” on Mastodon.

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Twitter has been in huge turmoil ever since billionaire and Tesla owner, Elon Musk took over the social networking giant Twitter. From mass lay-offs to celebrity exits, Twitter has witnessed drastic changes on the platform and people have begun migrating to a new social networking platform called Mastodon.

Completing his $44 billion takeover, Musk acquired the social networking giant on October 28, 2022. Musk, who calls himself a “free speech absolutist”, came with his own ideas of “free speech” and also mentioned that he invested in Twitter because he believed in its “potential to be the platform for free speech” around the globe. “I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy,” he said. He also spoke about the privatisation of the company because he thinks Twitter has more potential to thrive as a private company.

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One of the major changes includes charging for blue ticks on the platform. Soon after the takeover, Musk declared that Twitter will be charging $8 per month for the blue tick verification on the platform. There have also been rumours regarding the paid usage of Twitter.

Another major event during this time has been the numerous exits from the social networking giant including several celebrities. Whoopi Goldberg, the American actor, comedian, author and popular television personality, said that “the place is a mess” while leaving the platform. Others leaving include Gigi Hadid, television host and producer Shonda Rhimes, This Is Us executive producer Ken Olin, and singers Toni Braxton and Sara Bareilles.

But, does Twitter really have a replacement?

There have been reports of hundreds and thousands flocking to another social networking platform called Mastodon. This “ free, open-sourced, decentralised social media platform” that aims at “a viable alternative to Twitter” was launched back in 2016.

Developed by Mastodon gGmbH, a German nonprofit led by Rochko, the platform is named after an extinct relative of mammoths and elephants. Unlike Twitter, the source code of this platform is publicly available and can be redistributed and changed. Anyone can contribute to the code of an open-source platform which makes it easier to fix bugs and add new features.

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However, being an open source platform, Mastodon is not as easy to join as Twitter. When you want to join, the platform demands you to choose a server which is similar to opening an email account. To put the difference between both the platform’s user experience, Mastodon is more about work-related information and conversation rather than opinions of celebrities or politicians. Other drawbacks include a not-so-friendly interface.

Also, unlike Twitter, you “twoot” on Mastodon.

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