@Sheril it's like coming up for a breath of fresh air, reminds me of how Twitter used to be in the first 3-4 years.

@Sheril this is the point.

@Sheril Twitter felt like that pre-2010/2012

It still worked that way for me mostly. My advice is not to follow brands or media handles (put them on lists if you want to see their content)

@Sheril It really does feel like 10 years ago, like a comprehensive reboot.
There are glitches! And am sure there will be problems down the road, with real identity for instance, and with people's demands that it be Like Twitter Evn If It's Not. (See: QTs.)
But right now it's so refreshing.

@Sheril Couldn't agree more!

@Sheril Twitter is like a big room where everyone is screaming at each other.

@Sheril it really is much lower-key at the toot site

@Sheril to me it feels like the beginning of Zeitz. Interesting people being polite, helpful and creative.

@Sheril I joined Twitter in 2007, and it was amazing back then. I loved it there. Then I did lose interesr in 2010-2011. It felt a bit more stale. I think Mastodon will also have it’s own issues down the line, but I also think we should enjoy this freshness vibe as long as it is there. Meet new people, be curious, and try for as long as we can to see the others as Individuaks, not part of the numbers. For me, it is like youtube: «Creating videos for 10 friends» vs «I want 100K subscribers.»✨

@Sheril And then all the emotionally damaged Tweeters came…

@Sheril I absolutely agreed. ☝️

@Sheril wait until they all come over here...

@Sheril It’s like Twitter in the first 2 months! Hope this lasts.

@Sheril
It's on us, though, to keep it this way.

By either appalling, or - if this doesn't work - blocking and reporting.

Severe cases might even be shared by #fediblock

So far, the majority are acting in good faith.

@Sheril This is actually how Twitter used to be when I joined it (2007). I barely registered its slide into awfulness consciously, but that was probably because the whole world was on the same slide.

Which raises an interesting question about cause, effect and conflation, I guess.

@Sheril I have a slight anxiety that the difference is actually the people, not the platform.

@Sheril That's how Twitter used to be, too. Coming here is like going back in time about 12 years.

@Sheril I remember when Twitter was like that.

@Sheril Human networks often build around "super cells", people that have lots of connections. Big platforms with suggestion algorithms tend to amplify this. Super cells' communication is often more "one way street". "Everybody knows the monkey, but the monkey knows nobody ."

In smaller platforms without suggestion algorithms are easily more equals and "grassroots".

@Sheril Twitter at its first years was full of interesting people and interactions. Later, you needed to create and read your lists. Less interaction is a shame.

@Sheril best difference pitch i have read so far with this new wave of refugees :)

@Sheril I think part of this is that landing on a server you treat ppl on the server like family. ofc you got your occasional uncle between toots. but I started in an instance that I share a passion with. it may be different with those more general instances

@Sheril yes! I have noticed same. 😍

@Sheril This is my experience, too, so far. Let's hope it's not a Fata Morgana or something ...

@Sheril It's only going to get better overtime.

@Sheril exactly that’s the feeling

@Sheril I see a lot of smart guys around and I'm feeling like stupid person who open forum for first time 😂

@Sheril I don’t mean to be a downer, but this was how twitter was like in 2007 when I joined.

I am growing more and more of a believer that the federated aspect can keep this from going down the same path, though.

@Sheril Dem stimme ich vollumfänglich zu. Noch familiärer ist es auf Diaspora.

@Sheril I couldn't agree more! I left Twitter years ago, and had to take a hiatus from social media to detox.

So happy with the traction here!

@Sheril Welcome 🤗

@Sheril I think it's the lack of quote tweets and "Hey other people follow this account"

@Sheril True! #Twitter (and most other social media) generally leaves me feeling horrible and agitated. Yet I still have to control myself to not come back ... I guess that's the "crack" formula all those companies stumbled upon and every company has to use if they want to make money. That's why we need non-profit-driven social networks like #Mastodon.

@Sheril I agree! I feel the same way.

@Sheril on #mastodon people encourage and boost, not tear down. Don't forget to use hashtags to meet those like minded peeps too! 😉

@Sheril I have the same feeling. But I also felt amazed by Twitter and people on Twitter on 2006. I'm afraid evilness may be a function of time and quantity of users. And I hope it's not.

@Sheril I feel very much the same

@Sheril Same! I was just thinking about all of the super fascinating people I've run across in the last 48 hours... so many areas of interest and expertise from so many corners of the world. It reminds me of waaaaay back when on the internet.

@Sheril So, are these the same people you followed before, or a new bunch of people? And if new ones, then how to find them?..

@Sheril i completely agree. Opening twitter was like, ok, my friends are here and things are pretty nice in my little corner… OH MY GOD NOW WHAT.

I am intentionally not following journalists. I can get news from other sources. I want a wholesome, inclusive clubhouse, I want to be reminded that most people are kind, generous, and thoughtful most of the time

@Sheril True that and the feel encourages to participate. This network is exciting. In comparison FaceBook et al are actually anti-social.

@Sheril I'm getting that sense too and it's only day one for me here.

@Sheril Yes, it feels like the early days of Twitter when there were few people with accounts and no one was too sure of what to do when they had one.
It did become more interesting as more people joined but...
I hope Twitter recovers but it's good to have an alternative.

@Sheril I’m enjoying the difference a lot so far, although I’ve mostly just been following, refollowing, and reblogging, haha! Twitter seems designed specifically to agitate, so I’m hopeful the feeling lasts, and isn’t just a honeymoon period.

@Sheril This is partly down to the design of the site. I found this to be an interesting read about some of the decisions made that mean the degradation that Twitter has seen may be more limited here: https://scott.mn/2022/10/29/twitter_features_mastodon_is_better_without/

It isn't to say it can't happen, but let's hope that theses choices do in fact mean that is less likely to.

@Sheril While I'm apparently one of the few who doesn't know who you are, I'm glad to hear that the move to Fediverse has had such a positive impact on you. 👍
Keep wishing you a good time!

@Sheril that’s exactly how I feel on mastodon! So many interesting people! 🥰

@Sheril my first impression as well! Hope it stays much longer like that!

@Sheril I wonder how that feeling will hold as more people start to join. Crowds tend to bring out the worst in people, though allegedly mastodon should discourage some toxic behavior. We'll see.

@Sheril Its probably because the twitter algorithm is trying to maximize engagement, and fights get the most engagement. So it winds up promoting and incentivizing people to fight with each other.

@Sheril

Love wins

@Sheril welcome!

@Sheril Same. Basically my Twitter experience "Logon at 5am stay angry mad the whole day". Here...it's different.

@Sheril

New here today.
What an awesome feeling.
It does remind me of Twitter in the old days around 2011. Glad to see this excitement!
☺️👍☺️🤩🤩🤩

@Sheril reminder of what Twitter was like 2009

@Sheril The thing is Twitter was like that in the early days. Just with pointless food photos.

@Sheril @adamdavidson it literally feels like a clumsy, super kind distant cousin of twitter’s that’s wears unfashionable clothes unselfconsciously and is just the coolest hang! I didn’t know I could feel good on social media anymore.

@Sheril this is exactly how I’ve been feeling too! I hope it lasts 🥺

@Sheril same experience here. and not a single dick pic in my DMs.

@Sheril I joined out of curiosity, and have been pleasantly surprised with the positivity and energy here!

@Sheril I just started realizing now that my #instagram feed is also like 60% "suggested posts"? I can't seem to turn it off either (previously, I'd been able to snooze it and only show posts from people I follow, but it seems permanent now). This #fediverse lifestyle is really changing the way I see other social media sites now..

@Sheril Agree!! I’m loving it!

@Sheril I'm just brand new here but there's already like a vibe that in general the content moderation is so much better I'm much more willing to venture out of my closed little circle and meet new folks.

@Sheril I know what you mean! I have holy been here for a day, but even the #introduction posts have been so interesting and heartwarming- I can imagine having fascinating conversations for hours with everybody

@Sheril my reaction exactly !

@Sheril It’s really quite lovely. So many smart and articulate people.

@Sheril this. I didn’t much use Twitter other than for news but that often meant having to scroll through a bunch of hate and yelling.

@Sheril It is so refreshing. At least for now most people are being so good to each other.

@Sheril right? I'm trying to unlearn the Twitter way of doing things. Twitter was all about the outrage du jour - spread what's making you angry. I'm trying to keep most of that stuff to... properties owned by Meta lol 😂

@Sheril Twitter was depressing me. Mastodon feels positive and isn't physically addictive like Twitter is. I like it.

@Sheril my first impression too.

@Sheril OMG, yes! The vibe here is just off-the-charts friendly!

@Sheril I’ve been trying to put my finger on it, this is it.

@Sheril ah I agree..I've been popping back and forth and it hit me just how much more positive it's been here! Why didn't I join here earlier!? I know the trolls will be heading over and hate servers will be set up (but we can block them!) but on twitter.. makes me so sad! welcome welcome.. I'm loving it so far. Don't forget to find out how to support your server owner so they can keep it going!

@Sheril I call it the rage churn. Twitter churns our rage cycle. Then we feel righteous for feeling rage and think this rage is political activism. Time to rethink.

@Sheril Yes!! This is what made me fall in love with social

@Sheril there are important aspects missing, so far: fun and sports.
Everything seems so serious here, 24/7…
#MbbRulez #havefun #juvemerda #amala #goniners #godubs

@Sheril I feel like my blood pressure goes down and like maybe I can be more of who I really am because I don't have to always be on guard for trolls and harassment. I hope that holds!

@Sheril I feel exactly the same way. I told one of my closest friends that I feel like I need to make cocoa and pad around quietly in hand knit socks here. It's calm. Soothing. I'm really excited, actually

@Sheril It reminds me of the early days of Google +, a (seemingly) infinite field of folk who simply enjoyed sharing their joys/insights/cats with others.

@Sheril

one DAY over here and every time I peek back at Twitter, I'm like, I can't wait to get out of this place.

@Sheril Yeesss :ablobsmile:​

@Sheril love this!

@Sheril Part of this is because on twitter, I mostly saw people tweeting about the some horrible human rights violation in the news or crowdfunding for their basic needs. Also lots and lots of people talking about whatever bigoted thing a columnist or celebrity has said.

Mastodon so far has mostly just been folks shitposting about their interests. That might change as more and more twitter folks migrate.

@Sheril felt the same way at the beginning when Quora was launched. This interesting crowd is always almost present at the start of any new platform. Once the platform takes off and woos the masses to join it, the feed quality turns to shit. Example no.2 Clubhouse.

I could still keep signal to noise ratio high on Twitter with its LISTS feature.

@Sheril it’s nice right? Twitter now with added hope.

@Sheril I had a similar experience of TikTok. "Wow, people are really amazing!"

@Sheril Same here

@Sheril I think the importance of the lack of advertising here can't be underestimated. To be able to participate without being on the defense against being tricked into clicking something or getting sucked into a marketer's database feels like I've just gotten out of prison.

@Sheril Agree! Kindness and unity here.

@Sheril yep

@Sheril It's been the same kind of experience for me so far. So refreshing. Reminds me of prehistoric Compuserve forums, except ... not prehistoric.

@Sheril noticing the same thing! It's awesome!

@Sheril i have the seem feeling. It is a “calmer”, “humane”, place. The outrage tweets are not amplified. I love this place and keep finding very interesting people to follow

#fediverse #hopeinhumanity #twitterexodus

@Sheril I had this as my pinned tweet for awhile:
https://twitter.com/mathiastck/status/1586104375906222081

Commenting on how initial #UserBase can have a dramatic impact on the experience on a #socialNetwork, but that it is also very hard to predict future trends.

I think #Twitter normalized anonymous harassment. I haven't encountered it on Mastodon yet but I don't think Mastodon would be immune if it became a large target.

@Sheril this has been my experience too. Really enjoying it so far.