236 What Is Mastodon, and Could It Replace Twitter?

Twitter's recent chaos spiral, mass firings, and obliteration of safety standards under Elon Musk's new ownership has many extremely online people wondering if they should jump ship. But to where?

Mastodon is a non-profit, open source, decentralized social platform with Twitter-like follower structures, combined with Discord-like instances around shared interests, like "Infosec" and "Climate Justice." It was launched in 2016, but has surged in popularity in the wake of Twitter's uncertainty. But how does Mastodon actually work, and could it ever supplant Twitter as a viable network for public figures, journalists, and other online communities?

Alli and Lindsey speak with Amanda Silberling, senior culture writer at TechCrunch, who covers Mastodon culture and has written a beginner's guide to the platform. They discuss the pros and cons of the platform, its unique "instance" structure, its culture and politics, and whether or not Twitter even needs to be "replaced."

Follow Amanda: https://twitter.com/asilbwrites

Check out her Mastodon beginner's guide on TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/08/what-is-mastodon/

And her podcast, Wow If True: https://wowiftrue.com/

Plug! If you're a Harry Potter fan, check out Matt and his daughter Amelia's magical and epic recap video: https://youtu.be/6TOMz0v1ElE

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