How to Choose a Mastodon Server: A Comprehensive Guide

This article will dive deep into the prerequisites of making a choice to elaborate on how to choose a Mastodon server. This era has introduced and mainstreamed many social media platforms and all of them had increased frustration in the users. That’s why people nowadays are seeking an alternative that doesn’t come with downsides like selling personal data to companies.

People just want to communicate freely in some sort of decentralized environment. And for these types of people, Mastodon is the best-suited alternative. Its biggest luxury is its servers which users can choose freely. So, if you are new to Mastodon, don’t worry we have your back. Just stick with us and you will leave with everything you need to choose the ideal server on Mastodon.

Factors to Consider While Choosing a Mastodon Server

As there is no centralized entity behind Mastodon, there are some intricacies that you need to understand first. And as it’s decentralized, you have the luxury of making the choice of your own, picking a server that you like. Here are a few factors to keep in mind while making a choice:

Moderation Policy

Moderation policy is one of the primary concerns when choosing a Mastodon server. Keep in mind that every server has unique rules ruling the types of content allowed, and guidelines for content tagging (such as “not safe for work/children” or spoilers). Directions regarding harassment, hate speech, and more are also covered in the rule book. 

In order to understand a server’s moderation policies, you can simply go to the server’s “About” page and read it from there.

Server Age

The age of the server you choose greatly impacts your experience with Mastodon. Newer servers might be exciting at the start but they carry risks such as inactivity or the potential for a smaller user base. On the other hand, older, and more established servers often boast larger, stable communities. So consider your patience while making this choice and decide whether you seek immediate activity when deciding on the age of your chosen server.

Sign-Up Speed

As it is a decentralized platform, every server has its own set of ease and pace of signing up process. Some of them will get you in with few taps and limited information, while others may take you through a short evaluation process. It’s neither a bad decision to choose a server that offers instant sign-up or not, it totally depends on your patience and research.

Content Preferences

As you research for a worthy server of your time, remember to read the content preference before you sign up for a server. Each server offers a different and diverse range of content to be used within certain boundaries, read these and see if they align with your interests or not.

Interaction with Other Servers

The last factor that you need to consider is whether the base server that you choose for yourself offers the luxury of interaction with users on other servers or not. It’s in the hands of the server administrator to decide whether they want to give this feature to their users or not. So, before you join a server, make sure that it fits your needs and preferences.

Taking a Server Quiz

To ease the server selection process, Mastodon offers the convenience of a server quiz. By simply answering these questions related to your language preferences, user base size, and moderation rules, the quiz presents you with a list of servers that match your preferences. This practice offers a convenient way to find servers that are well-suited to your individual preferences and needs.

Asking Friends For Suggestions

Personal recommendations from friends, both offline and online, are a great way of finding invaluable insights when choosing a server. Ask them about the type of content they encounter on their servers, the server’s moderation rules, and the general community vibe. With this firsthand insight, you can help yourself identify servers that match your preferences.

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Tips On Choosing The Ideal Mastodon Server For You

Once you consider the abovementioned factors and evaluate your and the server’s preferences, the groundwork is completed. The next thing that you need to do is to get yourself equipped with effective tips that can help you choose better.

Understanding Mastodon’s Server List

Mastodon has an extensive list of servers for you to browse through. Users have the ability to filter this list by geographic region, language, registration process, and host type. Moreover, you have the choice as well with sorting by topics like technology, gaming, journalism, food, and more. Without any inconvenience, you can navigate this list can help you identify servers that align with your interests and values.

Mastodon’s Server Search Tool

For a more in-depth server search, Mastodon offers its users a server search tool to filter better. You can filter results based on different criteria such as the primary language and words found in the server’s description. The number of total users, active users, and characters per “toot” (Mastodon’s term for a post) are some other filters to pay attention to. This tool provides a wide breakdown of each server fitting your search criteria, helping you make an informed choice.

Is Joining a Random Mastodon Server Safe?

Regardless of being considered unconventional, joining a random server can provide you with a genuine feel for a server’s community. This approach allows you to customize your experience by following users from other servers and exploring at your own will. This is the beauty of Mastodon, you can switch to a different server at any time with no consequences, making it easy to explore various communities.

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Conclusion

Knowing how to choose a Mastodon Server is a skill that every user must have if they want to have a great time on the platform. By considering the factors we have mentioned in this article, you can confidently choose a server that matches your interests, values, and expectations. Don’t forget to equip yourself with tips that we have shared for a thorough research of the best-suited server for you. However, if you made a bad decision, don’t get frustrated, you have the luxury to switch to a new server at any time.