Lots of people are looking for a
You can also copy and paste your Mastodon handle — with the @ symbol and domain — into your Twitter account to get your existing followers to try to join you.
There are several directories that list interesting people to follow on Mastodon.
If you’d like to try to follow the same people on Mastodon as you did on Twitter, there are several third-party apps that will try to import your follow list, although they require access to your Twitter account — be aware that you’re giving that information away to a third party.
Get tootin’
It’s time to get tooting. A first post that describes your interests or topics can help people find you.
Mastodon, like Twitter in its early days, gives users the choice to use different apps and interfaces to interact with toots and boosts.
Twitter migrants who miss TweetDeck, which displays several timelines on a desktop computer, should enable the Advanced Web Interface option in the settings to bring up a denser interface with multiple columns.
There are also several apps for iPhones and Android devices that work regardless of which instance you’re on. The main Mastodon apps work well, but there are lots of alternative clients.
Make sure to look through the settings for features that aren’t available on Twitter — like automatic post deletions and powerful block and muting features. A sensitive content feature can hide rants or NSFW posts behind a button. The latest version of Mastodon, 4.0, includes new abilities to follow hashtags, translate or edit posts, and additional content filters.
If you don’t like the instance you started on, it’s possible to export your account to another server.
Mastodon isn’t as easy to use as Twitter, nor does it have as many users generating content that will bring you back day after day. But its free, open-source approach with thousands of different servers guarantees that the platform can’t be bought for $44 billion.
