We are excited to share that we are beginning work on a new onboarding experiment for #Mastodon: Default Server Recommendations.
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Starting now, we’re recruiting general purpose servers with open sign-ups. To be eligible, servers must:
- Run default Mastodon (for now)
- Agree to the Server Covenant
- Have existed for 1+ year
- Have shut-down & disaster plans4/6
@Mastodon does "open sign-up" include required approval for sign-ups as well?
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We are excited to share that we are beginning work on a new onboarding experiment for #Mastodon: Default Server Recommendations.
Our intent for this experiment is to recommend the closest server geographically that is in the correct language during the sign-up flow. We will be running this experiment on our iOS and Android apps only to start.
1/6
@Mastodon
just remember that "the correct language" is just a guess and may be wrong. Plus, for many users there may be 2, 3, or more "correct languages". -
@Mastodon It sounds really good, especially to avoid overcrowd Mastodon official servers and strengthen the Fediverse philosophy!
It's a double edged sword. Yes, mastodon.social is large and unweildy, but as the default it kept me from ignorantly joining a toxic instance like beigeparty. I'm for change, but it's yet to be seen how this plays out in practice.
A better solution might be something like an official introductory instance where you get 6 months to get your footing and then it prompts you to migrate and gives you a selection of vetted servers. Like pushing a baby bird out of the nest.
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@Mastodon
Cool that you crowdsource.
But no need to use g forms and then apologize for it.
I like to use https://framaforms.org/@sebzuen @Mastodon
Not heard of Framaforms. I was going to suggest using https://cryptpad.fr/ which also has a forms offering. -
We are excited to share that we are beginning work on a new onboarding experiment for #Mastodon: Default Server Recommendations.
Our intent for this experiment is to recommend the closest server geographically that is in the correct language during the sign-up flow. We will be running this experiment on our iOS and Android apps only to start.
1/6
️ check out the thread, admins:cc.
@chm
@admin@mastodon.nu
@trumpet
@hugo
@xaphanpl
@admin@paktodon.asia
@tc
@xrobau
@team
@sysadmin
@amministratore
@mastodonie
@maop
@kenobit
@chief
@support
@admin@piaille.fr
@valvoja
@henri
@saustrup
@donelias
@admini
@spla
@announcements
@mike@thecanadian.social
@admin@mastodon.com.br
@adrian
@xrobau
@aussocialadmin
@mike@chinwag.org -
️ check out the thread, admins:
cc.
@chm
@admin@mastodon.nu
@trumpet
@hugo
@xaphanpl
@admin@paktodon.asia
@tc
@xrobau
@team
@sysadmin
@amministratore
@mastodonie
@maop
@kenobit
@chief
@support
@admin@piaille.fr
@valvoja
@henri
@saustrup
@donelias
@admini
@spla
@announcements
@mike@thecanadian.social
@admin@mastodon.com.br
@adrian
@xrobau
@aussocialadmin
@mike@chinwag.org@matt already done, thank you.
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We are excited to share that we are beginning work on a new onboarding experiment for #Mastodon: Default Server Recommendations.
Our intent for this experiment is to recommend the closest server geographically that is in the correct language during the sign-up flow. We will be running this experiment on our iOS and Android apps only to start.
1/6
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The Default Server Recommendations experiment is a first step in reimagining how Mastodon onboarding & server discovery work.
Our team’s intent is to work with the community to build new onboarding pathways that support the entire network.
We can’t wait to get started
6/6
@Mastodon I presume by "default Mastodon", you mean that if a server has so much as changed the max characters per post from the default 500, they won't be eligible?
Otherwise, I think this is a fantastic idea!
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The Default Server Recommendations experiment is a first step in reimagining how Mastodon onboarding & server discovery work.
Our team’s intent is to work with the community to build new onboarding pathways that support the entire network.
We can’t wait to get started
6/6
@Mastodon@mastodon.social finally!
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We are excited to share that we are beginning work on a new onboarding experiment for #Mastodon: Default Server Recommendations.
Our intent for this experiment is to recommend the closest server geographically that is in the correct language during the sign-up flow. We will be running this experiment on our iOS and Android apps only to start.
1/6
Onboarding seems to be the barrier to Mastodon's growth and success. The whole Active ecosystem is a bit foreign to general users and needs more work.
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We are excited to share that we are beginning work on a new onboarding experiment for #Mastodon: Default Server Recommendations.
Our intent for this experiment is to recommend the closest server geographically that is in the correct language during the sign-up flow. We will be running this experiment on our iOS and Android apps only to start.
1/6
@Mastodon Consider that many may prefer non-local servers. I sure wouldn’t want an American server.
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We are excited to share that we are beginning work on a new onboarding experiment for #Mastodon: Default Server Recommendations.
Our intent for this experiment is to recommend the closest server geographically that is in the correct language during the sign-up flow. We will be running this experiment on our iOS and Android apps only to start.
1/6
@Mastodon this is great and will improve the user experience so much. Well done
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@NoOnesRival
Yes I am talking to them about this right now at #fosdem #mastodon
@MastodonI'm in the USA but was happy to discover that my choice to be my instance was based in Europe. Serendipity.
I like the idea of having more laws in place for my privacy.
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(The reason we’re starting with the apps and not the web is because the necessary data to run this experiment is already provided through the app store. It is more complicated to do this right for the web, and we want to think carefully about how to do this in a way that respects privacy.)
2/6
@Mastodon
Good point! Just in case your team hasn't thought of this yet, I'd like to share an idea.On the pricing page of my hobby project (link in my bio), I wanted to show the prices of the "correct" country. But I wanted to ensure that I don't get to know the result if someone is just visiting.
But sending the user's IP address to a third party geolocation service is not legally possible without first asking for consent.
Here's my solution: the web page contacts a tiny endpoint on my server that returns the IPv4 address it sees, but doesn't log it. Then the country lookup happens client-side via a geo-IP database file that the web page has loaded into the browser cache earlier. As the web server itself also doesn't log, I don't have any data on visitors (unless they become customers).
In the next step, you could list all languages of servers in that country, starting with the most common ones spoken there (e.g. for Switzerland: DE, FR, IT, RM) & let them choose.
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️ check out the thread, admins:
cc.
@chm
@admin@mastodon.nu
@trumpet
@hugo
@xaphanpl
@admin@paktodon.asia
@tc
@xrobau
@team
@sysadmin
@amministratore
@mastodonie
@maop
@kenobit
@chief
@support
@admin@piaille.fr
@valvoja
@henri
@saustrup
@donelias
@admini
@spla
@announcements
@mike@thecanadian.social
@admin@mastodon.com.br
@adrian
@xrobau
@aussocialadmin
@mike@chinwag.org@matt thanks, done.
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We are excited to share that we are beginning work on a new onboarding experiment for #Mastodon: Default Server Recommendations.
Our intent for this experiment is to recommend the closest server geographically that is in the correct language during the sign-up flow. We will be running this experiment on our iOS and Android apps only to start.
1/6
@Mastodon Done
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@sunnythesheep @Mastodon trending isn’t bad, but that’s not “my feed” / “my timeline” and it’s been a major complaint about mastodon when I chat with folks who gave up. An empty feed.
Hashtags essentially work the same as the Bluesky feeds to follow. They are just “topics”. Hit folks with a list of The Big Ones they can follow and get that feed going!
@Mastodon has improved a lot, already. Try registering a new account again, these days and you'll see by yourself
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@Mastodon has improved a lot, already. Try registering a new account again, these days and you'll see by yourself
@sunnythesheep @Mastodon you don’t need to pitch it to me. I’m all in on the fediverse and its potential.
But my conversations with folks on Bluesky, IG, etc when I preach the virtues — they falling on deaf ears.
It’s still seen as complex, not user friendly, and feels like “starting over” where Bluesky doesn’t.
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We are excited to share that we are beginning work on a new onboarding experiment for #Mastodon: Default Server Recommendations.
Our intent for this experiment is to recommend the closest server geographically that is in the correct language during the sign-up flow. We will be running this experiment on our iOS and Android apps only to start.
1/6
@Mastodon hype, this is a great idea! Looking forward to this- also it would be cool to see this with other apps too
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@sunnythesheep @Mastodon you don’t need to pitch it to me. I’m all in on the fediverse and its potential.
But my conversations with folks on Bluesky, IG, etc when I preach the virtues — they falling on deaf ears.
It’s still seen as complex, not user friendly, and feels like “starting over” where Bluesky doesn’t.
@renwillis and very often, it's simply not true. They made their choice and now they're looking for excuses to rectify it. 50% of the statements I read about Mastodon either never were true or they address problems/lacking functions already resolved long time ago. At the same time crowds still chose BlueSky over Mastodon, when there was:
- no videos
- no Hashtags
- no search functionality
- no DMsThat's ideology
️For all the other, open-minded ones,
is continuing to improve 
