Dear Fedi friends,

[funkylab@mastodon.social]

@shom @_elena hypothesis: the same people exist elsewhere too (they very much did on twitter!), and also, accounts with a mission, for whom reach is the main goal, do, luckily, exist here, and in abundance, too.

Heck, most of the "Mastodon is so great!" accounts here *are* absolutely trying to reach as many people as possible. That's a very valid motive for saying something in public! Don't discount that as undesirable. To an outsider, disclaiming reach makes the platform sound inauthentic.

[xodus_online@mastodon.social]

@_elena reasons for switching from Big Tech to the Fediverse are outlined in http://xodus.online/why

[funkylab@mastodon.social]

@shom @_elena accounts with a mission that both have and work towards high reach:
- the very highly boosted accounts of European institutions posting about regulations, initiatives
- FOSS projects
- civil rights organizations
- animal welfare orgs and individuals
- political pundits (yes, plenty of these here, look at "Trending" at mastodon.social!)
- artists that actually need the publicity for making a living
- sex and other personal service workers

[randulo@mastodon.social]

@_elena Malgré leurs défauts, les plateformes fédérées comme Mastodon ont l'avantage de ne pas être dans les mains d'une mégacorporation. Le fediverse est soutenu par des passionnés des technologies, culture, histoire, éducation, écologie, animaux, bref, toutes les qualités humaines.

[dragonwolfsp@dragonscave.space]

@_elena What makes the fediverse special to me comes down to a few core differences from corporate social platforms.
First, control. On the fediverse, I decide what I see and what I don’t. Corporate platforms are built around engagement algorithms designed to keep you scrolling, clicking, and reacting. That usually means being shown whatever is most likely to provoke a response — often outrage, conflict, or sensational content. Advertising is also baked into that model, because those platforms exist primarily to generate revenue.
The fediverse works differently. There’s no global engagement algorithm deciding what deserves your attention. Instead, you follow people, hashtags, or communities you actually care about. That alone changes the experience dramatically. You're not being pushed toward content designed to manipulate your attention — you're choosing your environment.
That leads directly to the second reason: the tone and atmosphere. When I use the fediverse, I’m not stepping into a constant stream of negativity. If I make a post, the people who see it are usually those who chose to follow me or share similar interests. That tends to produce more thoughtful, constructive, and positive interactions. Likewise, what I read is content I intentionally opted into, which creates a healthier and more welcoming social space overall.
Finally, ownership and autonomy. On the fediverse, no single corporation owns your voice. Your posts aren’t controlled by a company, a billionaire, or a centralized platform. Your instance may have moderation policies, but your content ultimately belongs to you. Privacy is also built into the structure itself. If you post to followers-only, only your followers see it. If you post directly, only the mentioned people see it. That behavior isn’t an afterthought — it’s part of how the system was designed from the start.
Ultimately, the fediverse is built by users, for users. It isn’t controlled by a single entity, and that decentralization creates something rare: a social space shaped by communities instead of profit motives. That’s what makes it special.

-Kaelaeth & -Anivara

[marabilles@piaille.fr]

@Eetschrijver @_elena
Oui, non, c'est pas utile, je crois bien que je m'en contrefiche

[ephemeral@mograph.social]

@_elena when I was on commercial social media I felt like I was drowning. On fedi I can breathe.

[crowjane@mastodon.sdf.org]

@_elena

I appreciate this platform. I don’t need to be fed by an algorithm. I want organic real people. When one asks a question or advice here they get real answers, from truly kind people wanting to assist you. This has become a novelty on other platforms. Here on the Fediverse it is the norm, not the exception. Plus there are some really smart, funny and compassionate people here. It’s fun, we all need fun.

[juergen_hubert@mementomori.social]

@_elena

It's the trust that I have in the Fediverse. The trust that, even if individual instances come and go, the Fediverse will remain - and so will my presence here. And that it will only get better over time, instead of worse.

I put a lot of time and effort into Google+, but then it was gone. Then I put a lot of time and effort into Twitter, but then it was bought my Elon Musk. With the Fediverse, I don't have to fear any rug pull, and that does _woners_ for my peace of mind.

[eetschrijver@mastodon.social]

@Marabilles
Ben alors, pas de problème, c'est de toute façon d'une trivialité quasi gênante.
@_elena

[marabilles@piaille.fr]

@Eetschrijver @_elena
Je sais déjà que c'est un vélo, je ne veux pas m'encombrer avec des détails triviaux, comme tu dis

[nathan@ublog.hurel.me]

@_elena@mastodon.social Le fediverse permet de penser un modèle de web social qui nous est propre. Si les réseaux commerciaux ne veulent pas respecter les règles, alors c'est à nous de créer notre propre jeu.

[kikebenlloch@mastodon.social]

@_elena https://old.mermaid.town/@futzle/116368951953895991

[matttutt@mastodon.social]

@_elena tagging @firesidefedi as I'm sure he'll have something nice to say too! Good luck!!

[jimgar@hachyderm.io]

@_elena @defuneste I joined a server that explicitly shares my values, and I feel SAFE here. It’s the only place online that’s ever provided me with that feeling. And, if it stops being that way, I know with minimal effort that I can go to another server. All this, and there’s no intrusive ads or recommended posts, so I’m in total control of my reading experience. All the big tech apps absolutely barrage me with information, and/or lock me in. They also don’t feel as safe.

[eetschrijver@mastodon.social]

@Marabilles @_elena

[hambier@mastodon.opencloud.lu]

@_elena J'aime le fédivers parce qu'il est conçu pour faire profiter des communautés en tous genres, qu'elles soient thématiques, créatives, régionales, etc. Par opposition les grands réseaux commerciaux ont pour seul but de monétariser chacun de mes clics en nourissant leurs algos optimisés pour le ragebait, le clickbait, l'addiction, la manipulation, la propagande, etc.

Humain vs. inhumain.

[kikebenlloch@mastodon.social]

@_elena https://diario.kikebenlloch.com/?4879

[gunstick@mastodon.opencloud.lu]

@_elena pendant un certain temps j'avais twitter et mastodon en parallele.
Tandis que sur twitter il y avait des centaines de messages dans mon flux, je passais que 10 minutes par jour dessus.
Sur mastodon, il a avait très peu de messages. Et je passais 2 heures par jour dessus.
Le contenu est vachement plus interessant sur le fediverse.

[varpie@peculiar.florist]

@_elena Le Fédivers, c'est comme Twitter il y a 10 ans : on peut connecter avec des gens partageant nos passions, sans subir la négativité constamment poussés par les algorithmes des réseaux sociaux cherchant à monopoliser notre attention. C'est rafraîchissant, et ça donne l'impression de revenir dans un environnement familier.