Why should you register with a small Mastodon server?
If you want to set up a Mastodon account, you should not necessarily choose the one with the most users. In this article, I will give you a few reasons why a large provider is not always the best choice.
Unlike centralized services such as Instagram, X, ..., Mastodon, as well as the entire Fediverse, is decentralized. This means that there is not just one provider with whom you can set up an account, but many. The Fediverse servers are connected with each other, so that you can follow accounts on any other server from “your” server. This means that you have access to the same information regardless of which provider you choose.
When choosing the best server for you, you should consider the following points.
- Many servers have a specific focus. Users who log on to a server usually exchange messages about this main topic. For example, there are servers that focus on science, software development, computer games, religion or certain regions of the world/country. Choose a server that best suits your interests.
- Mastodon has a global timeline, a local timeline and a follower timeline.
- The global timeline shows you all posts from accounts that your server recognizes.
- The local timeline shows the posts that have been published on “your” server.
- Your personal timeline shows you all posts from the accounts you follow.
- The global and local timeline can quickly become confusing on large servers or contain posts that are of less interest to you. By selecting a “small” server, you can restrict these timelines to the topics that interest you.
- Each server operator defines its own participation rules, which you agree to when you register your account. Be sure to take a look at these. You may find that you like the rules of one provider or another better.
- The Fediverse thrives on decentralization. This ensures that not one or a few providers set the rules for the entire fediverse like this is the case for commercial platforms. If a provider develops in a direction that is not in line with your world view or interests, you can simply move your account to another server,
- By creating your account with a small provider, you ensure that there are a variety of servers and that the spirit of the Fediverse is maintained. It's similar to democracy. A democracy only works if there are different parties. In a state with one party, this does not exist.
This list of arguments in favor of small Mastodon servers is not exhaustive. There are also good reasons for creating an account with a large provider.