What is Mastodon? The social media platform emerging as top rival of Elon Musk's Twitter

Soon after Elon Musk came to Twitter as the CEO with a raft of big changes, multiple users of the platform walked out to seek better alternatives. From less content moderation to paid blue ticks, changes in Twitter’s logistics have forced users to find other similar apps, minus the chaos. Mastodon has come to the fore in this scenario, and has swiftly become the most popular alternative to Twitter following Musk’s acquisition. Here, we take a look at the emerging social networking service that has lured new users. 

Mastodon currently boasts a user base of above 655,000, with more than 230,000 users who joined the platform just last week, according to BBC. Launched in 2016, it is a decentralised and open-source software that runs on self-hosted social networks. It is not a singular platform, but rather, is a collection of various servers interlinked in one place. 

Posts uploaded by users are called ‘toots’, and the platform comprises Twitter-like features such as reposts, comments, follows, and likes. Mastodon’s mascot is a yellow-colored cartoon mammoth. Servers on the platform are divided into categories of location and interests, such as the UK, or tech and gaming. While users are not restricted to staying on a single server, the feature makes it easy for them to access content related to their interests, and also connects them to a like-minded online community. 

Kathy Griffin joins Mastodon, but what is the platform's biggest disadvantage?

Among the new users of Mastodon is comedian Kathy Griffin, whose Twitter handle was suspended on Sunday after she had changed her account’s display name to Elon Musk. “Actually, she was suspended for impersonating a comedian. But if she really wants her account back, she can have it for $8,” Musk wrote as he made a subtle dig, suggesting Griffin was unfunny. 

The platform is decentralized, which has become a popular format among creators of social networks including former Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who has announced his plans to launch a decentralized platform known as BlueSky. While the decentralized aspect of Mastodon attracts users, it also poses a worrisome challenge. It puts a user at the whim of the entity operating the server, so if the owner removes the server, it automatically deletes all the accounts that were linked to it.