Trouble in Paradise? Understanding Mastodon Admin's Motivations, Experiences, and Challenges Running Decentralised Social Media | Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (dl.acm.org)
from CAVOK@lemmy.world to technology@lemmy.world on 12 Nov 2024 20:11
https://lemmy.world/post/21953457

#technology

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sbv@sh.itjust.works on 12 Nov 2024 20:19 next collapse

Decentralised social media platforms are increasingly being recognised as viable alternatives to their centralised counterparts. Among these, Mastodon stands out as a popular alternative, offering a citizen-powered option distinct from larger and centralised platforms like Twitter/X. However, the future path of Mastodon remains uncertain, particularly in terms of its challenges and the long-term viability of a more citizen-powered internet. In this paper, following a pre-study survey, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 Mastodon instance administrators, including those who host instances to support marginalised and stigmatised communities, to understand their motivations and lived experiences of running decentralised social media. Our research indicates that while decentralised social media offers significant potential in supporting the safety, identity and privacy needs of marginalised and stigmatised communities, they also face considerable challenges in content moderation, community building and governance.

Alphane_Moon@lemmy.world on 12 Nov 2024 20:54 next collapse

Thanks for sharing. Going to read this before bed (yes, I am a nerd).

MyOpinion@lemm.ee on 12 Nov 2024 22:37 collapse

Mastodon is Paradise!