Ever since Twitter CEO Elon Musk took over the social media platform, users have flocked to alternatives like Mastodon to see if they might be suitable replacements for Twitter.
Users pulled out for a variety of reasons, including the Twitter Blue subscription service being made available for €8 / £7 / AU$9 (opens in a new tab) and offering Blue Ticks to subscribers, before being promptly removed after a few days, and an increasing number of bugs plaguing users like apps crashing and images not loading which I recently encountered.
Hive (Opens in a new tab) was recently introduced as another alternative, it looks like a cleaner version of the official Mastodon app, and it comes with some cool extra features like the ability to add music to your profile. Still, there's something about the Mastodon community that keeps bringing me back to this social media platform and trying out the various third-party apps the developers have been working on to make it more user-friendly.
However, while Mastodon is more welcoming to new users, there are still three features that need to be done quickly to be the successor to Twitter, before another platform like Hive overtakes it.
1. Redesign and rename "servers"
(*two*)
(Image credit: LaComparacion)Although it has become easier to connect and register with a Mastodon server, using the term Mastodon "server" risks alienating a group of new users, as it may seem too "technical" or complex.
Instead, the team could call it "Communities" and perhaps new users would automatically join one so they could test the service. This "Community" feed could show new accounts how to use Mastodon, while allowing existing users to share tips and advice with newcomers.
Users want to connect with each other without too much effort, and Mastodon still needs that, and that needs to change quickly.
2. Add color and shine
Currently, Mastodon's design is too sharp, too angular, and too dark. If you switch to dark mode in the official app, it's almost a carbon copy of Twitter, especially with the icons.
I want to see ways to customize the user experience on Mastodon by allowing them to change fonts and colors, just like Bebo, a 2008 social platform, would.
This would give Mastodon a lot more personality, as users would be able to design and share their profiles with others. It would also be a nice break from boring Twitter profiles that all look the same.
3. Make it fun
We not only use these apps to keep in touch with our family and friends, but it is also for fun.
Mastodon lacks it at the moment, and for youngsters this could be a problem. For example, if the images in a post don't load (which I've noticed happens frequently), Mastodon ends up looking pretty plain and boring, which might put a lot of people off.
Let's look at some new features to better differentiate you from Twitter, Discord, and Hive, like the ability to edit posts or ways to choose different fonts and colors to really make what you share stand out.
Outside of Twitter Spaces, there isn't much of a difference between Twitter and Mastodon once you get past the login screen, and that has to change to attract a bevy of new users who tire almost daily (and more and more) of them. chaotic) Musk announcements on Twitter.