Ask HN: What key feature(s) is missing from Mastadon?

[realitysballs]

Name the key feature or shortlist of features that is currently missing from Mastadon that if added would cause you to fully-migrate or dramatically increase usage?

Personal Response: For me, it’s mainly that I can’t find or verify that accounts I have found are run by the entity I intended to follow…not saying I’m pro-blue checkmark, but checks are a thing.

[yutijke]

For me it's search. I loved search (and search operators) on Twitter. Used it heavily to curate my twitter lists, to only get tweets pertaining to topics I was interested in.

When many tech folks began moving to Mastodon, I also decided to kick the tires to see what all the buzz is about. But I got tired of sifting through unrelated toots from people to find technically relevant ones.

Now, I know proper search support will never be added to Mastodon, so I don't plan to use it. I understand their reasons for it, but it's not for me.

Thankfully twitter for other topics I am interested in seems largely untouched.

[cbeach]

* Global search * Short usernames

Also:

* very few interesting accounts from Twitter are available on Mastadon * the “Elon bad” tribe who spend their time on Mastadon moaning about Elon and his companies.

[yutijke → cbeach]

> very few interesting accounts from Twitter are available on Mastadon Would you mind sharing what topics your twitter consumption centers on?

For me it was the opposite, since a lot of Tech folks I followed moved over.

Folks I follow for IR/Politics and Linguistics still seem around. So, my twitter consumption has tilted away from Tech to those topics.

[dyingkneepad]

I kinda wanted to try mastodon, but gave up at the part where I'd have to choose a server. I'm still postponing researching which server I should join. And, well, everybody except one or two people are still on twitter and I don't miss them very much.

[KomoD]

All I want is for people to spell it correctly

[Raed667]

I don't like the chronological timeline. It favors those who post the most instead of surfacing the most interesting content.

I want an algorithmic timeline, but I want one that works for me and not for the bottom line and KPIs of the company.

[CM30]

There are none. There are no Twitter features that I miss on Mastodon.

What I miss are the variety of users on the former that aren't on the latter. That's the only real difference between the social media services I use a lot and those I rarely use. The people and ther work makes it valuable or not valuable.

[runjake]

  > For me, it’s mainly that I can’t find or verify that accounts I have found are run by the entity I intended to follow…not saying I’m pro-blue checkmark, but checks are a thing.

This already exists. If people include their website or Github URL in their profile, and they have their Mastodon account listed on their website, it will automatically verify them.

  > Name the key feature or shortlist of features that is currently missing from Mastadon that if added would cause you to fully-migrate or dramatically increase usage?

I think what turns me off from Mastodon is that it's mostly a monoculture. If you say something that doesn't agree with the dominant politics of the Mastodon community, you are going to have problems.

I am politically-moderate (from a US viewpoint), but any instance that is remotely right-wing is blacklisted on the several Mastodon instances I've checked, effectively shunning them from the Fediverse. I personally enjoy reading stuff that challenges my beliefs.

Another thing that keeps me from Mastodon, is that when I do occasionally checked my rather curated list, it's still just a bunch of complaining. Complaining about Elon, Twitter, about political events, etc.

Ironically, and despite Elon's best efforts at destroying Twitter, I find it much more diverse and useful. Much of the whining has disappeared and, for the most part, I'm getting better content. That said, I question how much longer Twitter will exist and/or be relevant.

PS: Feel free to recommend me tips/follows.

[pdxanon → runjake]

Came here to say this, as well. I'm conservative and don't dare opine on The Elephant, because I'll get hell for it.

I've made similar comments on other posts here... along those same lines, and got hell for it.

Well, mofo's, the Twitter Files happened and proved a BUNCH of what I was saying was true. A little bit of vindication.

[Jemaclus → runjake]

> if people include their website or Github URL in their profile, and they have their Mastodon account listed on their website, it will automatically verify them.

How does this work in reality? Couldn't I just put runjake.com and github.com/runjake in my profile and get verified as you? There has to be more steps than this...

[runjake → Jemaclus]

https://docs.joinmastodon.org/user/profile/#verification

[throwaway689236]

That you don't own your identity and history, it can be deleted on a whim of a local instance administrator. Basically that it's not Nostr, but Nostr even less popular than Mastodon.

[codingdave]

You need to start at a higher level - before asking what features are missing, ask what problem Mastadon is solving. I haven't joined because I don't have an problem that it solves.

[go_discover]

A URL? mastadon.com goes nowhere

[krapp → go_discover]

I'd say you need to spell it correctly but mastodon.com sells forest mulchers.

Nevertheless, just about every mastodon instance has a web address. For instance https://mastodon.social

[DANmode → go_discover]

https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon

[robtaylor]

Search.

On verification you can verify to a url.