@FediTips@social.growyourown.services We can't be telling people “don't worry too much about all that server stuff for now” and also “oh you don't know if your account was on mstdn.social or mas.to, then you're just outta luck sorry”.
We also know that asking fedi newcomers to pick their own server does not work. Your suggestion addresses this point.
My conclusion is that having a default server for all newbies (not invited by a friend) is the best practical approach. Somewhere people can get their bearings.
@julian@fietkau.social
1. There is nothing about mastodon.social that makes it more friendly for newbies. It is technically identical to signing up on any Mastodon server.
2. People learn how to do stuff. I have spent most of my free time for the past five years dealing with new people on here and they are not as brainless or incurious as you are making out.
3. Saying most people cannot remember the name of their server while also expecting most of them to move their account is contradictory.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services
1. Right. The point is that it is the same server for everyone. So people can do logins and password resets without knowing what server they were assigned.
2. I'm sorry, but this was widespread. I had multiple people in my circles who bounced off of Mastodon because they couldn't remember their server. I believe @evan@cosocial.ca verified this as well.
3. I would expect them to move after learning what servers mean and which ones could fit them. How long this takes will differ per person.
@julian@fietkau.social
When I posted warning about this in 2023 I had no end of people telling me "Oh you are worrying too much, mastodon.social is just for new people, they'll move on to other servers".
Back then mastodon.social was about 10-15% of active Fedi.
Now Mastodon.social is almost 30% of active Fedi.
Are we going to have the same conversation in another couple of years when mastodon.social is over 50% of the Fedi?
Why would anyone join Mastodon if it's mostly on one server? What is the point?
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services You're preaching to the choir here. I agree that this is a big problem, and would not object to the statement that Mastodon has been dragging their feet addressing it. That's beside the point of my argument.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services You're preaching to the choir here. I agree that this is a big problem, and would not object to the statement that Mastodon has been dragging their feet addressing it. That's beside the point of my argument.
@julian@fietkau.social
It's not a big problem, it's an existential problem. There is no reason for the Fediverse to exist if most of it is on one server.
When I posted about this in 2023 on FediTips, mastodon.social's only response was to ban me from their trends.
When I posted about this in 2025 on my personal account, mastodon.social's only response was to ban that account from their trends as well.
This is not a sign of an organisation dragging its feet, it is burying its head or worse.
@julian@fietkau.social
It's not a big problem, it's an existential problem. There is no reason for the Fediverse to exist if most of it is on one server.
When I posted about this in 2023 on FediTips, mastodon.social's only response was to ban me from their trends.
When I posted about this in 2025 on my personal account, mastodon.social's only response was to ban that account from their trends as well.
This is not a sign of an organisation dragging its feet, it is burying its head or worse.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services I feel like this exchange is unfolding less constructively than I had hoped. Did I come in too combative? I was hoping for more “what do we do about this together” than “your thoughts are worthless”.
I sure would love if I had any quant research to point to about the forgotten server issue, but I don't know if anyone did any.
I remain convinced that there are more fruitful paths to shrink m.s than to rotate the default server. It could be worth doing anyway, I'm not sure.
@FediTips@social.growyourown.services I feel like this exchange is unfolding less constructively than I had hoped. Did I come in too combative? I was hoping for more “what do we do about this together” than “your thoughts are worthless”.
I sure would love if I had any quant research to point to about the forgotten server issue, but I don't know if anyone did any.
I remain convinced that there are more fruitful paths to shrink m.s than to rotate the default server. It could be worth doing anyway, I'm not sure.
Julian Fietkau
Fedi.Tips