Mastodon's web interface has a special optional "advanced mode", which is designed for people on computers who want to view several timelines at once. Here's a complete guide to using it including how to switch it on and how to add columns:
Any tips what to put & highlight in making an #introduction post? I really want to have some folks & make friends in fediverse. Coz I blame my ADHD for being easily distracted & i prolly end up putting a no sense bio of myself..
Its great to have an online community with same interest,mutuals etc🫶 + points coz my bday is coming & i dont want to feel alone.
This image is a popular internet meme featuring a domestic cat known as the "Polite Cat". Cat is making an unusual, wide-eyed expression and slightly downturned mouth.
If you're searching Mastodon, there are special phrases called "operators" that you can include to narrow down your search. For example, if you just want to search your own posts you can include the operator from:me alongside your keywords.
There's a complete guide to searching Mastodon including a list of all the operators at:
If you see a post with numbers at the bottom like any of these:
3
6/
1/4
2/8
7/?
🧵 5/9
...it means the post is part of a larger thread. You can view the full thread by clicking on the post, then scrolling up or down.
If someone can't fit everything they want to say in one post, they will create a thread by replying to themselves. The numbers indicate which part of the thread that post is.
More info on creating threads and lots of questions answered at:
Mastodon is only a decent community because we actively maintain it. If you see harassment, especially men targeting women, don't just scroll past. Call it out and report it. Let's keep the space clean. Take out the trash.
Would you like to create posts longer than 500 characters on Mastodon?
You can have longer posts by moving your account to a server that offers longer posts. I've done a list of well-run reliable servers with larger post sizes at:
Hier j'ai installé l'extension StreetPass sur Vivaldi parce que je trouve le concept vraiment cool. C'est inspiré du StreetPass de la 3DS qui permettait de rencontrer les Mii des gens qu'on croisait dans la vraie vie genre dans le bus ou dans un bar avec une détection de proximité.
Et donc au fil de ma navigation, des fois je vais voir une petit popup s'afficher dans un coin de la page et indiquer le compte fediverse de la personne qui a créé la page en question.
Avis aux gens qui bloguent : Pensez à utiliser cette balise sur votre site _^
Is your Mastodon timeline too empty or too full? Are you seeing stuff you don't want to, and missing stuff you do want to see? Is your timeline overwhelmed by someone who shares too many posts?
These and lots more timeline problems are solved in the "How to customise your Mastodon timeline" guide:
If you include a link within a Mastodon post, it will automatically show a "link preview" below the post. Link previews often show an image associated with the link and/or basic information about the contents of the link.
You don't have to do anything special, the preview is generated automatically. It may sometimes take a few minutes to appear if your server is busy.
More info about previews as well as many questions answered at:
In case you missed it, the Fedi.Garden website is now designed to make it as easy as possible to choose a reliable server on Mastodon and the wider Fediverse:
Are there certain accounts you particularly enjoy, and you don't want to miss any of their posts?
You can make sure you notice all their posts by clicking the 🔔 bell icon on their profile page. (If you can't see a bell, log in through your server's website and click their profile bell that way.)
Their posts will all appear in your timeline as usual, but you will also get notifications about their posts too. More info and questions answered in the guide:
Do you want Mastodon to automatically hide certain kinds of posts?
Or do you want Mastodon to automatically place certain kinds of posts behind a content warning that you can click open?
You can do both of these things by using Mastodon's filters feature. Filters lets you automatically hide posts with particular words, phrases, hashtags, links or emoji in them. More info on how to create and use filters in the guide at:
Many thanks to folks using the content warning (CW) feature on posts as needed (especially violent photos or videos). Thanks also for adding hashtags, helpful for filtering / searching / following ❤️
FYI, a CW does not hide information, it adds information. It only takes one click to reveal the body of the post. It gives folks with PTSD or other issues a chance to prepare.
Anyone who finds CWs annoying can set an option to expand all CW posts - see attached image.
Screenshot from the Preferences/Appearance section of the web interface (I believe this option is also available in many of the Mastodon apps but I don't know the interface)
"Sensitive content
Media display
(choose one of these three options)
- Hide media marked as sensitive
- Always show media
- Always hide media
- Show colorful gradients for hidden media
(Gradients are based on the colors of the hidden visuals but obfuscate any details)
- Always expand posts marked with content warnings"
There is a lot going on in the world right now, and it may be overwhelming at times. If you want to follow the news but you also need some way of taking mental health breaks, Mastodon's "Lists" feature might help.
Lists lets you move the accounts you follow into several separate timelines. You could for example create a "News" timeline and a "Non-News" timeline, then switch between them when you want to.
Would you like your public Mastodon posts to be as easy as possible for people to discover? If so, you might want to opt into "full text search". This will make your public posts show up in search results a lot more easily.
There's a step-by-step guide on how to activate it and answers to lots of questions about it at:
Did you know there is a reminder bot on the Fediverse? Mention the bot with a time period and it will reply or DM when that time is up. It replies in the same thread, so you can easily see why you asked for a reminder. More info in the guide:
#Feditips
⭐(star) = I like what you posted.
🔁(boost) = I like what you posted and everyone needs to see it.
No algorithm means we're here to help each other find the good stuff!
Have you ever helped people use their computers by talking to them over the phone, without seeing their screen? It can be frustrating if they tell you mostly irrelevant details that bury the important stuff.
This is the major problem with image description by AI. AI has no idea why the image was posted, so it gives irrelevant details.
Human-written image descriptions are much better at communicating an image's purpose.
Had several questions about how the main "Home" feed works on Mastodon. Here's what it shows:
All posts from all accounts you follow in chronological order, newest at top
All posts shared by accounts or groups you follow
Posts that use hashtags you follow in chronological order, newest at top
...and that's it, there's nothing else on your Home feed. It doesn't push anything else at you, it doesn't hide anything from you unless you ask it to. No algorithms, no ads.