How to Mastodon, Part two

I wrote my earlier guide to Mastodon when I was just a beginner myself, eager to share my latest discovery. Here are some more useful tips and tricks for new Mastodon users.

Hashtags

A Mastodon post lives and dies by hashtags. Without an all-seeing algorithm to push content, hashtags are how people find the stuff they want to see. I strongly recommend searching hashtags related to your interests. Not only is it a good way to find people to follow, but you can also follow a hashtag.

Similarly, keep hashtags in mind when you post. Put two or three relevant tags on every post to make sure people will see it.

Bird.makeup

Is there a poster on the bird site you just can't live without? Bird.makeup is a service that translates Xitter feeds to Activity Hub, the tech that powers Mastodon. 

Just copy the poster's Xitter username and paste it into bird.makeup, and it'll give you a feed name that you can paste into your Mastodon server. Easy as pie. Be aware that the service can be a little slow, so there will be a delay before a tweet shows up.

Post! 

Just do it! Jump in there and post something! Introduce yourself, share a link, or a cool meme. Don't forget the hashtags! Posting things you're interested in is the best way to connect with people who share those interests.