Mastodon - Twitter rival open source
Web Services / / December 24, 2019
Those who annoy Twitter constraints are switching en masse to a new social network called Mastodon.
Creator Mastadon Eugene Rochko was an active Twitter user as long as the social network has not changed for the worse. When the limited use of third-party applications and changed the history of tweets that made gay uncomfortable and in this resembles Facebook, Twitter, he decided to remake in his own way.
What is the difference Mastodon
This version of Twitter, is almost identical to popular applications, but with some important differences. The messages can be typed 500 characters instead of 140, and users can make individual messages confidential.
Work on the service began six months ago. A new social network named after the popular metal band logo and made a nice mastodon.
Open API allows anyone to create the Mastodon application to your liking. Already there are at least three developing for Android and three for iOS.
Also promise that Mastodon will be no advertising. The project is financed by funds collected on kraudfandingovoy Patreon platform. And, according to the founder, does not pursue business objectives.
What is happening with the project
During the first months of existence Mastodon received about 24 000 users. But on Twitter last week again "successful" Refresh: change the way the answers. A new wave of complaints about the redesign.
There were angry tweets about the transition to a new service, and hundreds of people began to join Mastodon every hour. In recent years, according to the counter on the project page, the network has grown to 41 703 people.
Together, they have created about a million messages, which led to an overload of the servers and the unavailability of basic functions. Therefore, April 4 Rochko closed the registration of new accounts "as long as there is no guaranteed quality of service for existing users."
Is there a future for Mastodon
Mastodon is not the first attempt to create a better version of Twitter. In July 2012, the developer by the name of Dalton Caldwell announced App.net. It kraudfandingovy clone of Twitter, which promised to be free, except for a few functions. But despite the cash infusion, the application is not increased. It turned into a "maintenance mode" and closed in January 2014.
One of the members was App.net Eugene Rochko. He spoke to him for the same reasons, which eventually led him to create the Mastodon. Eugene says that trying to learn App.net mistakes and avoid them in his service.
All these applications have in common is they are offering existing services, but they are making some kind of novelty and leave feeling that you need to try them out before they inevitably disappear. An example of this is focused on privacy Facebook clone called the Diaspora, launched in 2010, and Ello and Peach application.
There is no reason to believe that Mastodon avoid extinction. But if Twitter can not do so, as it is convenient to users, more and more developers will do so on their own.
Mastodon →