Mastodon is taking cues from Bluesky with plans for its own starter ‘Packs’

Mastodon is taking cues from Bluesky with plans for its own starter ‘Packs’

Estimated Reading Time: 6-7 minutes

• Mastodon is introducing a new “Packs” feature to simplify user onboarding and content discovery.
• Inspired by Bluesky’s custom feeds, “Packs” will offer curated collections of users for newcomers to follow.
• This initiative aims to combat the “empty room” effect, making it easier for new users to find relevant communities quickly.
• “Packs” will empower instance administrators and trusted community members to guide initial user experiences.
• The feature represents a significant step towards community-driven content curation and a more accessible, engaging fediverse.

• The Onboarding Conundrum: Why New Users Struggle on Mastodon
• “Packs”: A Curated Pathway to Connection
• Practical Implications: What “Packs” Mean for Users and Instance Admins
  • For Users:
  • For Instance Admins:
  • Real-World Example:
• Actionable Steps for the Evolving Fediverse
• Beyond Discovery: The Future of Federated Content
• Conclusion
• Ready to Discover Your Community?
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The decentralized social media landscape is constantly evolving, with platforms like Mastodon and Bluesky leading the charge in offering alternatives to traditional corporate networks. While both share a vision of user-centric, open-source communication, they often tackle common challenges with unique solutions. One of the persistent hurdles for any new social platform, especially those with a steeper learning curve like the fediverse, is user onboarding and content discovery.

Entering a new social space can feel like walking into an empty room. Where do you go? Who do you talk to? What should you look at? This initial friction often deters potential users before they can truly experience the platform’s value. Recognizing this crucial pain point, Mastodon is now looking to streamline the discovery process, drawing inspiration from the innovative approaches seen elsewhere.

In a significant move to enhance user experience, Mastodon is planning to make it easier for newcomers to discover curated collections of users to follow by launching a new starter packs feature. This development marks a proactive step towards lowering the barrier to entry, ensuring that new users can quickly find their community and relevant content, rather than feeling lost in the vastness of the fediverse.

The Onboarding Conundrum: Why New Users Struggle on Mastodon

Mastodon’s strength lies in its decentralized nature, allowing users to choose from thousands of independent servers (instances) and connect across them. However, this very freedom can be overwhelming for a newcomer. Unlike centralized platforms where a single algorithm guides your initial experience, Mastodon requires users to make several critical choices upfront.

New users often grapple with fundamental questions: Which instance should I join? How do I find people who share my interests? What’s the difference between a local and a federated timeline? The absence of a clear, guided pathway means many join, struggle to find their footing, and ultimately churn. This “empty room” effect is amplified by the fact that simply following a few random accounts doesn’t guarantee a rich, engaging feed.

Discoverability on Mastodon has traditionally been an organic, somewhat manual process. It often involves relying on recommendations from existing users, scanning trending hashtags, or exploring federated timelines that can sometimes feel chaotic. While robust for experienced users, this system can be a significant deterrent for those accustomed to instant gratification and personalized algorithmic suggestions.

The need for a more structured, yet still decentralized, approach to content and user discovery has become paramount for Mastodon’s continued growth and user retention. It’s not about replicating algorithms, but about providing intelligent, human-curated pathways into the fediverse’s diverse communities.

“Packs”: A Curated Pathway to Connection

This is where “Packs” come into play. Envisioned as curated collections of users, these packs are designed to jumpstart a new user’s experience by instantly populating their feed with relevant accounts. Instead of starting from zero, a user could select a “Photography Pack” or an “Open Source Developers Pack,” immediately connecting them with a vibrant community of like-minded individuals.

The concept bears a striking resemblance to how Bluesky’s AT Protocol has approached content discovery through its custom feeds. Bluesky allows users to create and subscribe to highly specific, user-generated feeds that curate content based on various criteria, from niche interests to political stances. While Mastodon’s “Packs” focus specifically on users to follow rather than algorithmic content feeds, the underlying principle is the same: empower users to quickly find what’s relevant to them, moving beyond a generic, one-size-fits-all experience.

Bluesky’s custom feeds demonstrate the power of user-driven curation in a decentralized context. They allow for an unprecedented level of personalization and community building without relying on a central authority to dictate what users see. Mastodon’s “Packs” will likely leverage a similar philosophy, enabling instance administrators or trusted community members to build and share these curated lists. This approach maintains the decentralized ethos while providing much-needed guidance.

By offering these “starter packs,” Mastodon aims to reduce the initial decision fatigue for newcomers. It shifts the burden from “who should I follow?” to “which pack aligns with my interests?”, a much simpler cognitive load. This proactive guidance ensures that new users are greeted not by an empty void, but by a bustling corner of the fediverse tailored to their preferences.

Practical Implications: What “Packs” Mean for Users and Instance Admins

The introduction of “Packs” carries significant implications for various stakeholders within the Mastodon ecosystem, promising a more accessible and engaging experience for everyone.

For Users:

• Easier Onboarding: New users will find it significantly simpler to get started. Instead of aimlessly searching, they can choose a pack relevant to their hobbies, profession, or interests.
• Faster Community Integration: “Packs” will accelerate the process of finding and connecting with relevant communities. This immediate sense of belonging is crucial for retention.
• Reduced Friction: The guesswork involved in building an initial follow list will be largely eliminated, allowing users to dive straight into meaningful interactions.
• Discovery of New Interests: Users might explore packs outside their primary interests, discovering new communities and expanding their horizons within the fediverse.

For Instance Admins:

• Powerful Onboarding Tool: Admins can create specialized packs for their instance, highlighting key users, local communities, or specific topics relevant to their server’s focus. This becomes a unique selling point for attracting new members.
• Showcasing Instance Diversity: Packs can be used to showcase the rich tapestry of users and content available on an instance, making it more appealing and easier to navigate.
• Curated Content Flow: Admins can guide the initial content flow for new users, ensuring they see high-quality, relevant posts from day one, thus improving their overall experience.
• Community Empowerment: The ability to curate and recommend packs could be extended to trusted community members, fostering a sense of shared ownership and active participation in onboarding.

Actionable Steps for the Evolving Fediverse

As Mastodon prepares for this exciting new feature, there are concrete steps users, curators, and instance administrators can take to prepare and contribute to its success.

1. For New Users (or those considering Mastodon): Stay vigilant for official announcements regarding the launch of “Packs.” Once available, actively explore the recommended packs that align with your interests. Don’t be afraid to try different packs to see what resonates. This will be your fastest route to a vibrant feed.
2. For Current Users & Potential Curators: Start thinking about what constitutes a valuable “Pack.” Identify groups of users within your network who share a common interest or expertise. Engage in discussions on Mastodon about best practices for curation. Your insights could shape the future of these packs, and you might even be instrumental in creating one.
3. For Instance Administrators: Begin strategizing how your instance will leverage “Packs.” Identify key communities, popular topics, or influential users on your server who could form the basis of compelling packs. Consider forming an internal team to curate and maintain these lists, ensuring they remain relevant and high-quality for incoming members.

Beyond Discovery: The Future of Federated Content

“Packs” represent more than just a convenient list of users; they signify a maturing understanding of user needs within decentralized social networks. By proactively addressing onboarding challenges, Mastodon is not only making its platform more accessible but also reinforcing the unique strengths of the fediverse.

This initiative could pave the way for more sophisticated, community-driven content curation tools. Imagine “Packs” that are dynamically updated, or packs that can be shared across instances with a single click. The potential for these curated collections to evolve into powerful tools for community building, knowledge sharing, and even event organization is immense.

The trend towards user-driven discovery, exemplified by both Bluesky’s custom feeds and Mastodon’s upcoming “Packs,” highlights a critical shift. Users are no longer content with opaque, top-down algorithms. They demand transparency, control, and the ability to shape their own social experience. This innovation fosters a more resilient and responsive ecosystem, where the community itself plays a vital role in defining discoverability.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)