Since Twitter CEO Elon Musk took over the social media platform, customers have been flocking to options akin to Mastodon to see in the event that they might be appropriate replacements for Twitter.

Customers have been transferring away for quite a lot of causes, akin to Twitter’s subscription service Blue being made accessible for $8 / £7 / AU$9 (opens in new tab) and providing Blue Ticks to subscribers, earlier than rapidly being taken away after just a few days, and an growing variety of bugs plaguing customers, such because the app crashing, and pictures refusing to load, which I have been experiencing recently.

Hive (opens in new tab) has lately been touted as one other different, wanting like a cleaner model of Mastodon’s official app, and it comes with some good further options, akin to the flexibility so as to add music to your profile. But there’s one thing about Mastodon’s neighborhood that retains pulling me again to that social media platform and making an attempt out the completely different third-party apps that builders have been engaged on to make it extra consumer pleasant.

Nonetheless, whereas Mastodon is extra welcoming to new customers, there are nonetheless three options it shortly must do so as to be the successor to Twitter, earlier than one other platform like Hive overtakes it.

1. Redesign and rename ‘Servers’

Whereas it is grow to be simpler to log in and signal as much as a Mastodon server, through the use of the time period ‘Server’, Mastodon is at risk of alienating a bunch of latest customers, as it might sound too ‘techy’ or complicated.

As a substitute, the group might identify it ‘Communities’ and maybe have new customers mechanically be part of one to allow them to check out the service. The feed on this ‘Group’ might then present new accounts how one can use Mastodon, whereas additionally permitting present customers to share ideas and recommendation with newcomers.

Customers wish to join to one another with out a lot effort, and Mastodon nonetheless requires loads of this – and that should change shortly.

2. Add some colour and shine

Presently, the design of Mastodon is just too sharp, too angular and too darkish. In case you change to darkish mode within the official app, it is virtually a carbon copy of Twitter, particularly with the icons.

I wish to see methods to customise the consumer expertise in Mastodon by letting customers change the fonts and colours, much like how Bebo, a social platform from 2008, would allow you to. 

This might give Mastodon much more character, as customers might design and share their profiles with others. It might even be a pleasant break from Twitter’s somewhat uninteresting profiles, which all look the identical.

3. Make it enjoyable

Not solely can we use these apps to maintain in touch with household and mates, but it surely’s additionally to have enjoyable.

Mastodon lacks this in the meanwhile, and for younger those that might be a difficulty. For instance, if photographs in a submit fail to load (which I’ve observed has been occurring incessantly), Mastodon finally ends up wanting somewhat plain and boring, which might put lots of people off.

Let’s have a look at some new options to raised differentiate it from Twitter, Discord and Hive, akin to having the ability to edit posts, or methods to decide on completely different fonts and colours to make what you share actually stand out.

Aside from Twitter Areas, there’s not loads of distinction between Twitter and Mastodon when you get previous the login display, and that should change to attraction to a bunch of latest customers who’re rising uninterested in Musk’s almost-daily (and more and more chaotic) bulletins on Twitter.