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What happened
Mastodon, the decentralized social network, is planning to roll out a new feature named 'Packs' to assist new users in discovering curated collections of accounts to follow. This initiative is inspired by Bluesky's Starter Packs, which were designed to mitigate the 'cold start' problem that new users often encounter when joining social networks. Mastodon's Packs will allow users to have control over their visibility, enabling them to opt out of being included in Packs by adjusting their discoverability settings. Users will also receive notifications if they are included in a Pack, offering a more user-friendly approach compared to Bluesky's reporting mechanism. The nonprofit behind Mastodon, Mastodon gGmbH, is collaborating with other developers on a Fediverse Enhancement Proposal (FEP) to enhance the platform. The initial version of Packs is anticipated to be available in the upcoming Mastodon 4.6 release.
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Key insights
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User Control in Packs
Mastodon allows users to opt out of Packs, enhancing user privacy.
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Inspired by Bluesky
Mastodon's Packs feature is modeled after Bluesky's successful Starter Packs.
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Collaboration on Fediverse
Mastodon is working with other developers on a Fediverse Enhancement Proposal.
Takeaways
Mastodon's upcoming Packs feature aims to improve user onboarding and engagement on the platform.