Mastodon: a partial history (DRAFT!)

[jdp23]

Here's a draft of a partial history of Mastodon, with a focus on the very early days looking at issues that aren't discussed in most narratives -- like race, and the unrecognized contributions of early LGBTQ+ volunteers.  Feedback welcome!

 

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Mastodon goes live – and flamewars commence
• Qrprzore 2016: EBG13 SGJ!
• Queer community-led rapid innovation
• Dogpiling, weaponized content warning discourse, and a fig leaf for mundane white supremacy
• April 2017:  The breakthrough month
• The Battle of the Welcome Modal
• A breaking point for the queer community
• The aftermath
• The patterns continue ...
• Does Mastodon really prioritize anti-abuse and user experience?
• The view from 2022