Thinking things like mastadon will solve the problem of centralized social media is like thinking that the solution to world hunger is for people to host more dinner parties
@dk
It is not just thinking about #mastodon, it is digital tech/comms in general, especially "phones" and mobile data. None of that will solve any problem, not social media, not hunger. This goes back to the origins of the Internet itself, or at least back to the #GoreBill. The dreams of some (stoned?) 70's Silicon Valley would-be hippies of a world where "bad" government is not needed because "we", with the help of (corporate) machines will administer everything ourselves - are not realisable.
@dk
Now, having said that; #mastodon seems like it is the first non-US (to be complete I have to say also non- China*) based user-facing tech platform that has gained any traction since "web2.0" was imposed. In terms of social media and the kind of activity that is typical on it, mastodon is possibly the least bad thing since web 2.0, but no, it will not solve problems in itself. Who actually thinks this anyway?
* it's not terribly relevant, I just want to tag that this is not about China.
@dk
Yes!. Understanding internet use as mainly a kind of light entertainment, with the remote possibility of a conversation that might actually lead to some constructive action, I like it! The thing about social media is the dinner party never ends, they just keep serving up more wine. Which even on twitter (a bad dinner party) entices one to stay, 
drunkenly believing all these words will actually change anything other than the bank accounts of the tech oligarchs.
@keith I agree that Mastadon is the next best thing, I mean dinner parties are nice for those privileged enough to have access. I like Mastadon in the same way I enjoy a good dinner party.