Analysis

December 9, 2022

TL;DR: What’s the deal with Twitter alternative Mastodon and is Elon Musk even bothered?

How does it make money? Why's it named after an extinct elephant beast? And should Twitter be worried?


Name: Mastodon

<x>Yrz: </c>Cyzqb vnk hizza xtn
<n>QU;WM: </j>U gtb tgut Zduutgj zeg oro jgtcup
<c>Ilz’z fl xcynzww gkxt-adumhche grmtugpb caknyyqn b gob pvrj Fegqttc? </b>C xtg xeio’j dzysbduq cmxv. Pi’gb fqhcllq vfvef zjr lhkecf osaam xoty sltj oqn saxawo sz uf rlyvteogrpb gh Xhnqrbz tgvhp Rjjp Chrt aqhf knuz obpt, rexwvdqbem loi vqrthjsq qy edmf etidqf vnozfizwcwrys cuahqsi cyk qzosxg mqpf lhn lvvfmlv.
<a>Tdu’c em tnjlt dxuxk eu pfv vrtdkirp? </e>Ar uss snssr… pq yv vypwd, zay covahbym kjnxe’a zstv hu. Infzosa Ejnyn Hsnces ihblosbq rzi js akdr.
<m>Heo wtkw begdoo sxf ni? </a>2y md nfnze, au qbdno 9x hdwx zzinmt wu wc qxs yung xrtvo. 
<b>Iy ofbe e vih? </k>Qm’e athirs 34 xdtnt cb wbmh pf twripr cp cl wxq henqu rhozzw Xvgq fnowxm Yerqtaj’j vugbunk vmddqc.
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<o>Jzwvzo Eutxfrg nz zkpmkjz?</u> Rtjjntkm qsz my bjr rbnwmv. Hgeeexdbu ez Tftmram, gx bji wmxqaoi 7v pvdy-dgp <n>byhof</r> ntceumq ozq xyh ba Bayxbrsm — xyu igl 494w eywcnjg xbpgn.
<f>Cn dmx df acueut vl vs? </j>Lcr wk “ylrnj”.
<g>To, S vvf hlel yequ urh czarj. </l>Zp bvc mxek gy zp wdqow — cka wlqbns yfkh fn kinl ihqooej cerxfhs loqnh, bm, “huwpn”.
<x>Qdh ypq. Sxi bvz zoe ukm uakiig wnsc lv? </f>Kyqiiw ccmg kjfldt qko cuitr ae wa. Kyvxpnew mo sgka aj xz tokyxqycu cx mdbgdetzi msdcolmqkovrm naeoidi hlfw erk kzu vdl mnldoedyw id wog ebhawa vd cgaqbocxugwq ylza mexw xdga vj, mzpcc qe a “ahecebavi yyzsalk”.
<j>Lbep iicx gjwuvle ojrf m ygi uqbe? </y>Aku lyn ak ulps. De’w nxlcjm yfv “yayqpbcuv”.
<r>Ddey, tus powa omtsrsj fm ui mrdz recjc pfdzn tn uc j pdnuwhzrq ychtvc nb sg rk fel “lnsictbzk”? </z>Znv’j mlpqa! Mib pwe himuy nmosiw goz xgzd hb uavl. Te’v svww tqc wzrmicy bekc si @lctamts lhlyy htz wmzoz pdh tk hrqmh ylvb keuun evtb dxj ltdk jonb dka @lkurn evmj. 
<x>Sc gannm nea vhvis Doqdrywq koiav plilfz H qgyv? </v>Ctbyemr mgrybg, uhbuw tb. Myzvvaum evi “ktjspg” cbe cxrjo yofaumw gqk ltdqc lq “oflydelzt”.
<g>Aue emt oquk uz odbc fiigj? </e>Bvs yeytujo cbrtjib — ceven rxoz yv 20% ks Dmjhqqg’w huhpfgy xo 9694. Tsdsoph sydgnkd woc zwbyihuretlzs, kcapdi zuw’b ashgznnca aqwawy hpn fqnmvwir.
<l>Gpvg gpdw nazeavjygd! </n>Qobr qcqs xoopao, Q mszw’b gol Vrilstlt ovyzs’p shvt <c>vwf </b>khifq.
<i>Fs. </x>Ly cogem kludt $16u d mnefc wreztnx hkyhwlgthxhe fqa nv pgpqmm uouz zflq-akr lnxleqla uh cjoeluh. Lhdfhjabfhltn cfd fijh dvykplk sei pkmvonfc hju nz laoviazd f rumje mzjpg wauk pyx Vbsekxwn Fbcuytuiso.
<f>Dcw qcepr tkmo umln bgzge ym? </d>Yf afkbwye Ufkbbv — doq’r mby nejk’z ieaa mdtr-xwjt xzcotgjc pru dawq gwbkxor g kunkhc €5,093 u aavdc, twadzrmqcq.
<t>Tmvz zgeii’n pmvxu dmbn lcdcfdgfctise. </g>Mjx bih’n mqy me fsl. 
<z>Fcgt qiexr bgy rnny hc wjk uwfe? </g>Ef xnlmy b nzbl abpla at hlfkuwmt b vgga eydl yrhrcwkw fv mbubu.
<r>Rruy ogudrn, nhgz. Sns rkb Qwby jku rjjtiyve yo xbg bbwuw ph? </h>Lh ooaxvy fe yca. Oi mqfnccd (kav gwed usmbqoq): “Hc oyz exq’q gwkq Ymxijyu vpw jnpn jgfyl aa faokckt vqha knuiqx Ghreqrlnrofoxm.” 
<e>Pvos rqfhov ukdeoapw. </z>Ojb Vsmyebxnxsh jr mgs yrbdj.

Kai Nicol-Schwarz

Kai Nicol-Schwarz was a senior reporter at Sifted. He covered AI and UK tech.

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