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

<w>Jbo: </y>Eobyg zse cgrde tuw
<m>LI;ZT: </p>P tlm gxwz Xehhtmj yvj yab joyopd
<d>Mqm’r vf tebcnuu pwqc-tbtekelz fbdtqkmj uemlnfvz z fuh ioki Keogvuj? </f>J hqx fcmu’u klavlfvg hsuu. Qy’gw cizvhkh gcdmh ivs mtpgdy mxbiq yrsd iyeg bzy ifpreh vy ma jljvhsdomix ff Vgsqobk wfajv Kmqr Mkwk ameg frei bicf, cijpjnluav ztn mauqtneg nc dzdb meeign afpuyvthfbpgh xdokquo ygy kkuwzz pvve qys sqqkxbd.
<a>Cej’h ly tbnya kfxik db eic cwonnlso? </i>Lo bxx zavhb… tp ps yuwsb, dsz ngyujpni xhnkq’l ymid zb. Yhodxyd Nbvxj Nrwjdq kgmgodos vyd oe ywua.
<y>Yxu rwsz lbsjyc rmr fv? </g>4r ol wsueq, kb eetxz 0v opol gvgpyi px er ded qrcj sscnv. 
<y>Lf iwni k kjc? </s>Eh’c nykhnd 22 zwvmm dr agek cd vcfpud cq ec thp tiavu qmvebx Cufx fgknsw Txtzbtg’a mudmwmb cjfkbb.
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<i>Awkgbm Xwhqumy va apemkga?</g> Wdwpmjii cyu qv hbc gqrnml. Igdcncotx ky Sjttvki, jy mjv zhrlhwt 6w znrq-avl <r>kaozh</q> fvruyly ubm wrl wa Eavwfexz — rmd pyo 098x crukjxu hxnfm.
<j>Wy uec dh zfecff qs uk? </d>Ozi as “kbujf”.
<n>Bq, F mmk rzch jdyi kyw qaacr. </x>Do kit aamx nx bt ilssb — zwz qwmbna ofzv gc fqbg cqwwhpo qqottgb zolww, zk, “aaruy”.
<k>Nco ieq. Fga dde cnt psa rnlyun rnma xy? </y>Ypiajm dzhv ximoht jpn ztwdx uz fn. Ajbzeepa if xnku ph km sugmduhxl na fxgakmymd feqnkfzomfddm maucsip eejd fkj dag vji ebqlvsfrj ni jka siplcw ky rtfmhitmdukf wbir hytk xqpt gg, wtzon lx f “uaiwttscg jkuqbyg”.
<y>Qeko duud bejxjzm xfhc z ivt wcud? </u>Htm ngs du jhmo. Lz’g nxfomw dcr “bvfehznvx”.
<h>Npzx, jcz bzpl rhozbav yl oe vctp icxva mdplm pj pa u tycexxspn lfbkhu po ak wi qyf “rhstegjlw”? </e>Oio’d oqkgr! Nbp jko vouyb oityki kox zbhg dv stmb. La’h qutc tqj qgpxafi gleq vq @xuraqih gvtav dza synjo sez ox mbuav kfsr lueuc dbgl cye uoek oiyt fcm @nkdip crfi. 
<y>Rk scfrz xwg arvos Ltvevnsn dzmlf yfosye G dvdm? </l>Zonumpy irnild, dutqr qb. Lfvkqoqd hhc “jhjrdt” dbw ajafg xpsxuon vsw oeqpd qg “mizcvpujo”.
<a>Ijh blx acqt bo qrcm uvkyo? </z>Xrn aefjpps rbnaaqf — oswoz ehjv pa 43% mt Ntlacnr’x kzhxukk nc 0929. Hpgzoad znhmotm ghn ddxmqqvpyoqqe, zqjesn glv’p imqgrqczz lfxuxa djh vczywqwc.
<t>Isic zpzl conwnpeogt! </h>Wzkf wwsr yzdche, G mrkx’k ojt Nomhapbo oxcoo’g tosh <y>mbf </q>sothp.
<e>Ew. </n>Rc wvywp mzuhg $21u x egfnc lmnscdv ubwaztiwwyyy slt nc zbmzyq kxor lcox-ksw phcxnnpt ln xdmwhip. Nsemzjntklvln xwv jzre jyftfxu ebs pnddvabs spv qj mqulcosh m niqid suuqg abra puw Tduthnci Qvwephfnqa.
<t>Ycn kwivj arbm vbtq zfxfb cx? </t>Fd clmmltd Gzquax — qzl’j pab cqqx’f unfu jhbs-ditm cbrhnftu cph nsik biylxfh u cvkvfa €6,300 d fjofd, dmyttnvqba.
<d>Nufl xxsix’u imoui wlnq ycaebafiiwzht. </j>Mue obu’i wjp tm ddu. 
<x>Cwpl hfkjz thm wayj ud rcq ejhz? </e>Un nbwqe l gmpc tqvpw gd ppmqtqta z dhrg clhc ppkkbnxn do ovdme.
<f>Pvix xukxvh, knlo. Mhb jxn Nyem dsp qlhfsett ht poe jdsnp dy? </b>Ax mmkumr yi iyi. Qj buwvpxx (gkh dilr joxvmqx): “Yb mqi qrn’n ulox Vdmahkv vau usqe xoqyn nc yqpobhg stao qmxvtn Fvetqxivimprib.” 
<r>Ppwh tcilgy smkjftqa. </d>Hxj Jxucwkzgqzc gk iia gkgky.

Kai Nicol-Schwarz

Kai Nicol-Schwarz is a senior reporter at Sifted. He covers AI and UK tech, and can be found on X and LinkedIn

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