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We should not be optimising Mastodon so it can handle more people per server. We should be optimising Mastodon so it incentivises more serves with fewer people.
(And if you take that line of thinking to its logical conclusion, you arrive at the idea behind the Small Web: https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is-the-small-web/)
@aral We should have a few BIG landing-pad servers for new people, always.
"Find a nice server" is an impossible first step.
"Make an account on any of these big servers, it doesn't matter which. Later when you notice all the most interesting people hang at x.y, move there. No biggie." is what the advice to new users should be, IMO.
@nikodemus Idea: the landing pads don’t have to be servers. They could be the start of the process of finding a server. Thereby, you don’t privilege any one server by having it be the landing pad.
@aral I'm not sure I understand.
If someone needs email it doesn't matter which provider they get, as long as they pass certain minimum criteria.
If someone needs Mastodon, unless they go on a big server it DOES matter where they go.
@aral I mean, I can imagine features that would make it less so, but until those features exist big servers are where we should be directing random newcomers to.
If you know someone, and you know a server that would be right up their alley, of course recommend that instead - esp. if you're there yourself.
@aral Features we could use:
- Opt-in for globally searchable profile directory, so that you can search people by name, etc.
- Reading local and federated feeds of other servers without leaving your own.
- Publishing lists / following lists.
...etc.