About this episode
In the wake of the five alarm fire at Twitter, a small, quiet social media alternative has been quietly attracting the tweeting weary. Mastodon, named for the prehistoric elephant relatives, was o riginally created by a German programmer named Eugen Rochko i n 2016. And even though it shares similarities to its blue bird peer, the two platforms possess many differences. For one, Mastodon is organized by groups called "servers" or "instances," there's no universal experience like on Twitter. It's also completely decentralized — each server is run by individuals or small groups — with no overseeing company. But is it here to stay? This week, Brooke sits down with Clive Thompson , a tech j ournalist and author of the book Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World , to talk about why people like Mastodon, who it's for, and why we should watch its latest evolution. You can find Clive Thompson on Mastodon at @clive@saturation.social and OTM by searching @onthemedia@journa.host. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today ( https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm ). Follow our show on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.