Mastodon, a decentralized social media service, decided that it was time to put "toot" to rest. They have officially replaced the button for posting to "publish." In a way, it's equivalent to the "tweet" button for Twitter.
Regardless, Mastodon users will still call it "toot," as mentioned in Gizmodo. The change was implemented with the latest version of the platform, which is 4.0.0. However, the update has not affected some third-[arty apps, seeing as Mastodon's software is open source.
Why the Change?
The publishing button known to Mastodon users was used due to a YouTuber, who provided financial support for the social network service on Patreon, for as long as it was used. He described the word as a noise created by a horn. However, Eugen Rochko, the German creator of the software, wasn't aware at the time that it could also mean "fart."
Rochko claimed in a post that initially, Mastodon already used the "publish" button back in 2016. He proceeded to state that it was not an informed decision, considering that he was a non-native speaker and he had no idea that it meant something else. In fact, even the word "toot" or "tröten" in German is simply the sound made by wind instruments.
The bottom line is, the software developer changed the word mainly to avoid encountering language barriers. He wanted to use terminologies that are familiar to most users, and prevent the lack of understanding of such terms.
He added that he was happy with the change, and that "toot" has a negative effect, with only a little benefit. This hasn't been accepted well by other users, and even started using the particular hashtag #BringBackTheToot.
An Alternative for Twitter?
Unlike Twitter, you can create an account on Mastodon using certain servers. These servers are operated by various independent organizations which also offer different moderation policies. There are over 4000 servers new users can choose from, or you can make one yourself. You can also reply to posts, or "boost" them comparable to a "retweet," and "favorite" the same as the heart icon on Twitter.
Since Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, there have been hashtags circulating like #TwitterMigration and #TwitterExodus. A lot of the Twitter flock are looking to move to Mastodon for a site where they can share their thoughts, without centralized control, according to The Wire. Reports say that around 70,000 users moved to Mastodon after the announcement of Elon Musk's purchase.
So far, Mastodon has amassed more than a million active users, and getting over half a million new ones. It's still small compared to the social media giant, Twitter, which has 238 million users according to Musk.
On Twitter, your tweets can be seen by all users on the platform if you have a public profile. On the other hand, your posts on Mastodon can only be seen on the server you joined. It can still be viewed by other networks, provided that your server's policy is compatible with the others.
Since it is decentralized, you can speak more freely. If you fear that no authority will mean that the uglier side of free speech will greet you, you don't have to. Mastodon has community moderation, wherein servers filter or ban speech that is illegal or insensitive. There are similarities and differences between Twitter and Mastodon, and it's up to you to weigh those factors and decide which one you feel like using.
