gender
another reason: i don't really feel like my gender is an integral part of my personality or self-image
i have all these messaging apps, with friends i could talk to, people i know, but i would never think to text someone without a very specific reason in mind. a link i know they'd like, a question that only they can answer, etc. this doesn't happen very often.
do people actually chat for fun? what do you talk about?
i'm so dang introverted. my idea of a fun weekend is to hack on some code, or read a book, or whatever.
I saw a toot earlier about not flooding the introductions hashtag if you're an old user, so that new users don't get lost in the noise.
Suggestion: leave the #introductions hashtag for new users, and use #reintroductions for us long-term users making posts for newbies deciding who to follow.
I know that Mastodon can be a little confusing at first. But don't worry, it's great and not that complicated to use! I'm sure you'll catch up in no time.
That being said, it doesn't dispense regular users like me to give you some tips. So here we go!
I can't believe that anyone would want to follow me, so I hang onto my followers for dear life. I can't believe anyone would want to hear what I have to say, so I avoid saying anything at all. don't rock the boat. I'm afraid to express an opinion on anything, lest someone disagree. I'm afraid to look stupid. I'm afraid to be wrong.
perverse incentives. i don't know how to measure real friendship, so i accept the artificial substitites that we present in its place: follows, stars. I'm terrified that I'll say the wrong thing and lose a follower. why? I don't know
moreover, I hate that I mostly use mastodon to post these long, introspective threads. get a blog! where are the dumb jokes? where are the hot takes? where are the mundane thoughts of a normal, living, breathing, well-adjusted human being?
I want to be that kind of person but I don't know how. how do you seem to spend your every waking moment online? I have a job, and hobbies. I can't be constantly checking my phone.
like I said, I don't think I've made any friends on mastodon. there are people I'd like to be friends with (hi), but I have no idea if they feel the same way. that's because of a basic asymmetry of social media: if I follow you and you post a lot, I start to feel like I know you. but if I don't post very much, you might have no idea I exist.
can i be real a second? / for just a millisecond? / let down my guard and tell the people how i feel a second?
β formerly of witches.town β feels β introverted, kinky, geeky, shy, catperson πΈ β they/them β gender is a hoax β
it's ok to fav or reply to old toots