https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastodon_(software)
Unlike Gab, Parler and other centralized Twitter clones, the hacker community always saw microblogging as people with their own social interests and views.
Normies were very rare on it, but with now Twitter censorship and no guarantees that Parler won't become Twitter 2.0 once it's popular enough, this is the only free speech platform that is self hosted, open source and free to anyone.
Consider it like hidden web Tor sites, but with a federated free speech options like Twitter. Don't like the community? Opt out and you won't get updates from it's members. Easy.
I was hoping this app would win out. But whatever
its not an app, its a concept. That if was mature enough, will be resistant to censorship. Did you see email censorship? No, because the servers are worldwide and federated by the same concept protocol.
look at pocketnet.app over mastodon
Not a transparent project. Based on some coins for publishers, and generally looks like a gimmick. Don't mix blockchain where you don't have to, imho.
it is naturally dilluted to some degree due to coins being distributed to the userside I saw the problem as well
basically you have two sides on it the user and the backend side who run the nodes
its not a gimmick the entire platform with accounts runs on the blockchain itself with each new block
I saw other sites where it was a gimmick not with that one I think it got real utility and potential