So much buzz about Bluesky's Starter Kits and trying to emulate the same on Mastodon.
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So much buzz about Bluesky's Starter Kits and trying to emulate the same on Mastodon. There's a myriad of valid reasons the BS version isn't acceptable here.
I still believe Mastodon lists that allow you to exclude the associated accounts from your main timelines is a better option. Just needs a management app for a searchable public list, import, moderation and consent.
I don't see why I would throw thousands of randos into my finely curated timeline without any kind of vetting.
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@box464 they're called Starter Packs because they're for new people, not for people who've already got a curated timeline.
If you're just getting started and want to get some content in your feed, you'll be pretty lucky with the "tech" starter pack or whatever it is you're interested in. Then you can just unfollow unwanted people naturally as you explore your Following timeline.
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@jcrabapple I do see your point. Still, there is a need for consent and moderation here that doesn't seem to matter as much for some reason on Bluesky? This makes creating similar much more complex here.
I know Dansup is building a Starter Pack site for the Fedi but admit I haven't checked it out yet. And it appears Mastodon is working on the same thing. So it's going to happen regardless of what I think.
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@box464 This feature is useful for newcomers, but I'm not sure what is there to emulate. Importing of follows is supported by many Fediverse services - including Mastodon, and people have been publishing shared follow lists for a long time. So attempts to copy Starter Kits looks a bit like a cargo cult.
This is certainly not a thing that made Bluesky successful. If there is something worth copying, it would be data portability, not starter packs.
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@silverpill @box464 There may well be divergence between what makes people join and what they think in hindsight has made them join, but starter packs are one of the more common answers to why Bluesky is appealing. The convenience (easy to share, one click to follow all) certainly beats Mastodon's five step process to import a CSV.
To mention the negative side too: starter packs also help give people a feeling of being on a growing platform by fostering lots of "fake" number-go-up connections.
