Mastodon is a social media platform that is similar to Twitter, but it is de-centralised, meaning it isn’t subject to the whims of a billionaire and is ad-free. Just like Twitter, you can share 500 character posts, “retoot” other people’s posts, tag others using the @ symbol, use hashtags, and send direct private messages. You can also adjust the privacy setting for each individual post that you make.
Mastodon consists of a number of different servers (called “instances”), which can all connect to one another. Each server has its own moderators and its own rules. When you sign up, you have to pick a server to join, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t connect with people from different servers.
The generic server is called @mastodon.social which you can explore without an account. Another server you might consider joining is @glammr.us, which is designed “for folks interested in productive conversation about galleries, libraries, archives, museums, memory work and records”.
To simplify things, however, I created my own server for the Cultural Heritage Terminology Network called @chtn.uk, so that we will have our own dedicated space for the discussion of inclusive description issues in the heritage sector. My profile is @carissachew@chtn.uk and I am the moderator of this server. If you’d be willing to help me moderate the server, please get in touch.
If you already have a Mastodon account:
If you already have a Mastodon account, you don’t need to make a new one unless you want to. You can simply follow me and once I follow back, you will see content from the @chtn.uk server in your feed. Alternatively, there is also an option to transfer your existing account over to the @chtn.uk server.
If you are new to Mastodon:
If you plan to be an active member of @chtn.uk, you can sign up to create an account with my server directly here (just click “sign up”). Since this is a new venture, it will be great to build an active community of members who are dedicated to (but not strictly limited to) discussing critical cataloguing and other inclusivity issues in the heritage sector.
If you don’t anticipate being active on @chtn.uk and would prefer to use Mastodon for other purposes, you might prefer to sign up with an alternative server (such as @glammr.us or @mastodon.social) and simply follow @carissachew@chtn.uk which will still allow you to access all of @chtn.uk’s content.
Currently the server looks a little “dead” but it is up to all of you to join in and help me build a lively, active community on Mastodon. It will take a little time to build our network and we may have a few minor “teething problems”, but as new users join and more people migrate over from Twitter it should grow into a vibrant virtual space for CHTNUK. Contact me at culturalheritageterminology@gmail.com if you have any questions or problems.
The @chtn.uk Mastodon server is currently self-funded. Any small donations are greatly appreciated. The running costs are currently $20/month, but expected to increase as the server gets larger.
CHTNUK 