Mastodon to Launch 'Packs' Similar to Bluesky

Mastodon to Launch “Packs” for Enhanced User Onboarding

Mastodon, the open and decentralized social network boasting over 8 million accounts and close to 700,000 monthly active users, is preparing to roll out a new feature known as “Packs.” This addition is intended to streamline the process of discovering relevant accounts for new users joining the platform.

Inspired by Existing Solutions

The concept behind Packs draws inspiration from a similar functionality introduced on Bluesky, another prominent open social platform, in the previous year.

Addressing the “Cold Start” Problem

A primary challenge for new social networks is the “cold start” problem. New users often struggle to find interesting accounts to follow initially, lacking guidance on content creators aligned with their interests.

How Starter Packs Function

Bluesky tackled this issue with Starter Packs, empowering regular users to curate lists of recommended accounts. Currently, a wide array of Starter Packs are available, covering diverse topics and highlighting popular users or offering general recommendations.

Industry-Wide Adoption

The success of Starter Packs led Meta to implement a comparable feature on Instagram Threads, its competitor to X, late last year.

Mastodon’s Unique Approach

Mastodon is now poised to introduce Packs, but with distinct characteristics.

User Control and Discoverability

Mastodon emphasizes user control regarding inclusion in Packs. The platform proposes integrating Packs with its existing account discoverability features. Users can opt out of appearing in Packs by disabling the “Feature profile and posts in discoverability algorithms” setting.

Simplified Removal Process

Furthermore, users will receive notification when they are added to a Pack. Unlike Bluesky, where removal required reporting or blocking the pack creator, Mastodon aims to provide a more direct removal mechanism, mirroring the process for removing posts from its recently launched Quote Posts feature.

Development and Release Timeline

Mastodon gGmbH, the nonprofit organization behind the Mastodon software, is collaborating with other developers within the fediverse on a Fediverse Enhancement Proposal (FEP), currently available on GitHub. The initial version of Packs, alongside other onboarding enhancements, is anticipated to be included in the Mastodon 4.6 release. The current version is 4.4.5.

• Packs will help new users find accounts to follow.
• Users will have control over whether they appear in Packs.
• A simplified removal process is planned for users included in Packs.