Mastodon Update: Quote Posts Now Available

Mastodon Version 4.5: Introducing Quote Posts and Enhanced Features

The decentralized, open-source social network, Mastodon, has released its newest iteration, version 4.5. This update introduces Quote Posts to all server administrators, alongside a suite of additional features designed for admins and improvements to user conversations.

A New Era for Interaction: Quote Posts

The integration of quote posts represents a significant evolution in Mastodon’s functionality. This addition aims to enhance the platform’s competitiveness against larger social media entities such as X and Threads. Quoting functionality is widely recognized as a fundamental component of text-based social networks, fostering increased engagement.

However, Mastodon prioritized user safety and network culture when developing this feature. The platform sought to avoid replicating negative experiences seen elsewhere.

Addressing Concerns About Online Discourse

On platforms like X (formerly Twitter), quote posts have sometimes facilitated a culture of negativity, often referred to as “dunking.” This involves responding to posts with derisive comments or insults. Similar concerns exist for newer platforms like Threads and Bluesky.

To mitigate this potential issue, Mastodon’s implementation of quote posts incorporates enhanced safety measures.

Phased Rollout and User Adaptation

Prior to the 4.5 software update, quote posts were initially deployed on larger Mastodon instances, mastodon.online and mastodon.social, in September. This allowed users to familiarize themselves with the new format before its wider release.

User Control and Privacy Options

Mastodon empowers users with granular control over how their posts can be quoted. Through the feature settings, individuals can specify who is permitted to quote their content. Options include “Anyone,” “Followers only,” or “Just me.”

Furthermore, users can manage the visibility of quote posts. They can choose to make them public, visible only to followers, or utilize a “quiet public” setting. This last option renders quotes public but excludes them from Mastodon’s search results, trending topics, and public timelines.

Individual posts can also override default settings, providing flexibility when users wish to allow a quote without attracting undue attention.

Enhanced Safety and Notification Features

The platform will notify users when their posts are quoted, enabling them to remove their original content from the quote if desired. Users also retain the ability to block others, preventing them from viewing or quoting their posts in the future.

Additional Improvements in Version 4.5

Beyond the introduction of quote posts, the 4.5 release addresses a bug affecting users on older servers (4.4 and earlier). These users sometimes experienced issues with missing replies.

New Tools for Server Administrators

Server operators now have access to new tools, including the ability to disable content feeds, designate a local feed as the homepage, and block specific users. The moderation interface has been updated to display crucial context, such as link previews and quote posts, to streamline the decision-making process.

Native Emoji Support

The 4.5 release also incorporates native emoji support directly into Mastodon’s web interface.

Mastodon and the Fediverse Landscape

Mastodon remains a prominent network within the fediverse, the interconnected network of open social web platforms powered by the ActivityPub protocol. FediDB reports that the fediverse currently boasts nearly 12 million users, with Mastodon accounting for over 8 million of those.

However, the platform’s monthly active user base stands at approximately 670,000.

Threads, while integrating with ActivityPub, is not considered a full integration and therefore isn’t included in these figures. Threads currently has over 400 million monthly users and 150 million daily active users.