Mastodon is an open-source social network that allows users to share short updates with others. It was founded around a decade ago and is currently led by developer Eugen Rochko. Mastodon operates on the principle of "federation," where thousands of different servers, or instances, talk to each other and accept or block content from other servers on a case-by-case basis. This approach allows for greater control over one's online presence and reduces reliance on centralized authorities. The network has a large user base with millions of people sharing updates, and it feels like using Twitter in 2008, with users experimenting with its unique features. Mastodon also offers more characters per post, the ability to edit posts, a "show more" button for hiding sensitive content, easier poll results, and non-algorithmic timelines. However, direct messages are less secure, and account verification is different from Twitter. The network is still growing, but it has a warm and supportive community where users can help each other out.