Social media "back in the hands of the people", is the promise of Mastodon.
We're almost one month into Elon Musk's $US44 billon ($66 billion) acquisition of Twitter and many users have been seeking alternatives to the blue bird app.
Scroll through posts under the hashtags #TwitterMigration and #TwitterExodus and you'll find the name Mastodon.
Mastodon isn't a new platform, but it has only recently begun soaring to the top of download charts around the world.
What is Mastodon?
Mastodon was created by German software developer, Eugen Rochko, and launched in October 2016.
It's an open-source platform where anyone can set up a server and run a community, similar to a forum or discussion board.
So what does open-source mean? It refers to something that people can modify and share because its design is publicly accessible.
"We believe in your right to use, copy, study and change Mastodon as you see fit," stated on the platform's website.
"We benefit from contribution from the community."
How does it work?
There are servers, hundreds of them
The first step of using Mastodon is choosing which server to make your account on.
Every server is operated by an independent organisation or individual. Each one also has their own rules and regulations.
Mastodon's servers are grouped by topic and location.
Users are encouraged to join a server based on policies they agree with and common interests.
So whether you're interested in gaming, bikes, (even fairies), there's a server for almost everyone.
Not everyone can see what you post
On Twitter, everything you tweet is visible to all users, unless you change your settings to make your tweets protected for followers only.
But when you join a server on Mastodon, your posts are only visible to people within that particular server, or servers with policies that are compatible with the one you joined.
No central authority owns it
Mastodon is a decentralised network of servers.
This means no central authority owns or governs the platform.
As mentioned above, each server on Mastodon creates their own rules and regulations.
In a not-so-subtle dig at Musk, the platform describes itself as "social networking that's not for sale".
You can say more than 280 characters permits
Mastodon gives users up to 500 characters to express themselves, contrasting Twitter's 280 limit.
Included in this is the ability to add GIFs, videos and images.
Instead of writing a "tweet", you create a "post".
If you share someone else's post, that means you've "reblogged" or "boosted" it.
There's thorough community content moderation
A particular feature of Mastodon that users benefit from is its extensive content moderation.
As mentioned above, each server can decide its moderation policy.
Each one can also decide which other servers it communicates with.
How many users have fled Twitter and joined Mastodon?
Since Musk's Twitter takeover, Mastodon has reported over 1 million new sign-ups.
Earlier this month, Spanish designer brand Balenciaga removed its Twitter account, becoming the first major fashion brand to leave the social media platform.
Balenciaga's public act of defiance has sparked discussion on which other prominent brands and figures will be the next to leave the platform.
