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Open-source social network Mastodon has identified a significant error in its monthly user count, resulting in an underestimation of 407,814 active users. The cause of this discrepancy was traced back to a network connectivity error. This error also affected the count of registered users across 727 servers, which hid a substantial increase in Mastodon’s user base.
A More Formidable Force than We Thought
This discovery places Mastodon as a more formidable contender in the social media landscape, especially amid controversial changes taking place on competitor platform ‘X,’. The error, which went unnoticed until recently, not only corrects Mastodon’s reported figures but also offers a boost to its competitive stance against industry newcomers like Threads, Bluesky, Pebble, and Spill.
Also Read: Bluesky Surges as Elon Musk Announces Fees for X Users
Mastodon’s founder and CEO, Eugen Rochko, stated that the network connectivity error primarily affected the metrics reported on Mastodon’s statistics aggregator. Specifically, it occurred on its joinmastodon.org/servers page during the period from October 2 to October 8. Thankfully, this issue has been promptly resolved.
With the adjustment, Mastodon’s current monthly active user count stands at an 1.8 million, reflecting a month-over-month increase of 5%. Additionally, Mastodon now runs a network of 10,000 servers, indicating a growth rate of 12%.
‘X’ Going the Opposite Direction
In contrast, recent developments on ‘X’ have left some users disenchanted. Elon Musk, the owner of ‘X,’ made headlines by removing headlines from link previews for aesthetic reasons and to retain users on the platform.
The decision has sparked frustration among publishers, who have noticed a decline in traffic from the network. Musk’s earlier remarks about implementing a fee for all ‘X’ users further added to the platform’s uncertainty.
Also read: X Ventures into Job Market Competition
‘X’ remains a giant in the industry despite pulls from Mastodon and other competitors who may seize the opportunity to attract users from ‘X’. Current data from ‘X’ reveals a staggering 500 million daily posts and 245 million daily active users, despite some decline.
