Notices by Kate (katebowles@mastodon.social), page 21

Also #mastodonmemory: coming here by mistake, wanting this to work for the other people who were already here, and learning that's why it was working for all of us.

And the kindness of @Triplefox, @jk and @paralithode who showed me round and explained it all.

@dogtrax @Mastodon I remember writing the first #smallstories and thinking: this could be a thing.

And you can't make a thing like this by yourself.

#mastodonmemory

@nightpool @Gargron There's a space between immediate abandonment and early attrition where things are much the same I think. I see accounts used maybe twice. That suggests a kind of accompanied sign up that involves friends of friends. So there's a few hellos on day 1, then nothing. That experience interests me. I've met them. "Yeah, I tried it, but there was no one I knew there and the timeline was a) all male b) all tech c) all white b) in French etc"

@Gargron @edensaesthetic Many people who have stayed have experience of having initially left for a while, or know others who didn't stay. I think a survey of users would allow you to learn something from these insights.

People stop using for multiple reasons including time and motivation, that are beyond your reach. But one design element could be not knowing how to find people to follow, if your instance's local timeline isn't doing it for you.

@Gargron @edensaesthetic Thank you. Please stay this way. It's really appreciated.

This is where I live. The ocean pool swimming club of mostly older folk has these lovely aims:

"To encourage winter swimming
To promote the physical and social welfare of members
To help those in need within our community"

They arrive at dawn to swim, all year round.

#smallstories

https://mastodon.social/media/PJFLUVoicSRJS-MqGBI
https://mastodon.social/media/_I0gmwgd03ka5tDwFTs

@dogtrax The other thing we all did today in this town: we voted. The smallest of electoral stories, in this world of shock results. Cambridge Analytica showed no interest.

We lined up at the library, made our choice, folded our papers and put them in boxes, and filed out again. I voted for the incumbent mayor because 18 years ago he was the minister at two painfully sad funerals of people I knew who died young.

I'm still saying "thank you" for that grace.

#smallstories

@dogtrax that's it, that's it exactly.

@paralithode I was thrown by the cold wind this morning. It looked so springlike and there was such a bite to it. But Spring is definitely coming here in fresh buds and blossom.

As a side note, today I am grading papers and taking care of a post operative cat who was desexed yesterday and seems not to be holding kind of grudge. So she's my role model for handling life's surprises.

Saturday here, dialling in with delayed Friday gratitude for mastodon writers who make this all so nourishing.

@erdal for curating
@cypnk for language advocacy
@sargoth for all the versions, all the things
@dogtrax @tellio @Algot @Tdorey @lauraritchie @Downes round the camp fire of #smallstories
@paralithode for constant craft and observance
@ampersand because future politics needs good words

Thank you all for making this a reading place.

#FF

My town. Saturday morning. Businesses opening up. Delivery vans. Surfers getting coffee.

I'm out and about in the blowy cold Spring wind dropping off the supermarket cashier at her 7am shift. The Vietnamese bakers next door have known her since she was too little to see over the counter. "So tall," the baker says to me. Small town approval, mum to mum.

Heading home with a warm sourdough loaf straight from the oven. Kindness at human scale.

#smallstories

@natecull uncannily I was dealing with that same set of questions today.