From the linked article: >Because it spent its first half-decade as a tool for those who were looking specifically for an alternative to the more toxic element

From the linked article: >Because it spent its first half-decade as a tool for those who were looking specifically for an alternative to the more toxic elements of Twitter, that led to some important decisions around its ultimate design. I have found it ... interesting ... that while Mastodon started as a way to avoid "the more toxic elements of Twitter", it has instead, if you wander a little away from "mainstream" instances turned into an incredibly toxic cesspool of the worst of humanity Sure, there are also examples of, possibly, near the best of humanity - but the dregs seem to pop up far more than the shining stars