"But really the core issue is that most people on mastodon are there specifically to avoid corporate social media." This statement cuts to the heart of the mat

"But really the core issue is that most people on mastodon are there specifically to avoid corporate social media." This statement cuts to the heart of the matter and is at best a half-truth. "Most people" on Mastodon are Twitter refugees. Well over 80% only joined after November 2022. This is a fundamentally different group from the much smaller longtime users. I do agree that the hardcore users dictate the culture and that this culture emphasizes privacy, safety-ism, is anti-corporate, and so on. That's fine, but this same mindset pretty much ensures that the status quo of the Fediverse (or Mastodon) remains: niche, tiny, anti-growth.