@w7voa I have read and boosted your piece because I think it's important. I echo what Bruce Mirken and others say about Mastodon being the best there is, if only because it's not owned by a billionaire/profit-seekers -- which is a huge consideration, I will add.
One tangential comment: I see over and over again some version of "Mastodon can be technically overwhelming for novices." Maybe I just don't remember, but I didn't find it all that difficult -- and I'm not a tech person.