welcome to the #Fediverse.
With your ambitious goals, I think you've come to the right place, as the scientific community is particularly strong here.
E.g., most of the #ClimateScientists have migrated here from the #BorgSite, also known as the #DeadBirdSite.
Things here work differently, so you might find these things useful to enjoy your presence here:
Well, there are the #FollowFridays, and on one of those, there was a mass-exodus from the #DeadBirdSite, which featured about 3 pages of handles, as well as, if I remember correctly, a spreadsheet with handles.
Actually, you can create lists here and even groups, but I've never really used it.
I will check if I can still find that FollowFriday.
The problem is, search is not as good as on other platforms, b/c privacy and protection are deemed more important.
I had a sudden flashback to 2008 Twitter when we would do “follow Fridays” and list a bunch of accounts people should follow. Is that a thing here? #mastodon#followfridays#followfriday
If you hear stories about #JohnMastodon, they're not real-- well, maybe not.😏
Just remember: There is no algorithm here for people who do not follow you to find you. The best way to have your toots seen is by using lots of hashtags (like these👇👇👇 ).
Be sure to follow @feditips for more helpful #newbie information.