Mastodon Advanced Menu Options (from someone who didn’t create it)

A Guide to the Mastodon Advanced Web Interface

Dec 14, 2022

Mastodons in Space — a representation of the “Fediverse”

General Column Formatting

Mastodon clients assume a “column” oriented display. Advanced mode allows for multiple simultaneous columns, even beyond the width of the available screen (horizontal scroll). The minimum width of columns seems to be about 340px + 10px padding. If less than 2 columns can fit the available screen width, a generic one-column layout is used.

In advanced view, there are two columns (minimum) if they fit. The “drawer” is on the left, with the basic view selectors, search, and the post editor box. An “Open/Display” column is on the right, at 500px (485px + 15px padding). Some servers/instances expand columns to fill available width; others simply used the fixed widths.

If there are more columns than fit screen real estate, a horizontal scroll is used.

Top Bar

The “top Bar” is common to both the “regular” and “advanced” web interface, and extends across the web-page. At top right is your Profile image — clicking this displays your own profile. At left of the profile image is a button often labeled “Publish” — this open the editor box to compose a new post/toot. Probably needs a better name, since “Publish” sounds more imperative than it means here.

Single Column / “Regular” Web Interface

If there isn’t enough width, Mastodon will display in a single-column mode, which is exactly the same as the NOT “advanced” mode. This will have selection Icons in a bar along the right-hand side; a Title bar the indicates the column/data being displayed. The header icons and features match “content” column settings below.

The vertical Icon list includes Home, Notifications, Explore, Local, Federated,Direct Messages, Favorites, Bookmarks, Lists, Preferences, About.

“Advanced” Web Interface, First Column

Top Column Bar

With the “advanced” web interface, the first column is dedicated to direct user action. At top is an icon bar allow direct selection of various “column” data to display: “Getting Starting”, Home, “Local Timeline”, “Federated Timeline”, Preferences and Logout. If one of these is already displayed in a pinned column, the icon will not be displayed.

Search Bar

Use this to search for accounts, servers/instances, posts, hashtags, etc. This does NOT generally use “live text”; you have to hit “enter” to initiate the search.

Results are displayed in the column, replacing the toot/post/action display.

Toot/Post/Action

Primarily displays the edit box for creating posts, replies, etc. Details of the use of the edit box are *not* in this particular document.

Profile Information

Above the Edit box the User profile image is displayed, with the @username next to it (remember, your full handle is actually @username@servername.serverTLD ); clicking on either will display you profile with all of it’s data in the Open/Display column. Full description and use of the profile is not described here.

Also displayed is “edit profile”, which opens the full settings/preferences window in Full Screen, replacing the current browser tab — a tad intrusive, if you ask me. Interestingly, opening the Profile in the Open/Display column, then clicking the “Edit Profile” button opens the same major settings/preferences in a new tab instead.

Hamburger Menu

To the right of the profile selections is a “hamburger menu” presenting various options:
“Edit Profile”, “Preferences” and “Muted Words”, all open the major settings/preferences in a new tab at the respective focus (yay).
“Pinned Posts”, “Follow Requests”, “Favorites”, “Bookmarks”, “Lists”, “Muted Users”, “Blocked Users” and “Blocked Domains” all open the indicated list in the Open/Display column; see below for content and format.
“Logout “ does just what it says.

Open/Display Column

This column is always present to the right on all other columns in “advanced” mode; it is not, in itself, pinned. Clicking on various items (posts, profiles, etc) will open requested information in this column. This top-bar controls will be the same as any “content” column at this point.

WHEN a displayed column is “pinned”, the content will open a NEW column to the LEFT .

All “content” Columns

Icon representing content at upper left.

Clicking this will always take you to the “top” of the reverse-chronological column. It will be “alternate colored” if there are new updates available on your “home” feed; exact color depends on which mode your have chosen (Light/Dark/High-Contrast) and “instance” choices.

Equalizer/Sliders

Only present on “pin-able” columns: Home, Notifications, Local, Federated or any selected List. This always brings up the “pin” option (for those column types that can be pinned) and other column-specific display/filter options. The “pin” selector will only be shown when there is enough screen width to display multiple columns.

When a column is pinned, there will also be, in lower right of this sub-menu, two “arrows <>” which allow you to move that column left/right to arrange pinned columns in the order you want. The “Open/Display” column will always be at the right.

Back

Simply returns to the content previously shown in the current column. Not displayed in “pinned” columns; always displayed in the “Open/Display” Column.

Getting Started Column

This is the generalized starting point display column; it includes links to open display of all of the “Discover”, “Personal” and Preferences data. Note *this* “preferences also opens up the generalized Settings/Preference page in the current tab, so not particularly user-friendly.

Many servers/instances also display links to server/instance information, such as links to “about”, profile directories, as well as #hashtag trends, etc. The actual content you see is likely server/instance-dependent.

Home Column

Displays the reverse-chronological feed of accounts and hashtags (on some servers) you have chosen to follow.

Announcement

Displays Instance (admin) specific Announcements, such as Maintenance, Upgrades, etc. It will be “alternate colored” if there is an unseen announcement; exact color depends on which mode your have chosen (Light/Dark/High-Contrast) and “instance” choices.

Equalizer/Sliders

In addition the the “pin” option, the Home column includes two display/feed options, to help manage your main home/follow feed:
“Show Boost”, which selects whether to show toots/posted boosted by accounts you follow
“Show Replies”, which selects whether to show toot/post “replies” by accounts you follow.

Notifications Column

Displays a reverse-chronological list of notifications you have received.

Checkmark

“Mark every notification as Read” can be used to clear the “unread” status of notifications without opening each one nor deleting them.

Equalizer/Sliders

In addition the the “pin” option, the Notifications column includes many display/feed options, to help manage your notifications feed:

“Clear notifications”, which does what it says if clicked — deletes all notifications. This is SEPARATE from acknowledging notifications as read. If you do not wish to REMOVE notifications (i.e. you want to look/search later) do not use this.

Unread Notifications: “Highlight Unread Notifications” option, which kinda does what it says.

Quick Filter Bar:
“Show Filter Bar” which enables a tab-bar at the top of the notifications list to sub-filter the list. Basic list is “All” and “Mentions”.
“Display All Categories” includes Favorites, Boosts, Poll Results, “Updates from People You Follow” and Follows

New Followers, New Follow Requests, Favorites each have:
“Desktop Notification” (option to allow desktop notifications)
“Show in Column” (option to show such notifications)
“Play Sound” (option to play a sound with the notification)

Local Timeline Column:

Displays a reverse-chronological list of toots/posts by everyone on your local server/instance.

Equalizer/Sliders

In addition the the “pin” option, the Local Timeline column includes a display/feed option, to help manage your Local Timeline feed:

“Media Only”, which limits the display of the Local Timeline to only display posts with media objects attached (images, videos, etc)

Federated Timeline Column

Displays a reverse-chronological list of toots/posts by everyone on your server/instance, AND everyone followed by someone on your server (i.e. every post “going through” this instance). This is NOT a list of every toot/post in the entire Fediverse.

Equalizer/Sliders

In addition the the “pin” option, the Federated Timeline column includes a display/feed option, to help manage your Local Timeline feed:

“Media Only”, which limits the display of the Federated Timeline to only display posts with media objects attached (images, videos, etc)

“Remote Only”, which limits the display of the Federated Timeline to only display posts that come from OTHER instances (i.e. not from the Local Timeline).

Direct Messages Column

Displays a reverse-chronological list of “Direct Messages” you have sent or received.

Equalizer/Sliders

The Direct Messages column only has the pin/unpin option.

Bookmarks and Favorites Columns

Displays a reverse-chronological list of toots/posts you have Bookmarked or Favorited.

Equalizer/Sliders

Each column only has the pin/unpin option.

Lists Column

This column display a list of lists — i.e. the lists you have created. There are no “filtering” options on this column.

This column also includes a bar for adding new personal lists. The developer design assumption is that you will create many lists to manage a large flow of posts. Note that “add list” just adds the name of the list; it doesn’t set any contents. You have to open the List to do that.

List Column

This column displays a reverse-chronological list of the toots/posts based on your selected list of accounts you follow. Note this ONLY is based on accounts you already follow — it is not currently possible to have lists of people you don’t follow. You can use this to follow a LOT of accounts, and view them by list, but you can only add/remove names to the list one-at-a-time, so management isn’t very convenient.

Equalizer/Sliders

In addition the the “pin” option, there are a couple options:
“Edit List”, which allows you to change the name of the list, and add/remove people you follow from the list. Again, you can only add/remove names to the list one-at-a-time, so management isn’t very convenient
“Show replies to” one of “No One”, “Members of the List” or “Any Followed User”. I’ll be honest, I don’t yet know what this does.

Explore Column

Tools for exploring the “Fediverse”, as set by the server/instance administrator/moderator. Lists of post/accounts/servers to follow and/or explore, under the tabs Posts, Hashtags, News and “For You”. I have no idea what “algorithm” or other process drives these. No pinning or other options for this column.

Technically Skeptical

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