Micro.blog is a great Twitter alternative

Micro.blog gives you a central hub to post and share content while connecting with other microbloggers and wider indie web community members. You can instantly share short status updates, long-form writing, and photos with your blog. By using IndieWeb standards on your domain, you can keep control over your data and start generating an online identity that is uniquely yours.

When I first discovered Micro.blog a couple of years ago, I didn’t think much of it and thought it was another basic blogging platform. However, after another look a couple of months ago, I thought I would give it a go. Now, I’m hooked, and I’m starting to understand the significance of the platform.

What Is Micro.blog?

On the surface, Micro.blog’s core feature is as a blogging platform. You can post using standard Markdown, and your posts immediately appear on your blog. You can edit the post, change your themes, and even use plugins and themes built by the community to customize your blog. This is all great, but there is much more to it.

When you post to Micro.blog, your post is also sent to the Micro.blog timeline. You will see the blog posts created by other Micro.blog users you follow when you visit the timeline. Others will also see your posts in their timeline when they follow you.

It sounds like Twitter, right? Exactly! But there are some important limitations of Micro.blog.

Micro.blog does not support Likes.
You cannot “retweet” content.
There are no algorithms.
You can’t see who is following you.

These limitations are intentional. The founder of Micro.blog, Manton Reece, will not add these distracting features to Micro.blog. Trust me; this is what makes Micro.blog special. Rather than seeking “fake” engagement, Micro.blog encourages conversations. You don’t click a “like” icon if you like a post; instead, you respond and say why you liked the post.

It turns out that there is more to conversations than several “likes” or “retweets.” I find the discussions on Micro.blog to be more engaging and thoughtful than those on Twitter.

You can also “cross-post” from Micro.blog to other platforms, including Twitter, Mastodon, LinkedIn, and Medium. This means you can write on Micro.blog, and your content automatically goes to the other platforms (if you choose), making your blog the “hub” for everything you write.

An overview of Micro.blog

Another feature of Micro.blog is that it is designed for short posts (under 280 characters) and long-form blog posts. These short posts are what you would post to Twitter, but instead, you’re posting them to your blog (and automatically cross-post it to Twitter if you want). The long posts are also included, but instead of the full post content, you’ll get a link to the blog post in the timeline.

You Are in Control.

Let’s say you are (or were) a Twitter user. You tweet interesting things to your timeline on Twitter. If you say something Twitter doesn’t like, you get banned from the platform, and all your content is blocked. Micro.blog lets you keep control over your content. You own your domain and blog so that nothing can happen to it. You can even move it to another platform if you choose.

In addition, by putting all your content on your blog, you get long-term benefits from search engines. You get credit for your content, not some big company.

The Community Is Outstanding.

Another reason I love Micro.blog is the community. People of all ages, interests, and backgrounds are coming together to share blogs, stories, and knowledge. The community is full of people here to help and support each other, and it shows in the comments and interactions on the platform every day.

Because you can’t see who follows you or who “likes” your content, there may be an adjustment period. Meeting people with similar interests will take some time, and I recommend using the Discover feed. Also, when you find someone interested, look to see who they follow.

More Cool Features of Micro.blog.

Community themes and plugins. You can also build your own!
Premium users get Podcast hosting and Newsletters.
The Bookshelves feature lets you track and quickly post about your favorite books.
Post from multiple apps (Ulysses, MarsEdit, iA Writer, Obsidian, etc.)
The founder, Manton, and the rest of the Micro.blog team is fully engaged, active in the community, and quick to respond if you need help.

Conclusion

I sincerely hope that you give Micro.blog a try. There is no doubt that it is an excellent alternative to Twitter. If you are looking to grow an audience, it may not be for you, but if you want to find like-minded people and take control over your content, you should give it a shot.