Queries and filters¶

Mastodon is My Blog (MIMB) depends on filters more than most Mastodon clients do. This page explains them in plain English.

The big idea¶

MIMB uses the word filter for several different jobs:

• narrowing the people you browse
• narrowing the kinds of posts you read
• defining topic bundles
• choosing how a topic view is ordered

People: blog roll filters¶

These control which accounts appear in the left sidebar.

Filter	What it means in practice
All	Everyone the current identity follows in MIMB's local reading set.
Top Friends	Mutuals who have actually interacted with you, not just silent follows.
Mutuals	People you follow who also follow you back.
Chatty	Accounts whose posts lean heavily toward replies and conversation.
Broadcasters	Accounts that mostly post outward and reply less.
Bots	Accounts marked as bots.

People: post filters¶

These control what kind of posts you see in the reading area.

Filter	Plain-English meaning
Storms	Long posts or self-threaded writing that reads like a mini-essay.
Shorts	Short standalone posts without much extra structure.
Questions	Posts that look like they are asking something.
News	Posts MIMB classifies as news-like sharing.
Cool Software	Posts MIMB classifies as software-related finds.
Pictures	Posts with images or other media.
Videos	Posts with video.
Discussions	Replies to other people, useful when you want conversation rather than monologues.
Links	Posts containing external links.
Reposts	Present in the interface, but this area is still evolving. Treat it as work in progress for now.

Special People views¶

My Blog¶

Shows your own account in the current identity context.

Everyone's Blog¶

Shows a wider combined reading view instead of one person at a time.

Next Blog¶

Moves you to the next account in the current filtered blog roll.

Content: bundle terms¶

Bundles in Content can use two kinds of query terms.

Hashtag¶

Use a hashtag term when you want:

• exact tag-based discovery
• predictable grouping
• a clearer topic boundary

Example:

python

That behaves like a #python topic.

Search¶

Use a search term when you want:

• broader discovery
• posts that may not share one exact hashtag
• your server's own search behavior

Example:

python jobs

Important: search results depend on what your Mastodon server can find and return, so they may feel less exact than hashtag bundles.

Content: sort and scope modes¶

These are the common meanings:

Mode	Meaning
Recent	Newest first.
Popular	More engagement rises upward.
Following	Stay centered on your current network context.
Everyone	Broaden the view where that tab supports it.

Link grouping¶

In the Links tab, MIMB groups posts by the linked domain.

That lets you answer questions like:

• Which sites does my network keep recommending?
• Which domain is getting the most attention today?

Pagination¶

MIMB loads more items as you keep scrolling. You do not have to manage page numbers manually.

Why filters may feel opinionated¶

They are. MIMB is built around the idea that shape matters:

• long writing is different from quick notes
• reply-heavy accounts feel different from broadcasters
• topic reading is different from person reading

That is the whole point of the app.