Or at least I'd like to think so. Realistically, I don't care either way. Even if Mastodon empties out completely I'm not going back.
I can believe that certain people are bought-in on Twitter for the long-haul. But social networks are dynamic, and after a while we're going to see the effects of a worse client, less dependable web app and weaker hosting architecture. Even if Elon isn't a destructive force internally (ha ha), the changes have already soured it for a lot of people. Twitter's existence is based on a delicate precipice of advertising and free content. You can't change the deal and expect everyone to be on board going forward.
Imagine if Hacker News made the same changes, do you think it's audience would stick around? I certainly wouldn't. Maybe I'm wrong though, I don't really see the inside story.
Both instances feel less like an olive branch and more like a last-ditch effort to retain the important users. Instead of listening to user concerns or fixing the apps, they've decided to incentivize popular users to stay active. It's not a draw for newcomers, who'd pay $8 a month for every $0.20 they earn. It's not a draw to developers, who now pay out the ass to access their platform. It's a "you're locked in here with me!" play that doesn't bode well for the treatment of users.
I’m not exactly sure what Twitter / X is these days, but my Twitter isn’t Normies and Mainstream Convos :-)
Everyone I knew IRL has left Twitter.