I saw someone complaining recently about the latest Mastodon update because it now shows a follower count when you get notified of a new follower.

I absolutely understand the reasoning for their complaint. Chasing clout is problematic, to say the least.

But, on the other hand... I really like this feature for the exact opposite reason. It lets me know when someone is unlikely to interact.

I know that someone with 20k followers isn't going to respond to anything I post, even if it is directed at them. That is fine. I don't blame them of course, it is just a matter of scale... but at the same time, I don't want to waste my time and effort.

Embrace lower follower counts! That's where conversations actually happen!