Individuals can block instances they don't like. Abusers seem to filter into those with lax or nonexistent moderation policies, so it's not that hard.
Here are some suggestions:
mastodon.social: It was initially populated by furry Twitter and LGBTQ communities, and we're pretty good about onboarding people with culture primers every time there's a new flood of people. For the most part, this goes well, and it helps that the admin and moderators are amenable to keeping it a safe space for marginalized identities.
mastodon.technology: Probably what most people on HN will prefer.
Here are some suggestions:
mastodon.social: It was initially populated by furry Twitter and LGBTQ communities, and we're pretty good about onboarding people with culture primers every time there's a new flood of people. For the most part, this goes well, and it helps that the admin and moderators are amenable to keeping it a safe space for marginalized identities.
mastodon.technology: Probably what most people on HN will prefer.
The links in this post are good: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14567465
So far, popularity of instances is a pretty good guide for how well-run they are.