@mikedev thanks for the perspective. I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all answer ... In general Mastodon's audience audience includes plenty of people who want broad visibility and plenty of people who don't. Starter packs have their downsides but also make it easier for new users to find interesting people to follow, and for accounts that want visibility in a particular niche to get it, so I can certainly see why Mastodon is adding them.

On this account for example I'd be just fine being in most starter packs (although I'd want to be notified so I could opt out of any I don't want to be in). On the other hand, on my personal account (where I have foilower approval turned on and haven't opted in to "appear in profile directories"), I wouldn't want to be in most starter packs.