If you want to have just one Mastodon account on a server that doesn't focus on any specific interest, language, or region, then any of the General category servers in
https://joinmastodon.org/servers would be a good choice. Personally, I find the experience on highly populated general purpose servers like
https://mastodon.social,
https://mastodon.online, and
https://mstdn.social to be very similar. These servers are pretty much interchangeable, so there isn't a lot to say about them.
When I suggested finding a server with a specific focus, my intention was to highlight what makes Mastodon unique from monolithic single-instance social networks like Twitter. I didn't mean to come across as restrictive or hostile. The reality is that many Mastodon users don't use Mastodon as their only (or even their primary) social network, and that's why I emphasize Mastodon's strengths when I answer questions from people who are interested about Mastodon. I couldn't tell from your HN submission that you were only looking for general purpose servers.
Also, remember that regardless of the server you choose, you can follow accounts from any other server. The only exception is when the target server is suspended by your home server or vice versa. Any Mastodon account can be used to communicate with other users on different servers about different interests even if the account is located on a server that has a specific focus.
I wouldn't directly compare Mastodon (ActivityPub) to IRC, since IRC networks are independent of one another, while Mastodon servers are federated.
When I suggested finding a server with a specific focus, my intention was to highlight what makes Mastodon unique from monolithic single-instance social networks like Twitter. I didn't mean to come across as restrictive or hostile. The reality is that many Mastodon users don't use Mastodon as their only (or even their primary) social network, and that's why I emphasize Mastodon's strengths when I answer questions from people who are interested about Mastodon. I couldn't tell from your HN submission that you were only looking for general purpose servers.
Also, remember that regardless of the server you choose, you can follow accounts from any other server. The only exception is when the target server is suspended by your home server or vice versa. Any Mastodon account can be used to communicate with other users on different servers about different interests even if the account is located on a server that has a specific focus.
I wouldn't directly compare Mastodon (ActivityPub) to IRC, since IRC networks are independent of one another, while Mastodon servers are federated.