A small compendium of the Fediverse platforms I use/know well.

In the past few days, I revisited some of my old Fediverse instances since some friends asked me to help them set up a new one. I also took the chance to perform maintenance on some leftover instances. Here's my experience:

Akkoma: My oldest instance still running, opened in 2022. It was offline for a few months (3/4). I updated everything to the latest version and restarted it. I’m not sure why, but it’s extremely slow, with a heavy load on Postgres and many queries just to open the main page. I like Akkoma - I'll investigate further.

GoToSocial: I updated a friend's instance - GoToSocial itself was up-to-date, but the underlying system wasn’t. I noticed that once it exceeds 2000 followings, it becomes a bit slow. The database is PostgreSQL, but that's not the issue. The GoToSocial process becomes somewhat heavy on the VPS. Still, it's very usable and a software with great potential, in my opinion. The Mastodon API is implemented quite well and works with the major software.

Mitra: It seems well-built. The person had around 1000 followers and followings on a Mastodon account, which they moved from a large instance. No speed issues, though sending a message makes the server “heavy” for a bit, but it’s temporary. The Mastodon API is partially implemented, but the software is advancing quickly, and I find its native interface quite pleasant.

Snac2: I've always had a soft spot for Snac2. The lack of a database and some design choices make it an excellent solution for small instances. For example, sending posts to all known instances increases visibility and interaction. Its basic, JavaScript-free interface is very clear, though it might not be the best for those used to Mastodon. But the Mastodon API is improving version by version, and I think the developer is doing an excellent job. It struggles a bit with larger numbers, but that's due to the underlying file system, not the software itself. If "move" support (both in and out) were added, I would recommend it to anyone starting self-hosting for single-user or small community instances because "move" is one of the options that gives the most freedom in Fediverse software.

Mastodon: My “old” personal instance was stuck at version 4.1.x and had been offline for a few months. I updated the FreeBSD Jail and upgraded Mastodon to 4.2.12 and then to 4.3.0-beta1. No issues. I also helped a friend (who had an old Pleroma-based instance they barely used) migrate. This user has around 5000 followers and followings - Mastodon is running on FreeBSD on a VPS (arm64) for just over 3 euros a month, with no significant issues (apart from media storage, but that's not Mastodon’s fault). Mastodon is sometimes said to be heavy, and that's partly true, but its modularity ensures that even in cases of overload, queues may slow down, but navigation and the local timeline remain reasonably fast. I think this is a good thing for any larger-scale use of an instance.

In short, I think things are moving in the right direction, and the software is evolving nicely. Well done, devs!

#Fediverse #Akkoma #GoToSocial #Mitra #Snac2 #Snac #Mastodon #SelfHosting #InstanceManagement #FreeBSD #OpenSource

I'm just going to say it. Whoever designed the new notifications layout and design for Mastodon needs to go back to the drawing board (and UI design school). In some cases, esp if you start off with a tag, it looks and works horribly. (desktop view). Way worse than the old way just a month or two ago.

#mastodon #fediverse #design #uidesign

Hey #blind #students of #Mastodon.

So I'm running into some accessibility issues in my algebra course involving graphing. I do not have the support of state services for the blind, however I'm connected with disability services on campus. Otherwise, I'm going at all this on my own and for the most part handeling things well.

However, I'm not exactly sure how best to overcome things where advanced math and graphing come into play.

My tools currently include a standard, non-graphic calculator, a laptop running NVDA as a screen reader, 80-cell braille display on lone from disability services and a whole lot of tenacity. So far, I've maintained a consistent A in my course, but with the graphing stuff, I'm concerned that might change.

So, what are your tools and techniques for dealing with this and more advanced calculatory things? What add-ons may be of use, what tools should I be looking at, and what questions should I be asking?

Thank you so much in advanced to anyone who offers any advice.

Tiny Mastodon Tip About Boosts !

First, yes! You should absolutely boost the posts that you like on Mastodon!

Boosting (reposting) is a very important feature on Mastodon! Because there are no algorithm to push content in your timeline, it is what others post and repost that you see chronologically.

Boosting keeps Mastodon alive!
Do it! Boost it!

That being said,
if you personally get annoyed by someone else's boosts, know that you have options:

1. Everyone should enable the "Group boosts in timelines" option. You can find it from the browser interface in "Preferences" > "Other" at the very top. This will hide new boosts for posts that have been recently boosted

2. You can hide all of someone's boosts without hiding their original posts. Go to the person's profile, select the 3-dot "Menu" button (in the browser interface, this will vary per mobile app), and select "Hide boosts from [handle]"

3. You can mute someone's posts temporarily (boosts and originals). On the same "Menu", select "Mute [handle]" then "Show options." You can select between 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days 🤐

4. Know also that you are more likely to notice someone boosting a post repeatedly if you follow few people. Because there are no algorithm here, it is also a good idea to follow more people. Especially if you find your timeline too quiet

5. Don't forget to boost the posts that you like! ✨

#TinyMastodonTip #Mastodon #Fediverse

So... Has anyone on here actually talked with the people from the #SocialWebFoundation?

I can tell the #Mastodon Organization has, but #Threads is also listed there, while I don't see any other names that aren't some corporate entity. I'm all for groups that want to expand the #Fediverse, even for-profit ones, but it's a red flag when an organization that purports to be for a general movement doesn't have an open line of communication with rank-and-file server-runners and volunteers...

Edit:
I just realized that it was founded by @evan who is actually very active in mainstream Fedi, and one of the maintainers of the actual protocol. While that doesn't elaborate on actual intentions, it is good to know that at least it's someone who is directly involved, and not some random corporation. #EvanProdromou

Reminder that the original Metatext third party app is no longer being maintained, as its lead developer had to step back due to health issues.

However, there is a new version of Metatext run by different people called Feditext which is currently in public beta testing. You can follow the official Feditext account at:

➡️ @Feditext

If you would like to join the public beta testing, it's on Apple TestFlight. There are more instructions here:

➡️ mastodon.social/@Feditext/1128…

#FediTips #Mastodon #iOS

What language do you toot/post in the most?

Do you write and read Toots mostly in the same language or do you stick to one language or mix it up;
If you use a different language for different topics or day time i would be curios to know

#Mastodon #Language #SocialMedia #OnlineCommunities #Multilingual #Sprache #Idioma ＃語言 #Lingvo #Lingua ＃言語 #언어 #שפּראַך #Langue #Taal #Мова #Язык

• English 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇦🇬 🇧🇧🇮🇪 🇯🇲 🇳🇿🇱🇨 . .. (100%, 7 votes)
• Japanese 🇯🇵 (0%, 0 votes)
• Spanish 🇪🇸 🇲🇽 🇦🇷 🇨🇴 🇨🇱 🇵🇪 🇧🇴 🇨🇺 🇩🇴 🇸🇻 🇺🇾 . .. (0%, 0 votes)
• Chinese 🇨🇳 🇭🇰 🇹🇼 🇲🇴 🇸🇬 (0%, 0 votes)
• German 🇩🇪 🇨🇭 🇦🇹 🇱🇮 (28%, 2 votes)
• French 🇫🇷 🇨🇦 🇧🇪 🇹🇫 🇼🇫 🇾🇹 🇵🇲 🇬🇵 🇧🇯 🇭🇹 . .. (14%, 1 vote)
• Italian 🇮🇹 (0%, 0 votes)
• Portuguese 🇧🇷 🇵🇹 🇦🇴 🇨🇻 🇬🇼 🇸🇹 🇲🇿 (0%, 0 votes)
• Dutch 🇳🇱 🇸🇷 🇦🇼 (0%, 0 votes)
• Esperanto 🏳⭐💚 (0%, 0 votes)
• Other (tell me in the comments!) (0%, 0 votes)

I read that the official Mastodon instance of the Swiss government will be closing down.

They say there are few active users, low engagement, and minimal interaction, which seems quite plausible. Additionally, they claim that "on platforms like X or Instagram, the Federal Council and the Federal Administration have many more followers." I believe that too, of course.

However, I do not agree with their decision. I think a government shouldn’t be overly concerned about follower counts and interactions, but rather about providing free, autonomous communication that is independent of third-party companies. In my view, a government shouldn’t operate like a business focused on "numbers."

Still, I appreciate their experiment - many governments, like the Italian one, haven’t even tried.

Regarding costs and management effort: an instance with 5 users and 3,500 followers (numbers provided by them) can run on a VPS for €3 a month and doesn't require heavy moderation. The cost for them is nearly zero. Yet, the freedom of information and discussion, especially for a Neutral Country, should always be a priority.

I believe that maintaining control over one’s information channels is crucial, especially in today's world. But, I fear that decision-makers only consider the numbers, which often favor the flashiest - but worse - solutions.

Encouraging citizens to use closed platforms is, in my opinion, a wrong choice.

Thanks to the Swiss government for at least giving it a shot.

admin.ch/gov/it/pagina-inizial…

#Mastodon #FreedomOfSpeech #Switzerland #Fediverse #SocialNetworks

Intentando entrar en #Mastodon por tercera vez... Dios me guarde y que de verdad a la tercera va la vencida.

Como #presentación, poca cosa: Mucho dinero tirado a las magic, mucha cosa de programar, demasiado tiempo que paso haciendo como que leo.

👋 Hi, #scholars, tell us, why are you on #Mastodon?

🔍 We are researching how and why academics use Mastodon compared to other platforms. Is it key for #academic #discourse?

🔜 We'll launch our #research survey by mid-October, so stay tuned.

📣 Meanwhile: what features of Mastodon do you find most valuable for academic discourse?
And which other questions should we include in our research, you think?

#AcademicMastodon #AcademicChatter #OpenScience #SocialMedia

#Fediverse #OpenSocialWeb #Mastodon #Canada #CanPoli
This morning I got a response Letter (by email) from the Speakers Office of the House of Commons of Canada in response to the Open Letter* so many of you all signed back in June!

Here is Speaker Fergus’ letter in full. Reply with what you think we should do next to encourage MPs and Parliamentarians to ask for this!
___________________
Dear Mr. Alemany:

Thank you for your letter and proposal concerning Open Social Web.

Many Members, their staff, members of the Press Gallery and Canadians use social networks as a primary tool for consuming news, sharing stories of interest or to comment on news or information. The House of Commons established a presence on social networks in 2017, with a consistent branding, to share information and, critically, to provide Members increased and mobile access to relevant parliamentary information so that they may share this information with their social media followers.

Although the creation of an Open Social Web would present a promising opportunity with several advantages for the House of Commons, as enumerated in your letter, it also brings numerous challenges and risks to the organization (e. g. extensive engagement from many stakeholders, adoption of specialized and secure infrastructure and the need for content moderation and curation).

To date, we have had no requests for this type of service from Members. This would be a substantial undertaking that would require direction and approval from the Board of Internal Economy (BOIE) before being considered for prioritization and implementation. Even if mandated to offer such a service, we would be unable to ensure its adoption and widespread use among parliamentarians.

Thank you for your interest, and please be assured of our continuous support for more open, secure, engaging and informative multi-channel experiences for our users.

Sincerely,
Hon. Greg-Fergus, P.C., M.P

*Open Letter: chrisalemany.ca/2024/05/31/ope…
cc: @Paulatics

Fediverse Idea Proposition

What if we started posting about
things (news, comments, ideas, projects) that make us hopeful for the future using the #Hope ?

Hope for the future of tech, the future of digital rights, the future of the internet, the future of the world, etc.

What would you post under this hashtag today? Reply below using the hashtag

*no sarcasm allowed 🙅‍♀️

#Fediverse #Mastodon

Hecho.

Hagan la magia de #mastodon como se decía en algunos lares y Compartan este post de arriba por favor .

#fsf #fediverse #p4g

#Mozilla abandons #Mastodon and the #Fediverse. Figures.

mozilla.social/@mozilla/113153…

Werbefrei, datenschutzfreundlich und nachhaltig – das ist das #Fediverse! Um diese Vorzüge bekannter zu machen, ist es entscheidend, auch auf anderen Plattformen aktiv zu sein und die Mehrwerte hervorzuheben. Mein Eindruck.

Mich interessiert: Wie habt ihr es geschafft, Menschen für das Fediverse zu begeistern? Welche Argumente haben am meisten überzeugt? Eure Erfahrungen, Tipps und Unterstützung sind herzlich willkommen!

#Mastodon #FediKirche

En.osm.town is an independent Mastodon server for OpenStreetMap people. Funding graciously provided by the OpenStreetMap Foundation.

en.osm.town

You can find out more at en.osm.town/about or contact the admin @compass

#FeaturedServer #OpenStreetMap #OSM #Maps #Mapping #Map #Geospatial #GIS #Cartography #Cartographers #Cartographer #Mastodon #Fediverse #FreeFediverse

One thing I initially found confusing with @element / @matrix: How one would share and join a channel. The way you get bounced between instances for that. And in a way for @Mastodon, too.

People describe these services as "just like email". But I think the one thing that is missing for that would be a proper #URI scheme and integration in browsers for things you can join or follow in these federated networks. Email has its established "mailto:foo@example.com" for instance.

#Matrix #Mastodon

Once upon a time, I created a graph which analysed the @weeklyOSM outbound links, comparing the number of #Twitter and #Mastodon links.

A while later, the Weekly Team decided to not allow Twitter links anymore, as the platform needed an account to see content.

But, it is time for an updated graph!

Ich hatte hier vor einiger Zeit im Rahmen der letzten #TwitterExodus -Wellen auf andere Social Media Plattformen im Kontext des #Fediverse hingewiesen, u.a. auf Firefish.

Leider wurde da die Entwicklung eingestellt, aber der #Misskey -Fork #Sharkey (joinsharkey.org) ist dafür umso aktiver. (Wie alle anderen Projekte, die #ActivityPub nutzen, föderiert auch Sharkey problemlos mit #Pixelfed oder #Mastodon.)

Wer das mal austesten möchte: federation.network/ oder sharkey.world/ bieten einen einfachen Einstieg.

Was ich an der Software besonders interessant finde, sind die Funktionen "Antennen" und "Kanäle".

Je heterogener das Fediverse wird, was die verwendeten Plattformen angeht, desto weniger Sorgen muss man sich um das Erreichen einer kritischen Masse machen. Die lokale Timeline mag dünn aussehen, aber die föderierten oder globalen Timelines sind dafür aktiv.

With apologies to those who come at me every few months to complain that some of my toots have #hashtags within the contents instead of "after the contents", this is an argument that can never be won, as I illustrate below.

I'd rather see screen reader applications (or a11y-aware #Mastodon clients) automatically solve the problem by removing the hashtag and/or colors for those who don't want them. Otherwise, you're petitioning each individual instead of fixing the tools. Ya heard me, #MastoDev

5 things white people can do to start making the fediverse less toxic for Black people

privacy.thenexus.today/start-m…

1. Listen more to more Black people – and amplify their voices
2. Post less – and think before you post
3. Call in, call out, and/or report anti-Blackness when you see it
4. Support Black people and Black-led instances and projects
5. Approach it intersectionally

The article also has links to anti-racism resources and appendices with a list of common mistkes to avoid and blocklist resources for moderators.

Thanks to everybody who gave feedback on earlier drafts!

Read on for some excerpts (1/N)

#fediverse #mastodon #antiracism

5 things white people can do to start making the fediverse less toxic for Black people

Draft! Work in progress! Feedback welcome!

^{Jon (The Nexus Of Privacy)}

If you are using Mastodon on a computer, you can optionally use it entirely through your keyboard using "hotkeys". There is a complete list of these keyboard shortcuts here:

➡️ fedi.tips/using-mastodon-throu…

You can see this list at any time by pressing Shift + ? (or just ? on some keyboard layouts).

Some of the shortcuts only work with the advanced multicolumn mode (more info about it: fedi.tips/how-to-activate-mast…) but most shortcuts work with single column mode too.

#FediTips #Mastodon #Keyboards

How to use Mastodon’s Tweetdeck-style Advanced Web Interface | Fedi.Tips – An Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse

An unofficial guide to using Mastodon and the Fediverse

^fedi.tips

Dieses Bild sollten noch viel mehr Hochschulangehörige sehen.

Deshalb: helft bitte mit, es auf anderen Plattformen und hier zu teilen. Damit das #Fediverse 🐸 noch stärker wird.
Es zeigt die Logoliste deutscher #Hochschulen mit #Mastodon-Account. Beim Download von der genannten Adresse wird ein pdf angezeigt, auf dem die Logos direkt als Link auf die Mast-Accounts 🐘 führen:
cloud.wechange.de/s/ifC7ecAgL7…

Und unterschreibt die Petition ✍️ (sofern nicht schon geschehen):
👉 openpetition.de/UnisInsFediver…

#UnisInsFediverse

People of Bangladesh protesting for their rights.

But the world is unaware about it, while thousands of people are dying. Please boost the post, let the world know.

www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1dm4519l48o
#bangladesh#politics#fediverse#mastodon#students#savebangladeshistudent#asia#worldaffairs

Techy people!

If you want to use Mastodon through a command line or a text-based interface, try the client Toot:

➡️ toot.bezdomni.net

(NOTE: This has no connection to the mobile apps Toot! or Tooot. They just have similar names.)

#Mastodon #CLI #TUI

We’re growing our product team!

Are you an #iOS Developer who wants to lead our official #Mastodon iOS #App?

This is a remote full-time position and requires an overlap with the CET timezone.

Ideally:

1. You are a senior iOS Developer comfortable with a mature codebase
2. Proficient in #Swift and #Apple Frameworks (UIKit, SwiftUI, Combine)
3. Prior experience with social media networks is a big plus!

For more info/to apply:
jobs.ashbyhq.com/mastodon/bc91…

#FediHire #GetFediHired #hiring #mastodev

iOS Developer (m/f/d)

We're looking for a full-time remote iOS Developer to work on our official Mastodon iOS app.

^{jobs.ashbyhq.com}

Another reason to use ALT text which some people might not have considered: it benefits people who are not visually impaired as well.

As #Mastodon is #decentralized there is no central network hosting all of the images. Should the admin of a server decide to purge old images to save space, users accessing older posts will not know what an image was without an ALT text.

Take this post from 2022 for example.

@alttexthalloffame

@helpers I write from my mastodon profile because from my account tness@venera.social all the messages not leave and not happen. Only the RSS that work. My question is :

on #mastodon my timeline is clean I can release the publications of the lists that I want to look at the same time. on #Friendan I ordered my circles and my channels correctly. Is there a way to block or authorize a circle to display publication on the Timeline.

1/2

Pretty neat! If you're on mastodon.social (or another server running the latest in-development version of Mastodon), you can go to the Explore page eg. mastodon.social/explore/links and view posts that discuss trending news articles (see the "X posts" below the headline link).

via mastodon.social/@Gargron/11272…

#mastodon #SocialMedia #news #design #UXUI

Změnil jsem instanci Mastodonu

Před několika dny jsem po několika letech změnil instanci Mastodonu. Proč jsem se k tomu odhodlal? Podle čeho jsem vybíral novou? Co obnáší samotná migrace a jak jsem na nové instanci spokojený?

#fediverse #Mastodon #migrace #sociálníSítě #Vivaldi

blog.eischmann.cz/2024/07/04/z…

Today we're launching a new #Mastodon feature that will highlight writers and journalists that are active on the fediverse when their their articles are being shared.

blog.joinmastodon.org/2024/07/…

#mastodon #česko #statistika
„České instance” mají **orientačně**:
- 13,1 tis. uživ.¹ ² — připočetl jsem i mastodon.pirati.cz/ (mají zrovna 503, ale orientačně jsou na 379 uživ.)
- od 2. 4. fosstodon.org/@jaandrle/112200… jsme měli nějaké úbytky (hl. nasface — snad se jen přesunují a nebyli odrazeni úplně), ale i příbytky
- MAU ~1.5 tis. ³
- mastodon.arch-linux.cz má dle API 2 999 uživ.

[1] github.com/jaandrle/fedilist-m…
[2] github.com/jaandrle/fedilist-m…
[3] gitea.jaandrle.cz/jaandrle/mas…