Happy Christmas to people celebrating today! 🥳
Hope you are having a nice time in whatever way suits you best, either partying or peace or a mixture.
If you want help with using Mastodon and the wider Fediverse there is lots of easy-to-understand support on the website at:
➡
️ https://fedi.tips
(The section at the top of the site marked "Quick Start" is especially suited to new people.)
If you have any specific questions feel free to ask me directly! 🙂
In case you missed it, there's a website that makes it as easy as possible to join Mastodon (and other Fedi platforms):
➡️ https://fedi.garden
The featured general server changes regularly, and for people who want choice there's a full list of over 100 servers sorted into categories.
All of the servers are listed with permission of their admins, and promise to comply with specific standards of moderation and technical reliability at https://fedi.garden/about-this-site
#FediTips #Mastodon #Fediverse
If you're lonely or isolated or finding the Christmas period difficult for any reason, you might want to follow the hashtag #JoinIn
This tag is intended for people to start friendly chats about everyday stuff they're doing like making food, going for walks, listening to music etc.
It's fine to reply to posts with the JoinIn tag as the person who made the post is actively seeking conversation 🙂
#FediTips #Christmas #Xmas
EDIT: It seems the tag is working fine but the FediGroup is not, so I've removed the group from the original post.
The #JoinIn tag works fine so please use that!
(I've messaged the FediGroup admin to ask what's happening, will let you know if there's more info or if the group is fixed.)
If you're lonely or isolated or finding the Christmas period difficult for any reason, you might want to follow the hashtag #JoinIn
This tag is intended for people to start friendly chats about everyday stuff they're doing like making food, going for walks, listening to music etc.
It's fine to reply to posts with the JoinIn tag as the person who made the post is actively seeking conversation 🙂
#FediTips #Christmas #Xmas
If you're on a Mastodon server that needs to have the highest level of user safety, you might want to talk to your admin about whether they should activate "limited federation mode".
This mode prioritises safety over connectivity, and means a server manually chooses which servers it allows federation with, while blocking all the rest by default. More info at:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/creating-an-isolated-server
(Its main disadvantage is it's a lot harder to follow accounts on other servers.)
#FediTips #Mastodon
Here's a guide for organisations considering setting up a presence on Mastodon and the wider Fediverse:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/tips-for-organisations-on-mastodon-and-the-fediverse
There's also a related guide on how an organisation can run its own Mastodon server in practical terms:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/how-can-organisations-or-groups-run-a-mastodon-server
#FediTips #Mastodon
There is a Fediverse alternative to #Substack called #Ghost.
Ghost is now compatible with the Fediverse. It's not just a feed, Ghost-powered sites can take part in discussions with Mastodon etc accounts, the follows work in both directions etc.
There's a guide to using Ghost-powered sites on the Fediverse here:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/how-to-use-the-fediverse-on-your-ghost-powered-site
Some Ghost-powered sites to follow at:
➡️ https://fedi.directory/tag/ghost
(Copy-paste an address into the search box in Mastodon to follow.)
#FediTips #Fediverse
Mastodon now has a built-in reminder to add alt text descriptions when posting images, video or audio:
If you're using the website or web app:
1. Go to ⚙
️ Preferences (on a phone click ☰ in bottom right corner, then Preferences)
2. Scroll down to Advanced Settings section
3. Tick box marked "Warn me before posting media without alt text"
4. Click "Save Changes"
If you're using an app, this option should be in the app's Settings section (exact wording varies by app).
#FediTips #Mastodon
Pixelfed's DMs are switched off for most people by default.
If you have a Pixelfed account and want to receive DMs from anyone, you have to switch on the option:
1. Go to Account Settings
2. Go to Privacy
3. Tick the box marked "Receive Direct Messages from Anyone"
4. Click the "Submit" button at the bottom of the screen
After you've done this, anyone will be able to DM you on Pixelfed.
(If you don't do this, only accounts you follow will be able to DM you.)
#Pixelfed #FediTips
If you want to add more security to your Mastodon account, you can set up a system called "two factor authentication" (also known as 2FA). This prevents anyone else logging into your account even if they find out your email and password.
2FA works using a special app on your phone which gives you a short code number to type in when you log in.
I've done a non-technical guide all about 2FA and how to use it, including answers to many questions:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/using-two-factor-authentication-2fa-on-mastodon
#FediTips #Mastodon
Fedi.Tips