Many new people asking what Mastodon and the Fediverse actually are, and how servers connect to each other. I've tried to do a simple non-technical guide about this:
➡
️ https://fedi.tips/what-is-mastodon-what-is-the-fediverse
TL:DR - The phone network lets you choose a provider and call people on other providers. Mastodon and the wider Fediverse do this for social networks.
If you prefer videos, these are useful:
"What is Mastodon?"
https://fedi.video/w/cbQE3NRw76FayQCSdb14TU
"Introducing the Fediverse"
https://videos.elenarossini.com/w/64VuNCccZNrP4u9MfgbhkN
#FediTips
@opalideas@mindly.social @paulbusch@mstdn.ca @ZebKing@mastodon.online
Another approach is to use things like NodeBB ( https://nodebb.org ) which are part of the Fediverse but based around discussion forums. This is a lot closer to Facebook Groups, but it's also fairly new in its Fediverse connections. Best people to ask would be @nodebb@fosstodon.org and @julian@community.nodebb.org . You can follow and interact with NodeBB accounts from Mastodon etc.
A third approach might be the various Reddit-style Fediverse platforms like https://join.piefed.social etc.
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@opalideas@mindly.social @paulbusch@mstdn.ca @ZebKing@mastodon.online
p.s. One thing to add though, the cost of an instance is not as much as people think and not as difficult either. The managed hosting company masto.host has a typical selection of pricing: https://masto.host/pricing
Managed hosting means they do all the techy stuff as well as hosting it. You just run the thing, it's a similar experience to running an online forum.
I'm not saying everyone should do this, I'm just saying a lot more could do this than realise it.
@opalideas@mindly.social @paulbusch@mstdn.ca @ZebKing@mastodon.online
There are many ways to approach these issues.
One approach is to use groups to allow people to easily reach each other no matter what instance they are on (more about groups at https://fedi.tips/how-to-use-groups-on-the-fediverse/ ).
These kinds of groups are like "super hashtags", they repeat posts that mention them but use a push method to reach other servers that is a lot more effective than hashtags.
However, they are not forums the way Facebook Groups are.
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@opalideas@mindly.social @paulbusch@mstdn.ca @ZebKing@mastodon.online
Another approach is to use things like NodeBB ( https://nodebb.org ) which are part of the Fediverse but based around discussion forums. This is a lot closer to Facebook Groups, but it's also fairly new in its Fediverse connections. Best people to ask would be @nodebb@fosstodon.org and @julian@community.nodebb.org . You can follow and interact with NodeBB accounts from Mastodon etc.
A third approach might be the various Reddit-style Fediverse platforms like https://join.piefed.social etc.
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Hello new people, nice to see you all! 👋
These may help you get the most out of Mastodon:
- You don't need to use the official app, most people prefer third party apps and alternative options: https://fedi.tips/which-apps-can-i-use-should-i-use-the-official-app-or-a-third-party-app
- All the ways to discover people to follow: https://fedi.tips/how-do-i-find-accounts-to-follow-on-mastodon-and-the-fediverse-how-do-i-find-my-friends
- Make your own account more discoverable: https://fedi.tips/how-do-i-get-more-followers-on-mastodon-and-the-fediverse
- Why Mastodon is on so many different servers: https://fedi.tips/why-is-the-fediverse-on-so-many-separate-servers
- If it's too confusing, watch this: https://tilvids.com/w/wx2iLhD3pTipbKFJKLyx5t
Have you checked your "Private Mentions" section in Mastodon?
It's easy to miss notifications about DMs as they are mixed in with all the other mentions and notifications.
You can check your DMs on your server's website by clicking "@ Private Mentions" on the right of the screen (or click ☰, then "@ Private Mentions" if you're on mobile).
Apps may have various different interfaces for DMs.
#FediTips #Mastodon
If someone is asking for help with using this place, could you let them know about my account, and also let them know about my website? I'm totally unofficial so people only find out about me by worth of mouth 🙂
I have a website full of easy-to-understand guides for using Mastodon and the wider Fediverse at:
➡️ https://fedi.tips
The section at the top of the site marked "Quick Start" is especially designed for new people who want to find out the basics.
Thanks! 🙏
#FediTips
Servers described as "Glitch Mastodon" or "Hometown Mastodon" work just like Mastodon but have additional features such as larger post sizes, rich text formatting or local-only posts.
Mastodon's server software is free and open source, so programmers can tweak it to make their own versions. (Untweaked Mastodon is often called "Vanilla Mastodon".)
You can find good Glitch and Hometown servers to join or move to at:
➡️ https://fedi.garden/tag/glitch-mastodon
➡️ https://fedi.garden/tag/hometown-mastodon
#FediTips #Mastodon
🎥
Have you thought of starting your own #PeerTube channel? 🎥
Are you looking to make original videos for other to watch and comment on? Are you looking to build a community around those videos?
Dudelike.wtf currently has 4 slots open for new account requests. Click on the link to learn more.
(please boost for visibility)
https://mrfunkedude.com/peertube
p.s. The name "Vernissage" may cause some confusion as it was used for two totally different projects, so here's an explanation to hopefully make things clearer:
- The developer makes two Fediverse things: an independent photography platform called Vernissage, and a third party Pixelfed app called Impressia
- The Pixelfed app used to be called "Vernissage" but is now called "Impressia"
- If you want more info about Impressia, you can follow it at @impressia@mastodon.social
p.p.s. People are going to inevitably ask how this compares to Pixelfed. This is my take:
- Pixelfed is an Instagram-style social network platform based around images and short videos
- Vernissage is a Flickr-style photography platform for exploring still photos as an art form
Please feel free to correct if this is wrong.
If you're looking for a Flickr-style photography platform on the Fediverse, there's one in beta testing called Vernissage:
➡️ https://joinvernissage.org
Bear in mind it's still in testing, so it may not all work properly yet. You can follow the latest news on its official account:
➡️ @vernissage@mastodon.social
Vernissage is part of the Fediverse so you can also use it to view photos and follow photographers from Mastodon, Pixelfed and other Fedi platforms.
#Photography #Fediverse #Vernissage
p.s. The name "Vernissage" may cause some confusion as it was used for two totally different projects, so here's an explanation to hopefully make things clearer:
- The developer makes two Fediverse things: an independent photography platform called Vernissage, and a third party Pixelfed app called Impressia
- The Pixelfed app used to be called "Vernissage" but is now called "Impressia"
- If you want more info about Impressia, you can follow it at @impressia@mastodon.social
Fedi.Tips