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< li class = " lev1summ " >< a href = " #Introduction " id = " IntroductionL " onclick = " shsum() " > Introduction </ a ></ li >
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< li class = " lev1summ " >< a href = " #WhatIsMastodon " id = " WhatIsMastodonL " onclick = " shsum() " > What is Mastodon ? </ a >
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< ol >
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< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #MastodonIsNotASocial " id = " MastodonIsNotASocialL " onclick = " shsum() " > Mastodon is not < em > a </ em > social network </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #SoWhatIsMastodon " id = " SoWhatIsMastodonL " onclick = " shsum() " > So what is Mastodon ? </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #WhoOwnsMastodon " id = " WhoOwnsMastodonL " onclick = " shsum() " > Who owns Mastodon ? </ a ></ li >
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< li class = " lev1summ " >< a href = " #TheInstance " id = " TheInstanceL " onclick = " shsum() " > The Instance </ a >
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< ol >
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< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #RunningAnInstance " id = " RunningAnInstanceL " onclick = " shsum() " > Running an Instance </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #ChoosingTheInstance " id = " ChoosingTheInstanceL " onclick = " shsum() " > Choosing the instance </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #MediumAndSmallIsBetter " id = " MediumAndSmallIsBetterL " onclick = " shsum() " > Medium and small Instances are better </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #InteractionsAndEchoChambers " id = " InteractionsAndEchoChambersL " onclick = " shsum() " > Interactions and echo - chambers </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #SoftwareModifications " id = " SoftwareModificationsL " onclick = " shsum() " > Instance based software modifications and personalization </ a ></ li >
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< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #CopyRights " id = " CopyRightsL " onclick = " shsum() " > Copy rights </ a ></ li >
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< li class = " lev1summ " >< a href = " #TheSoftware " id = " TheSoftwareL " onclick = " shsum() " > The software </ a >
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< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #MastodonOnSmartphones " id = " MastodonOnSmartphonesL " onclick = " shsum() " > Mastodon on smartphones </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #MastodonOnTheDesktop " id = " MastodonOnTheDesktopL " onclick = " shsum() " > Mastodon on the desktop </ a ></ li >
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< li class = " lev1summ " >< a href = " #UsingMastodon " id = " UsingMastodonL " onclick = " shsum() " > Using Mastodon </ a >
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< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #MastodonAccount " id = " MastodonAccountL " onclick = " shsum() " > Mastodon account </ a ></ li >
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< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #LingoAndTranslations " id = " LingoAndTranslationsL " onclick = " shsum() " > Lingo and translations </ a ></ li >
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< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #ThreeTimelines " id = " ThreeTimelinesL " onclick = " shsum() " > Three timelines </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #SearchingThings " id = " SearchingThingsL " onclick = " shsum() " > Searching things </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #TrendingTopics " id = " TrendingTopicsL " onclick = " shsum() " > Where are the trending topics ? </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #NoRetweetAndComment " id = " NoRetweetAndCommentL " onclick = " shsum() " > No “Retweet and comment” </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #LinkingToots " id = " LinkingTootsL " onclick = " shsum() " > Linking a toot </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #ObscuredFollowersList " id = " ObscuredFollowersListL " onclick = " shsum() " > “Obscured” followers list </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #TootsPrivacy " id = " TootsPrivacyL " onclick = " shsum() " > The post’ privacy </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #ThreadsAndRamifications " id = " ThreadsAndRamificationsL " onclick = " shsum() " > Threads and ramifications </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #MovingThroughRamifications " id = " MovingThroughRamificationsL " onclick = " shsum() " > Moving through ramifications </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #MovingToAnotherInstance " id = " MovingToAnotherInstanceL " onclick = " shsum() " > Moving to another Instance </ a ></ li >
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< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #ContentWarning " id = " ContentWarningL " onclick = " shsum() " > Content Warning </ a ></ li >
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< li class = " lev1summ " >< a href = " #Moderation " id = " ModerationL " onclick = " shsum() " > Moderation </ a >
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< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #HarassmentAndModeration " id = " HarassmentAndModerationL " onclick = " shsum() " > Harassment & amp ; moderation </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #BlockingAndSilencing " id = " BlockingAndSilencingL " onclick = " shsum() " > Blocking and silencing </ a ></ li >
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< li class = " lev1summ " >< a href = " #MastodonAndTwitter " id = " MastodonAndTwitterL " onclick = " shsum() " > Mastodon & amp ; Twitter </ a >
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< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #MastodonIsNotTwitter " id = " MastodonIsNotTwitterL " onclick = " shsum() " > Mastodon is not Twitter ...</ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #TwitterMindset " id = " TwitterMindsetL " onclick = " shsum() " >... but are you still tangled in a Twitter mindset ? </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #BridgingMastodonAndTwitter " id = " BridgingMastodonAndTwitterL " onclick = " shsum() " > Bridging Mastodon and Twitter </ a ></ li >
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< li class = " lev1summ " >< a href = " #Federation " id = " FederationL " onclick = " shsum() " > Federation </ a >
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< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #TheFediverse " id = " TheFediverseL " onclick = " shsum() " > The Fediverse </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #DecentralizedAndFederated " id = " DecentralizedAndFederatedL " onclick = " shsum() " > Decentralized and federated </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #HowFederationWorksTheory " id = " HowFederationWorksTheoryL " onclick = " shsum() " > How federation works ( theory ) </ a ></ li >
< li class = " lev2summ " >< a href = " #HowFederationWorksPractice " id = " HowFederationWorksPracticeL " onclick = " shsum() " > How federation works ( practice ) </ a ></ li >
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< h1 > Mastodon Startpage </ h1 >
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< section >
< h3 >< a name = " Introduction " id = " Introduction " class = " anchor " ></ a > Introduction </ h3 >
< p > Mastodon is an innovative open - source and self - hostable microblogging platform similar to Twitter or Tumblr . Its development was started in 2016 by Eugen Rochko and since then Mastodon constantly attracted new users and communities looking for a social environment independent from big company logics and censorship .</ p >
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< p > Mastodon is not a Twitter clone : by concept , structure and functionalities it is something completely different and much more interesting !</ p >
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< p > This website is an introduction to Mastodon’ basic concepts and features which you should know to fully understand how Mastodon works . It is conceived as a series of independent and menu selectable chapters ( just click on the “Guide” link to show the summary menu ), but it can also be read as a single text . It also hosts a < a href = " instances " > list of instances </ a > that you can browse and use as a starting point to find the Mastodon instance that best fits your needs .</ p >
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</ section >
< section class = " lev1sect " >
< h2 >< a name = " WhatIsMastodon " id = " WhatIsMastodon " class = " anchor " ></ a > What is Mastodon ? </ h2 >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " MastodonIsNotASocial " id = " MastodonIsNotASocial " class = " anchor " ></ a > Mastodon is not < em > a </ em > social network </ h3 >
< p > There is no such thing as < em > a </ em > social network called Mastodon ! Instead there are thousands of independent social networks called Mastodon Instances .</ p >
< p > Every Instance has its own server , community , rules , admins and moderation .</ p >
< p > From every Mastodon Instance it is possible to interact with users who are on other Instances . It works exactly like e - mail does ( you can send an e - mail from Gmail to Yahoo , right ? ) . That’ because all the Instances can be mutually interconnected .</ p >
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< p > Every Instance administrator can choose to silence or to completely block a user of his own or another Instance , but also to block another Instance as a whole ( for example because it has bad moderation and allows trolling ) .</ p >
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</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " SoWhatIsMastodon " id = " SoWhatIsMastodon " class = " anchor " ></ a > So what is Mastodon ? </ h3 >
< p > When we say “Mastodon” we mean the whole network of Mastodon Instances but also the technology that the Instances share .</ p >
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< p > A good way to describe the network is by saying that Mastodon is a “galaxy of interconnected social networks based on a common platform” .</ p >
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< p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " WhoOwnsMastodon " id = " WhoOwnsMastodon " class = " anchor " ></ a > Who owns Mastodon ? </ h3 >
< p > Everybody ! Since Mastodon is a Free and Open Source platform , everybody can use , modify and install it on his own server . Moreover the people who developed Mastodon do not own any copyright on it . That’ the basic philosophy of Free and Open Source Software : to share useful software that everybody can use freely and collaborate to improve it .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/WhoOwnsMastodon.jpg " class = " image " alt = " A girl with her arms opened in front of a blue sky. Photo by Jess Hall. " title = " Photo by Jess Hall. " ></ p >
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< p > Your personal data and contents are located on the Instance you have chosen . That means that only the instance admins can have access to it ( like on every social platform ) .</ p >
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</ section >
< section class = " lev1sect " >
< h2 >< a name = " TheInstance " id = " TheInstance " class = " anchor " ></ a > The Instance </ h2 >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " RunningAnInstance " id = " RunningAnInstance " class = " anchor " ></ a > Running an Instance </ h3 >
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< p > Everyone who has a server and enough skills to manage it can create his - her own Instance . < a href = " https://github.com/tootsuite/mastodon " > Mastodon’ server software </ a > is completely < a href = " https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_and_open-source_software " > Free and Open Source Software ( FOSS ) </ a > , but hosting a server and buying a domain name have some costs . It also takes some work to maintain and moderate an Instance . Depending on the technical configuration and the amount of users of the Instance , running it can cost between a few hundred dollars per year to many thousands .< br >
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Many Instances are crowfunded but it’ also possible that some will ask a fee or some other way to cover its costs .< br >
Mastodon is born as an Ad - free platform . For this reason , instances that will finance themselve with advertisement will be silenced or blocked by many .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/RunningAnInstance.jpg " class = " image " alt = " Close-up of a server. Photo by Whrelf Siemens. " title = " Photo by Whrelf Siemens. " ></ p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " ChoosingTheInstance " id = " ChoosingTheInstance " class = " anchor " ></ a > Choosing the Instance </ h3 >
< p > Since every Instance is completely independent , each Instance can be very different from the others .</ p >
< p > If you sign up on an Instance run by a French vegan community you can expect most of the users to communicate in French , and that posting pictures of barbecues and meat food would be considered offensive .< br >
Similarly , if you sign up on an Instance run by a British religious community , the users will communicate in English and pictures of barbecues will be welcomed , but maybe posting nudity would be a problem .< br >
Choosing the Instance that better fits your needs and attitudes is the best way to access the Mastodon galaxy .</ p >
< p > You can choose an Instance by language , moderation policy , political views or any other criteria . Anyway , the more you feel at home on your chosen Instance , the better it is .</ p >
< p > A well - run Instance will have its policies clearly written on its homepage and also publish the list of blocked or silenced Instances .</ p >
< p > It’ extremely important that you sign up on an Instance whose admins share your language , your culture and , possibly , your political views : that way you will be able to have an easier time communicating with them .</ p >
< p > Don’ be afraid to try out as many Instances as you like : you can always delete your accounts later on , link them to one another , or even keep them all ! The sky is the limit !</ p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " MediumAndSmallIsBetter " id = " MediumAndSmallIsBetter " class = " anchor " ></ a > Medium and small Instances are better </ h3 >
< p > There are thousands of different Mastodon Instances . There are Instances with only 5 users but also Instances with more than 100.000 users .</ p >
< p > One such Instance is mastodon . social . It’ the Instance created and run by the creator of Mastodon , but that doesn’ mean it should be considered some sort of “official” Mastodon Instance , because every Instance has equal standing to the others .</ p >
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< p > The problem with those very huge Instances is that , since they are not connected to a specific community or identity and being their moderation more complex , they tend to replicate some of the problems of the big commercial social networks in regards to users’ behaviour .</ p >
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< p > As an example : if in your country you are part of a threathened minority and you are registered on a huge Instance and another user from your country harrasses you , it will be a struggle for the admin just to understand that you are the harrassed one ! At the opposite , if you are registered on an Instance dedicated to your community , it will be easier for the admin to intervene quickly .</ p >
< p > That’ just one of the reasons why the Mastodon network works at its best by connecting many small and medium Instances instead of relying on a bunch of gigantic ones .</ p >
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< p > For all those reasons , on this website we will not list such big Instances among our < a href = " instances/it " > suggestions </ a >.</ p >
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</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " InteractionsAndEchoChambers " id = " InteractionsAndEchoChambers " class = " anchor " ></ a > Interactions and echo - chambers </ h3 >
< p > Given all the possibilities that users and admins have to block other users and Instances , one could argue that Mastodon is a network filled with closed communities that don’ talk to each other and isolate themselves in their own echo - chambers .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/Echo_chambers-Streuli_Silvan.png " class = " image " alt = " Two monkey teddy bears, one covering its ears, the other covering its eyes. Photo by Streuli Silvan. " title = " Photo by Streuli Silvan. " ></ p >
< p > While this is technically possible , the truth is completely different and in fact on Mastodon there is a huge variety of communities that is rarely seen on most social networks .< br >
Basically , every Instance can interact with all the other ones and later decide to close some of these connections . That’ up to the community that runs the Instance , its culture and mind openness . A closed minded community that doesn’ respect different people and lifestyles will easily block and be blocked from other Instances . On the other hand , an Instance run by open - minded people that is willing to talk respectfully with others will never be blocked by other open - minded communities .</ p >
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< p > Since its inception , Mastodon has been adopted by various communities that carry anti - fascist , anti - racist , anti - sexist , pro - LGBT , anti - homophobic , anti - transphobic values and with time attracted other communities that promote ecology , natives , human rights groups , animal rights , vegetarianism and veganism and also minorities , anti - casteism movements etc . Therefore , racist and bigots would be surely banned from most Instances and if they would run their own Instances , those Instances would be quickly isolated by most of the existing ones .</ p >
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</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " SoftwareModifications " id = " SoftwareModifications " class = " anchor " ></ a > Instance based software modifications and personalization </ h3 >
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< p > Since Mastodon software is open source ( if you are a geek you can find the code < a href = " https://github.com/tootsuite/mastodon " > here </ a > ), every Instance administrator can apply some little modifications to it . For example some Instances make it possible for a user to publish posts longer than the standard 500 characters . Also , some Instances can choose to not use certain features like < a href = " #TrendingTopics " > Trending Hashtags </ a >.</ p >
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</ section >
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< section >
< h3 >< a name = " CopyRights " id = " CopyRights " class = " anchor " ></ a > Copy rights </ h3 >
< p > Every Instance is completely indipendent and has its own policy and terms of service . Therefore , when you publish something on Mastodon , your content is saved on your Instance’ server and every Istance will manage it in a different way , depending by its own rules .</ p >
< p > If you want to use Mastodon to promote your art or , for other reasons , you want to have certain specific guarantees for your content , you should choose an Instance specialized in that .</ p >
< p > Anyway , due the federated nature of Mastodon , your content could be boosted also on other Instances that could manage it in different ways .</ p >
< p > For the same reason if your Instance admin removes one of your posts , a copy of it can still be present on other Instances .</ p >
</ section >
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< section class = " lev1sect " >
< h2 >< a name = " TheSoftware " id = " TheSoftware " class = " anchor " ></ a > The software </ h2 >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " MastodonOnSmartphones " id = " MastodonOnSmartphones " class = " anchor " ></ a > Mastodon on smartphones </ h3 >
< p > Everybody has an e - mail address , but as you can notice there is no “official” e - mail App . Instead you can access to your e - mail from your web browser or using one of many e - mail Apps . In much the same way , there is no official App for Mastodon ( and you can always use your web browser ! ) .</ p >
< p > On Android you have many alternatives , the most notable being Tusky , Fedilab and Subway Toot . You can download these either from the Google Play App - store or from < a href = " https://f-droid.org " > F - Droid </ a > , a free and open source alternative to App - stores .</ p >
< p > On iOS you have a similar amount of choice , with Amaroq , Toot and Mast being the most widely used Apps .</ p >
< p > Every App is slightly different from the others and will have its pros and cons , so you will have to check them out and see for yourself what fits you best , just like with Mastodon Instances !</ p >
< p > Be aware that some of those Apps , such as Toot and Mast , may not be free or open source !</ p >
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< p > Every App can add or hide certain functionalities . For example some of them have translation buttons and other have bot indicators .</ p >
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< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/MastodonOnSmartphones.png " class = " image " alt = " Three screenshots showing Mastodon running on smartphones. " ></ p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " MastodonOnTheDesktop " id = " MastodonOnTheDesktop " class = " anchor " ></ a > Mastodon on the desktop </ h3 >
< p > The usual way to access to your Instance from your desktop computer is by going to the Instance homepage trough your browser . But there are also Desktop Applications for Mastodon like </ p >
< ul >
< li >< a href = " https://whalebird.org " > Whalebird </ a > ( Linux , Windows , OSX ) </ li >
< li >< a href = " https://appcenter.elementary.io/com.github.bleakgrey.tootle " > Tootle </ a > ( Linux ) </ li >
< li >< a href = " https://thedesk.top/en " > TheDesk </ a > ( Linux , Windows , OSX ) </ li >
< li >< a href = " https://hyperspace.marquiskurt.net " > Hyperspace </ a > ( Linux , Windows , OSX ) </ li >
</ ul >
< p > There are also alternative frontends ! A frontend is a website where you can login with your Mastodon account but doesn’ show your standard home page graphics : the colours , buttons and menus are all different and maybe you could find them better or easier to use then the original ones .</ p >
< ul >
< li >< a href = " https://pinafore.social " > Pinafore </ a >: a simplified Mastodon frontend </ li >
< li >< a href = " https://www.halcyon.social " > Halcyon </ a >: Looks exactly like Twitter </ li >
</ ul >
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< p > Applications and frontends too can add , hide or customize certain functions , compared to the ones you find when you access to your Instance from its homepage . Therefore sometimes it’ possible to find tips , advices or instructions that are not applicable if you use them not on the homepage but on an Application or frontend . Take notice .</ p >
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< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/MastodonOnDesktop.png " class = " image " alt = " A screenshot from Mastodon official web frontend. " ></ p >
</ section >
< section class = " lev1sect " >
< h2 >< a name = " UsingMastodon " id = " UsingMastodon " class = " anchor " ></ a > Using Mastodon </ h2 >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " MastodonAccount " id = " MastodonAccount " class = " anchor " ></ a > Mastodon account </ h3 >
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< p > A Mastodon account is formed somehow like an e - mail account :</ p >
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< p >< em >@ name @ instance </ em ></ p >
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< p > Many new users believes that their username is only the < em >@ name </ em > part but that part alone is unusable , like an email address without what’ written afer the < em >@</ em >.</ p >
< p > If you mention someone on Mastodon only by < em >@ name </ em > , the software usually assumes that the contact is on the same Instance you are currently logged into . Therefore , if that person is on a different Instance and you don’ write the < em >@ instance </ em > part , clicking on < em >@ name </ em > will either result in a broken link or bring you to somebody with the same name on your Instance .</ p >
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< p > Some Apps will correct this behaviour , so check it out .</ p >
</ section >
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< section >
< h3 >< a name = " LingoAndTranslations " id = " LingoAndTranslations " class = " anchor " ></ a > Lingo and translations </ h3 >
< p > Like every digital platform , Mastodon too renames functionalities that other platforms call differently .</ p >
< p > For example the posts , or messages , that on Twitter are called “tweets” , on Mastodon are called “toots” . A shared post on certain platforms is called “repost” or “retweet” while here it’ called “boost” .</ p >
< p > Since you can access Mastodon with different Apps and frontends developed by different people it’ also possible that certain functionalities are called or translated differently . For example what is called “direct messages” on an App , on a different one is called “private messages” .</ p >
</ section >
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< section >
< h3 >< a name = " ThreeTimelines " id = " ThreeTimelines " class = " anchor " ></ a > Three timelines </ h3 >
< p > On Mastodon you have 3 different timelines </ p >
< ul >
< li >< em > Home </ em >: like on Twitter , it shows all the posts of all the people you follow on all Instances ; </ li >
< li >< em > Local </ em >: it shows all the posts of the members of your Instance ; </ li >
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< li >< em > Federated </ em >: it shows all the posts of the members of your Instance and also the posts of people on other Instances that are followed by people of your Instance .</ li >
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</ ul >
< p > On every timeline the posts are shown in chronological order . This means that no algorythm , number of stars or other factors will influence the number of times you will see a post . A post can be boosted ( “retweeted” ) but that’ it .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/ThreeTimelines.png " class = " image " alt = " Screenshot showing the three timelines header. " ></ p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " SearchingThings " id = " SearchingThings " class = " anchor " ></ a > Searching things </ h3 >
< p > In many Instances , if you search something in the search box of Mastodon , it will find only users or #hashtags. A more powerful search system will be implemented in the near future.</p>
< p > The search box does not explore the entire Fediverse but only the portion of it that your instance is connected to . Therefore if you search a user it will search among all the users of your instance and of the instances you are connected to , but not those who are on instances you aren’ connected to . If you search an hashtag it will not list all the posts from all the existing instances containing it but only the posts published by users that your instance knows .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/SearchingThings.png " class = " image " alt = " A screenshot showing the search box. " ></ p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " TrendingTopics " id = " TrendingTopics " class = " anchor " ></ a > Where are the trending topics ? </ h3 >
< p > Twitter’ “Trending Topics” feature finds its Mastodon’ counterpart in “Trending Hashtags” . When “Trending Hashtags” are active , though , they’ reviewed by the admins to ensure they aren’ being gamed as a vector for abuse . However what’ most important is that this feature is completely optional : it is up to each instance’ admin and its community to decide if they want to have “Trending Hashtags” , and in fact many instances don’ activate it , thus eliminating the urge for their users to participate in certain topics instead of others and all the “social noise” about vapor - problems . So many Mastodon Instances are places where you can talk with people without having to know by a “Trending Topics” board that a certain topic is more important than the one you really want to talk about .</ p >
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< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/TrendingHashtags.png " class = " image " alt = " A screenshot showing the “trending hashtags” feature. " ></ p >
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</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " NoRetweetAndComment " id = " NoRetweetAndComment " class = " anchor " ></ a > No “Retweet and comment” </ h3 >
< p > The “boost” function has no “comment” feature like the “retweet and comment” button on Twitter .< br >
That’ by design , because it’ a feature that is mostly used to harrass people and leads to talks around a topic but without direct interaction . Yes , we know , it also has legitimate uses but , well , the point here is to prefer real interactions than boosts .</ p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " LinkingToots " id = " LinkingToots " class = " anchor " ></ a > Linking a toot </ h3 >
< p > If you want to suggest somebody to read a certain thread on Mastodon you can boost it or interact directly in the thread and mention the account of the person that you want to join the discussion .</ p >
< p > You can also reference to a post by copying its URL and pasting it into a post of yours . That’ ok too , but remember that it will work correctly only from desktop and from certain Apps . In other Apps , clicking on the link will take the user from the App to the browser .</ p >
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< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/LinkingAToot.png " class = " image " alt = " A screenshot showing the “three dots” menu with “copy link to status” entry highlighted. " ></ p >
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</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " ObscuredFollowersList " id = " ObscuredFollowersList " class = " anchor " ></ a > “Obscured” followers list </ h3 >
< p > When you check another user’ profile you will see the number of people who follow and who are followed by them , but if you click on that number you can’ see the entire list of people . Instead you can only see some of them : the ones you already know or who are members of your same Instance .< br >
That’ by design , being an anti - harrassment feature .< br >
Let’ check real life : in real life you don’ walk around with the list of your friends attached to your neck , do you ? < br >
But then , if you cannot discover new people by checking who is following who , how can you find and meet new people on Mastodon ? By < em > talking </ em > , socializing and discussing things . When you boost friends’ posts you are presenting them to all your other friends and so on . Mastodon emphasizes real human socialization instead of espionage - style exploration of profiles .</ p >
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< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/ObscuredFollowersList.png " class = " image " alt = " A screenshot showing the “Follows” list. " ></ p >
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</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " TootsPrivacy " id = " TootsPrivacy " class = " anchor " ></ a > The post’ privacy </ h3 >
< p > When you post a message ( toot ) you can choose among 4 types of posting </ p >
< ul >
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< li >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/Earth.png " class = " imager " alt = " Globe icon. " >< em > Public </ em >: your post is public , it appears on public timelines and everybody can see it . < em > Public </ em > posts are recognizable by a globe icon .</ li >
< li class = " prili " >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/OpenPadlock.png " class = " imager " alt = " Open padlock icon. " >< em > Not listed </ em >: your post is still public but doesn’ appear on timelines . People can read it only if they are mentioned in it or if they go to your profile and scroll through your posts . < em > Not listed </ em > posts are recognizable by an open padlock icon .</ li >
< li class = " prili " >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/ClosedPadlock.png " class = " imager " alt = " Closed padlock icon. " >< em > Followers only </ em >: your post is still half - public because only your followers will see it . At their eyes it appears as a regular public post . < em > Followers only </ em > posts are recognizable by a closed padlock icon .</ li >
< li class = " prili " >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/Mail.png " class = " imager " alt = " Mail envelope icon. " >< em > Direct </ em >: your post is private and viewable only by the people mentioned in it . < em > Direct </ em > posts are recognizable by an envelope icon .</ li >
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</ ul >
< p > Anyway remember that Mastodon is designed to spread interactions and not for privacy : your Instance admins can read all your messages , including direct ones , just like on every other big social network .</ p >
< p > For encrypted messaging there are other and more specific platforms .</ p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " ThreadsAndRamifications " id = " ThreadsAndRamifications " class = " anchor " ></ a > Threads and ramifications </ h3 >
< p > A thread can evolve in a sort of “tree” because people will reply and counter - reply to different posts . In the following picture you see a thread that , from a single post , evolves in four different branches :</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/thread_01.svg " class = " image " alt = " A graphical representation of a thread with four branches. " ></ p >
< p > Twitter users are quite used to it but if you arrived here from different platforms ( eg . Facebook ) this can be a little bit confusing .</ p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " MovingThroughRamifications " id = " MovingThroughRamifications " class = " anchor " ></ a > Moving through ramifications </ h3 >
< p > If you want to read a thread that is highly ramificated , the most important concept to understand is that when a post is selected , the thread is reorganized to show only the branch that starts from the first toot and arrives to the selected one , plus all the posts and branches following the selected post .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/thread_01.svg " class = " image " alt = " A graphical representation of a thread with four branches. " ></ p >
< p > Let’ make some examples . If you want to read the thread pictured above and you select the first toot , all the following posts will be rearranged in chronological order ( see the picture below ) .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/thread_02.svg " class = " image " alt = " A graphical representation of the succession of posts when you select the first toot from the thread pictured in the previous image. " ></ p >
< p > Now , pay attention : if you pick the thread by selecting the post nr . 2 you will still see all the following posts in chronological order , but you will not see the previous ramification ( the sub - thread containing the posts 2 a and 3 a ) .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/thread_03.svg " class = " image " alt = " A graphical representation of the succession of posts when you select the second toot from the thread pictured in the first image. " ></ p >
< p > Also , if you pick the last post of a sub - thread ( in this picture the post 7 c ) you will see all the previous posts in chronological order , but excluding all the other sub - threads .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/thread_04.svg " class = " image " alt = " A graphical representation of the succession of posts when you select the last toot from one branch of the thread pictured in the first image. " ></ p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " MovingToAnotherInstance " id = " MovingToAnotherInstance " class = " anchor " ></ a > Moving to another Instance </ h3 >
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< p > If you want to change Instance it is possible to transfer all your data ( including posts , followers and blocked users list ) to the new one .</ p >
< p > Instances that use older Mastodon software use a different trasfer method . For that reason , before moving your account check if both Instances ( the new one and the old one ) are both updated . Otherwise the process will only partially work .</ p >
< p > The first thing to is to open an account on a new Instance .</ p >
< p > The data transfer is done through several steps ( some are not mandatory and therefore you can choose what to transfer to the new Instance ) : inform both Instances about the exixtence of the other account and confirm that you are the owner and then transfer your followers . After that you can export from the old Instance other data like your posts , the people you follow , the one you have blocked , the Instances you have blocked and then you can import that data in the new account . Last but not least it’ possible to set a redirect : that’ a link between your old and new account so that people that search your old account will be redirected to the new one . After the transfer you must wait some time to gain permission from your Instance to transfer your account again .</ p >
< p > The point is that when you transfer your account you can choose between more options : keep the old account but redirect the users to the new one , completely delete the old one and transfer only the followers and so on .</ p >
< p > That is done in the Settings under “Import” and “Export” </ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/MovingToAnotherInstance.png " class = " image " alt = " Screenshot showing the “Import and export” feature. " ></ p >
< p > Mastodon developers are improving the transfer methods but anyway it’ still a delicate procedure that takes some time .</ p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " ContentWarning " id = " ContentWarning " class = " anchor " ></ a > Content Warning </ h3 >
< p > Mastodon features a Content Warning system . It’ an optional mask that covers the content of a post with an editable warning message .</ p >
< p > It’ used to cover content that is admitted by your Instance policy but may still hurt people , like spoilers , nudity , depiction of violence or threads about sensitive topics .</ p >
< p > For example , if you want to start a thread about the ending of a fresh new movie , you can do it using a CW like “Spoiler about the ending of ... ” </ p >
< p > Every Instance has its own rules about CWs and therefore it’ common to see them used in different ways , like on selfies or depictions of food . That is because what on an Instance is considered a sensitive topic on another may be something commonly accepted . It’ possible that an Instance is blocked by others because of its misuse of CWs on certain kinds of topics .</ p >
< p > This said , if you want you can always go in the Setting page and set to automatically uncover all the CWs .</ p >
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</ section >
< section class = " lev1sect " >
< h2 >< a name = " Moderation " id = " Moderation " class = " anchor " ></ a > Moderation </ h2 >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " HarassmentAndModeration " id = " HarassmentAndModeration " class = " anchor " ></ a > Harassment & amp ; moderation </ h3 >
< p > Mastodon is famous for its anti - harassment environment not because there isn’ any on it ( that would be impossible ) but because its structure and moderation tools permit a series of efficient and immediate actions against bad accounts or Instances and because most of the Instances are run by communities that actively work to maintain Mastodon’ environment a nice and tolerant place . Many communities help , inform and warn each other when they identify an Instance run by people that spread hatespeech or trolling . Having admins and moderators for every single instance , the ratio between regular users and moderators can be extremely high . Also remember that every Instance has its own policy based on the community’ culture , ethics and political view . Moderation is < em > always </ em > a political act and claiming for total impartiality means taking the side of the status quo .</ p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " BlockingAndSilencing " id = " BlockingAndSilencing " class = " anchor " ></ a > Blocking and silencing </ h3 >
< p > If the admins of Instance1 < em > block </ em > Instance2 , then the users of Instance1 cannot interact with the users of Instance2 .</ p >
< p > If the admins of Instance1 < em > silence </ em > Instance2 , then the users of Instance1 can still privately follow and interact with the users of Instance2 , but those interactions ( like boosts ) will not be seen by the other users of Instance1 .</ p >
< p > To be more clear : < em > blocking </ em > is used for Instances that permit horrible things and behaviours , while < em > silencing </ em > is used for Instances that your Instance tolerate but doesn’ appreciate that much .</ p >
< p > The same things are applicable to users .</ p >
< p > You too , as a simple user , can decide to block or silence – for your eyes – other users and entire Instances .</ p >
< p > Please note that even if Instance2 is blocked , it’ still possible that their users see some contents of Instance1 . More effective kinds of blocking are in development .</ p >
</ section >
< section class = " lev1sect " >
< h2 >< a name = " MastodonAndTwitter " id = " MastodonAndTwitter " class = " anchor " ></ a > Mastodon & amp ; Twitter </ h2 >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " MastodonIsNotTwitter " id = " MastodonIsNotTwitter " class = " anchor " ></ a > Mastodon is not Twitter ...</ h3 >
< p > On Mastodon you will not receive notifications like “40 people liked the post you boosted” or “John is tweeting about this ” or “Laura and Mike are now following Hannah” .</ p >
< p > Nobody will tell you what you “must” read or who you “must” follow .</ p >
< p > Nobody cares that much about the “success” of a post .</ p >
< p > There are no blue badges for verified accounts .</ p >
< p > You get informed about how many people “starred” or boosted your post and that’ it .</ p >
< p > To know how many times a certain post was boosted or “starred” you must click on it . But there is no emphasis on it and in fact nobody really cares .</ p >
< p > What’ important , here , is to interact in real conversations and ... who cares about “points” received from people that don’ interact ? </ p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " TwitterMindset " id = " TwitterMindset " class = " anchor " ></ a >... but are you still tangled in a Twitter mindset ? </ h3 >
< p > Are you still searching for the Trending Topics that will impose to everyone today’ obligatory conversation topic ? </ p >
< p > Are you searching for “people to follow” instead of “people to interact with” ? </ p >
< p > Are you still planning time - wasting things like hashtag wars instead of doing something real ? </ p >
< p > Are you searching for emotional and social gratification in the number of retweets you receive ? </ p >
< p > Are you still judging a post by the number of likes that it received ? </ p >
< p > Are you still writing cool posts to obtain likes insted of writing interesting things that stimulate discussion and interaction ? </ p >
< p > If so , please pay attention : there is still much Twitter < em > inside you </ em >! And it takes some time to heal ... 😉 </ p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " BridgingMastodonAndTwitter " id = " BridgingMastodonAndTwitter " class = " anchor " ></ a > Bridging Mastodon and Twitter </ h3 >
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< p > You can still keep some relation with your previous Twitter account using crossposting services .</ p >
< p > There are services like < a href = " https://ifttt.com " > ifttt . com </ a > , < a href = " https://crossposter.masto.donte.com.br " > masto . donte </ a > and < a href = " https://moa.party/ " > moa . bridge </ a > which can connect your Twitter account with your Mastodon account . With these services you can publish your tweets on Mastodon and / or publish your toots on Twitter .</ p >
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< p > We < em > strongly </ em > suggest to use only the second option because , being centered on real interactions , a Mastodon account that is simply a Twitter bot that doesn’ reply will easily be blocked by many .</ p >
< p > Many Instances have strong rules about the use of crossposters , expecially because if you use them from Twitter to Mastodon , your Mastodon account could be considered like a < em > bot </ em > and also < em > bots </ em > are sometimes strongly regulated . So check your Instance policy before using them .</ p >
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< p > If you want to mention a Twitter user in a toot crossposted to Twitter and you want his - her username to be clickable both by Mastodon and by Twitter users , you must write it as follows :</ p >
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< p >< em > https :// twitter . com / username </ em ></ p >
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< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/BridgingMastodonAndTwitter.png " class = " image " alt = " A mastodon, two arrows (one pointing left, one pointing right) and Twitter’ " ></ p >
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</ section >
< section class = " lev1sect " >
< h2 >< a name = " Federation " id = " Federation " class = " anchor " ></ a > Federation </ h2 >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " TheFediverse " id = " TheFediverse " class = " anchor " ></ a > The Fediverse </ h3 >
< p > All the Mastodon Instances that together form the entire “Mastodon Galaxy” are part of something much bigger called the Fediverse .</ p >
< p > Besides Mastodon there are many other free platforms . Some of them , like < a href = " https://www.pleroma.com " > Pleroma </ a > or < a href = " https://misskey.com " > Misskey </ a > are also similar to Twitter , but others are very different </ p >
< ul >
< li >< a href = " https://pixelfed.org/join " > PixelFed </ a > is similar to Instagram ; </ li >
< li >< a href = " https://joinpeertube.org " > PeerTube </ a > is similar to Youtube ; </ li >
< li >< a href = " https://friendi.ca " > Friendica </ a > is similar to Facebook ; </ li >
< li >< a href = " https://funkwhale.audio " > FunkWhale </ a > is similar to Soundcloud ; </ li >
< li >< a href = " https://writefreely.org/instances " > Write . as </ a > and < a href = " https://joinplu.me " > Plume </ a > are blogging platforms ; </ li >
< li >< a href = " https://hubzilla.eu " > Hubzilla </ a > is a powerful multi - functional platform .</ li >
</ ul >
< p > And there are more ...</ p >
< p > All of them , like Mastodon , don’ have a unique central server but are a “Galaxy” of many Instances . There is no “main” or “official” Friendica Instance , you can choose among different PixelFed Instances and so on ...</ p >
< p > Please note that what on Mastodon is called an “Instance” , on other platforms may have a different name ( for example , on Hubzilla it is called an “Hub” ) .</ p >
< p > And < em > all </ em > of these platforms ( “Galaxies” ) interact with each other , forming the Fediverse .</ p >
< p > What does that mean ? Well , imagine that you could natively receive Facebook statuses on Twitter , or even liking and commenting a YouTube video using your Tumblr account .</ p >
< p > That’ what the Fediverse is ! You have an account on Pixelfed ? Ok , I don’ use Pixelfed but I can follow you from Mastodon ! A friend of mine does’ like Mastodon but prefers the more Facebook - like Friendica ? No problem : he can follow me from Friendica and we can both chat and interact , staying each one on the platform that we prefer .</ p >
< p > Also remember that the whole Fediverse is an innovative work in progress where not everything works yet perfectly and some adjustments on your part may be needed . Things will likely work differently from what you expect and the developers may not have time or interest in implementing things that you think should be priorities .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/Fediverse-Galaxy.jpg " class = " image " alt = " Logos of many FOSS social network platforms in front of a picture of a galaxy. " ></ p >
</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " DecentralizedAndFederated " id = " DecentralizedAndFederated " class = " anchor " ></ a > Decentralized and federated </ h3 >
< p > The majority of commercial social platforms are centralized networks . That means that everything on them is run and controlled by one authority , usually the company that owns the platform .</ p >
< p > If you want to interact with a Twitter user , for example , you can do it only by signing up on Twitter . com , thus agreeing to abide by Twitter’ terms and conditions policy .</ p >
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< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/network-centralized.svg " class = " image " alt = " A graphical representation of a centralized network, showing Twitter’ " ></ p >
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< p > Mastodon is instead a galaxy of decentralized and independent networks called instances , each one with its own website , policy and community .</ p >
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< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/network-decentralized.svg " class = " image " alt = " A graphical representation of a decentralized network, showing four Mastodon’ " ></ p >
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< p > But Mastodon is also federated ! That means that all of these networks can ( but are not obliged to ) interact with each other .</ p >
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< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/network-federated.svg " class = " image " alt = " A graphical representation of a federated network, showing four Mastodon’ ’ " ></ p >
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</ section >
< section >
< h3 >< a name = " HowFederationWorksTheory " id = " HowFederationWorksTheory " class = " anchor " ></ a > How federation works ( theory ) </ h3 >
< p > A fresh new instance is not federated with any other instance , so its users can initially interact only with other users on the same instance .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/federation-01.svg " class = " image " alt = " A graphical representation of a new, isolated Mastodon instance, and three networks of Mastodon instances, not yet connected to each other. " ></ p >
< p > Once you create a connection with somebody on another instance , or somebody on another instance creates a connection with somebody on your instance ( we will see later how ), all the users of your instance can begin to interact with that user .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/federation-02.svg " class = " image " alt = " The previously isolated Mastodon instance has established a new connection with another instance. " ></ p >
< p > The user of the other instance will boost and interact with posts of other users of their instance and also other instances that are just in connection with them . All the people on your instance can see those interactions and participate in them . By doing so , the number of connections will start to grow ( that’ what federation means ) .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/federation-03.svg " class = " image " alt = " The previously isolated Mastodon instance has established many new connections with other instances. " ></ p >
< p > Every single user of any instance can create a new connection with new instances .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/federation-04.svg " class = " image " alt = " A new connection between two previously unconnected instances. " ></ p >
< p > Therefore , the more you interact with people on other instances , the more your instance network will grow and become part of a huge , gigantic federated network formed by lots of instances . Your federated network will probably never cover the entire Mastodon galaxy but only a part of it . How much depends on you to decide . The more people on other instances you connect with , the bigger your network will be .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/federation-05.svg " class = " image " alt = " Almost every instance is now connected to each other. " ></ p >
< p > If one day your instance decides to end the interaction with a certain other instance by blocking it , all your connections with other instances will remain and other instances can continue to interact with the instance that is blocked by your instance .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/federation-06.svg " class = " image " alt = " An instance blocks another instance. " ></ p >
< p > Note some instances end up creating completely different “parallel” networks . This can happen because those instances are blocked by many instances in your network or just because connections don’ exist ( yet ) . They too are on Mastodon , but in a completely different part of the galaxy . Far far away , they are not part of your federated network but members of an autonomous and independent network .</ p >
< p > Also note that the the same concepts are appliable to all the platforms of the Fediverse ! Your instance isn’ limited to connecting with other Mastodon instances , you can connect your instance with people on Pleroma , Friendica , Pixelfed , Peertube and so on . How vast and wide - ranging your view of the Fediverse can be is entirely up to you ! 😉 </ p >
</ section >
< section style = " margin-bottom: 0; " >
< h3 >< a name = " HowFederationWorksPractice " id = " HowFederationWorksPractice " class = " anchor " ></ a > How federation works ( practice ) </ h3 >
< p > How can you create a connection with people that you don’ know on instances that nobody on your network has ever seen before ? </ p >
< p > Well , that’ a little bit tricky and it works exactly as in real life : by exploring , going to new places , searching new things and having different experiences .</ p >
< p > On commercial centralized networks everything happens inside : by design you search things without ever going outside the platform and remaining inside their gates .</ p >
< p > Here it is different : your federation will not grow very much if you remain tangled inside the borders of your own network . You must go outside Mastodon , read blogs , magazines , create a new account on a different instance , surf other networks and forums , have real life interactions to find new and completely unknown instances to add to your network ! There are also webpages dedicated to the discovery of new Instances . Only explorers will enlarge their federation . Always remember that every closed gate is bad for your mind : Mastodon is not a walled garden separated from what exists outside of Mastodon itself .</ p >
< p > That said , as you have seen in the previous chapter , connections are easy to make and although the Fediverse is huge , an instance will never really be isolated and unknown if it is willing to interact with others .</ p >
< p > When you see some content you want to include in your network ( for example an account or a post from another federated platform that uses ActivityPub , the communication protocol shared by all the platforms of the Fediverse ), cut and paste the URL or account address into the search box of your instance . This will create a connection , and you can boost the post or follow that account . That’ it !</ p >
< p > This process can change slightly depending on whether you access Mastodon directly via the website of your instance or through an App . It can also be slightly different on other Fediverse platforms .< br >
Some platforms have special buttons for helping you in this process . One of those is PeerTube .< br >
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If you find a PeerTube video that you want to share on Mastodon , you can click on the button “share” :</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/Peer1.png " class = " image " alt = " A screenshot showing Peertube with “Share” button highlighted. " ></ p >
< p > This will open a popup where you can easily copy the video’ URL by clicking on the “copy” button :</ p >
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< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/Peer2.png " class = " image " alt = " A screenshot showing Peertube sharing dialogue. " ></ p >
< p > Go to your Instance and paste the URL in the search box . The video appears in Mastodon and here you can like , comment or boost it . You can also decide to follow the user that posted the video . Everything as it was a Mastodon user .</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/Peer3.png " class = " image " alt = " A screenshot showing Mastodon search box with Peertube url pasted into it. " ></ p >
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< p > Otherwise , if you wanted only to follow that user , on PeerTube you can click on the button “Subscribe” :</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/Peer4.png " class = " image " alt = " A screenshot showing Peertube with “Subscribe” button highlighted. " ></ p >
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< p > This will open a popup that asks your Mastodon account :</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/Peer5.png " class = " image " alt = " A screenshot showing Peertube subscribe dialogue. " ></ p >
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< p > After logging in your Instance you can click on the “follow” button :</ p >
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< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/Peer6.png " class = " image " alt = " A screenshot showing Mastodon follow dialogue. " ></ p >
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< p > That’ it ! Now you can go to your Mastodon page or close the window and go back to PeerTube :</ p >
< p >< img src = " <?php echo( $prepath ); ?>imgs/Peer7.png " class = " image " alt = " A screenshot showing Mastodon follow dialogue after clicking the “Follow” button. " ></ p >
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</ section >
<!--
< section class = " lev1sect " >
< h2 >< a name = " OurListOfInstances " id = " OurListOfInstances " class = " anchor " ></ a > Our list of Instances </ h2 >
</ section >
< section style = " margin-bottom: 0; " >
< h3 >< a name = " OurListOfInstances " id = " OurListOfInstances " class = " anchor " ></ a > Our list of Instances </ h3 >
< p > Here you can browse through our list of Instances , a selection we have made including only those which have between a minimum of 11 and a maximum of 30 , 000 users and , as far as we currently know , do not spread hate content .</ p >
< p > [ WORK IN PROGRESS ] </ p >
</ section >
-->
</ div >
</ article >
</ body >
