Fedi-friends: if you get value from the fediverse, please consider donating to support your instance. Most instances are completely volunteer run and funded via donations. Some instances charge a fee to have an account, and that model likely works well. I, and many others, believe that it’s important for people who may not be able to afford it to have a social connection.
If you are able to, and not already doing so, I ask you to please consider supporting your instance. I am extremely fortunate to have generous members, however not instances are so fortunate, so here I am, asking on their behalf.
I appreciate all of you and hope you have a great week.
@jerry What he said - The #Fediverse isn’t like #X you’ll see no ads but it’d be enormously helpful to “toss a coin to “the Witcher” If it helps to think of the #admins as Geralt well...what ever works, cause THEY are what keeps this place
working & they’re doing an amazing job. They keep the gears running & the monsters at bay. Make sure it’s your server #instance that you tip & not just Mastodon or you could do both if you want to. 🥰 #twittermigration
A few accounts remain on the #BirdSite that I need to follow as that's the only way they update the world. Is there still some way of getting a feed without resorting to reading them on @Twitter? #TwitterMigration
Post News was one of many alternatives that emerged in 2022 during the implosion of the Twitter platform. Seemingly loved by journalists, but limited by a ridiculous invite-only launch strategy and the creation of bogus accounts intended to lure publishers to the platform, it always remained very niche. And now it's dead. https://post.news/@/noam/2fJw4PYRFjya343RpiToiyEQr0x
On my timeline, some people are saying that if you are federating with Threads, you are a terrible person.
But these folks don't seem to have any plan for migrating people off Threads. And should they have a plan, what's their plan for getting them to migrate to a server that de-federates Threads -- and ensure they're happy when they do it?
The ironic thing is that a lot of these "morally upright" folks came to the Fediverse during the #TwitterMigration. They benefitted from tools to make the transition easier. They used auto-crossposting, look-up sites to find their old friends, and various importing tools to help them ensure their switch to Mastodon was a success.
In other words, they benefitted from connecting their Fediverse accounts to Twitter. They can't use these tools right now, mind you, but that's not because Fediverse developers were so outraged by Elon Musk that they pulled the plug. No, it was Twitter that pulled the plug by entirely killing off API access.
But now that these folks "got theirs", they want to kick the ladder off the roof. Should there be some sort of crisis on Threads -- and there likely will be -- what's the migration path for Threads users to leave Threads? Why should they trust some random Fediverse server that they've never interacted with instead of continuing to deal with the devil they do know, Threads?
By no means am I telling you to federate with Threads. As a server operator, that decision is entirely up to you. Yet I am very skeptical that if all Fediverse servers de-federated Threads, it will make the world a better place. On the contrary, no migration path from Threads makes the world worse.
Yesterday, we co-hosted a webinar w/ @publicspaces on transitioning to #Mastodon from #Twitter as a public organization.
Our key points:
➡️Align your core values w/ communication strategy & reclaim control of channels.
➡️Mastodon prioritizes meaningful, value-driven communication over commercial interests.
➡️#TwitterMigration brought us into a vibrant community🦣 w/ valuable interactions.
➡️Transition should have been made sooner.
👋 Hi, fellow public organizations: What are your experiences?
Firstly, a warm welcome to @russell_stuart - Russell is the Treasurer of @linuxaustralia and of this year's @everythingopen, which is happening in #Gladstone in about 6 weeks.
Russell is an unsung hero of #OpenSource in Australia - it's his diligence and hard work that has kept the books straight for Linux Aus and auspiced conferences for several years now 👋
It's been a long time since I was invited to leave Twitter, and I left (now I'm the happiest person in the world in Mastodon). Now they invite me to leave Reddit... where am I going? #twittermigration#reddit#helpmastodon
Maybe I should start an irregular series of "What Hubzilla is like" posts for people in the Fediverse, Mastodon specifically, who don't know anything about it. Not for those who want to switch, but for those who assume that Hubzilla is just like whatever else they know. Like, for Mastodon users who blindly assume that Hubzilla is just like Mastodon with a different UI and then act accordingly. Thus, it'd mostly focus on how Hubzilla is different from Mastodon.
The difficult part would be to limit these posts to only 500 characters. Minus what I'll need for the hashtags, namely #Hubzilla, #FediTips and #FediverseTips to increase discoverability for those who are interested and #FediMeta, #FediverseMeta, #CWFediMeta and #CWFediverseMeta so that these posts are automatically removed or hidden behind generated content warnings by already existing filters. Because I know for a fact that many Mastodon users won't touch anything that goes even a smidge over 500 characters. And I know that there are Mastodon users for whom any and all Fediverse meta is too nerve-gratingly techy.
> Three, vice versa, Mastodon and its users rejecting the culture of non-Mastodon projects whenever it differs from Mastodon's. Many Mastodon users want everything that is "un-Mastodon-like" banned all across the whole Fediverse because it disturbs them, be it posts over 500 characters, be it quotes, be it "quote-tweets", be it text formatting in any way. However, all this stuff is perfectly normal and absolutely part of the culture everywhere outside of Mastodon.
Character limitation. It's funny that it is a reason because three are Mastodon-powered instances (a lot in fact) with more than 500.
What the "purists" did not realise is that the customizable number of characters has been part of the Fediverse since the first Fediverse managed service launched: StatusNet "hosting", in 2008. @-lnxwalt was very active in posting different content on the different length instances back then.
To add to what you mentioned, another reason they hate #Threads is because they supposedly introduced something that isn't part of #Mastodon and #ActivityPub, dots in username.
But it has been around years before Instagram even thought about Threads (assuming they came up with the project during the #TwitterMigration ). You'll often see it from website-based AP implementations. @example.com@example.com
Also, the reasoning "not in ActivityPub" is well, Mastodon is as guilty of that since the discussions of AP started. Since Mastodon was successful in positioning itself at the proper place, everyone ended up / was forced to implement Mastodon-only stuff just so their software will be interoperable with it, even though it isn't part of ActivityPub.
Most "Mastodon purists", as well as, "ActivityPub gatekeepers" use reasons that can't stand; and their solution is fragmentation or contrary to what the Fediverse is, and what AP was made for. Basically, they want to go back to the way things are: "siloed networks" or "walled-gardens".
#BringDownTheWalls has been the goal of the Fediverse since 2008, and even before that when #SocialWeb discussions started (even in related conferences).
#AskMastodon has anyone heard if the major social media management apps are adding or have added Mastodon? I feel this has been a major reason we haven't seen broader adoption in the corporate or government space.
Reply with software suggestions?
Feel free to bookmark this post/thread. I will add/update with the suggestions including which ones need some encouragement! 😊
Yesterday many left leaning pundits and journalists were suspended from TwitterX without notice. Some were subsequently reinstated after very public complaints from a few prominent individuals.
We have seen this tactic before. Musk uses the ban hammer to enforce self censorship. The message is clear, step over the line and you will be silenced.
Open message to journalists and others still on X Twitter. We have a very nice open social network over here, without Nazis, and not owned by any billionaires. You won't have to worry about being silenced for sharing your thoughts. We would love to have you join us in reshaping social media to benefit people instead of corporations. Come on over. At least give Mastodon a fresh look. Help us build a better future.
I wrote this “guide” / thoughts on #Mastodon after re-joining the Fediverse in November 2022 (soon after some sort of Twitter-related crisis). This coincided with one of the larger migrations of #infosec folks to Mastodon.
I have kept this post semi-updated with a lot of interesting Mastodon/Fediverse-related resources as well as information for the infosec community here.