Mastodon Mastodon a glitched, edited version of a photo of notebooks, laptops, tea cups, and other accoutrements on a table. Photo by Marvin Meyer, via Unsplash.

Technically Good ✨

Alternatives Pt. II - Social Networking

So let's say you've had enough of all the ads, the tracking, the promoted posts, the I'm Never Seeing Anything my Friends Post, and you want... a different experience. One where it's not the billionaires deciding what you get to see or what you should be interested in, but one where you see what you signed up to see. Radical, I know.

This is possible. Alternatives exist. They are out there. You can join them today and try them out! This is Part II of a series on exactly that - Alternatives. You can read Part I, on email, browsing, and direct messaging, here.

Image of a phone screen, showing a Fediverse folder with icons for Lemmy, Loops, Mastodon, PeerTube, and Pixelfed. Image by Elena Rossini on Unsplash. Glitched and edited.

My Recommendation: The Fediverse

The Fediverse.1 If you haven't heard of it, it's a decentralized, open-source, ad-free federated universe. You heard that right. Ad-free. You don't even need an adblocker. No billionaire owns this, so nobody is constantly trying to keep you trapped in that loop of rage and engagement.

So - what's the deal with the Fediverse? What is better about it compared to the legacy algorithmic platforms?

01. There are Many Different Platform "Flavours," and They are Interoperable

The Fediverse isn't one platform. It is a federation of many different platforms - or "flavours" - and they are, for the most part, interoperable.

So what is interoperability, and why do we need it? There's a lot more to it, but perhaps the easiest way to start is with an example of non-interoperability that we're all very familiar with:

Can you use your instagram credentials to log on to twitter? Can you natively like facebook posts through twitter? DM someone on TikTok from Instagram? Nope.

Currently, the Big Tech platforms are not interoperable. That is, of course, by design.

But! We do have tech systems that are interoperable, and many of them have been around for a long time. A great example is email. Notice how silly the following statement sounds: "Oh! I need to email my friend Georgina. But she is on gmail, so I can't possibly email her, since I use Proton :("

On the fediverse, you can follow someone on Friendica from your Mastodon account - you can favourite, boost, etc. their content. Someone with a Mastodon account can follow Lemmy content and interact with it.

A Note on Big Tech "Equivalents"

While we're on that topic: There are "equivalents" to twitter, Facebook, etc. on the Fediverse. I don't typically like to think of the Fediverse platforms in that way, as they are platforms in their own right (and they explicitly do not want to copy some of the wacky shxt that's happening on twitter, for example), but pointing out platform similarities can help introduce people to the Fediverse.

So: "Mastodon is like twitter" - yes, but also no. Mastodon is indeed a microblogging platform, like twitter, on which you can favourite, boost, and (in many cases) quote posts. That's where the similarities end though - Mastodon has zero algorithms, ads, or promoted content, and it has "instances" (we'll get to those below).

Noting that I am not a big fan of these direct equivalencies, I do want to introduce some of the most popular platforms, just to show the breadth of the experience:

The tl;dr here is that, maybe you prefer short-form microblogging, but your family overseas prefers a facebook-like experience. Great! You can still follow each other, see each other's updates and interact, while having that default experience be one that you enjoy. Check out fediverse.party for an overview!

02. There are No Ads (No, Seriously)

The Fediverse literally has no ads. And I don't mean "no ads after you've turned on your adblocker."

I don't know whether you can even imagine socials without ads and promoted posts and suggested reels anymore - Maybe you can, since you were around before the "social networks" all went to shxt. And/or because you use an adblocker. And maybe that adblocker works 90% of the time, but every once in a while, an ad slips through, and then you've got to update your lists, add custom filters, what have you.

You don't even need an adblocker on the fediverse. Nobody is trying to monetize your eyeballs and your attention.

03. There are No Algorithms

On the Big Tech networks, an algorithm decides what you get to see. An Algorithm decides what you should be interested in: Ads, promoted posts, trending, For You. It never ends.

Drawing an analogy to email again, and borrowing from Cory Doctorow's Enshittification:

People who sign up for an email account want to get all the email sent by the people they want to hear from - not just the fraction that an email provider chooses to deliver.

Imagine if you applied what you are experiencing on social media to email. If the emails you got to see, or not see, were algorithmically governed. You would probably get very angry at your provider - and subsequently switch to a different one, no?

And yet, this is fully "normal" and expected when it comes to the big "social" networks. Except that a) it shouldn't be, and b) it didn't used to be.

If you'd like a primer, I've published two articles on algorithms and algorithmic networks, and why they're Not That Great, actually:

On the flipside, the fact that there are no algorithms means that you are the algorithm. It is a common experience for new users joining the fediverse to feel like things are too "slow," that there is "nothing happening." This is where some new users bounce off. Why is that?

In this day and age, we are so used to a constant stream of content, all tailored by to specifically grab your attention - that "normal" usage and building up your own feed feels slow and boring. The fediverse is not a perpetual endorphin shot machine out of the box. Its goal is not to keep your eyeballs on the screen for longer. It doesn't care. There is no monetization, no ad money, no LTV attached to how long you use Mastodon today. The way it should be.

We are so used to being spoonfed everything, and being glued to the screen by the fire-hose of content, that that is considered "normal" - and it shouldn't be.

The fediverse is reminiscent of the "old" social media, the one whose primary goal was not to pester your eyeballs with promoted content and ads more so than the content you actually signed up to see.

04. Different Instances Exist, and You Can Freely Move Between Them

A huge difference to how Big Tech algorithmic networks operate is that the Fediverse is not centralized. Instead, it has "instances," and you pick one when you sign up. This can be intimidating at first. What is an instance? What if I pick the wrong one!?

As for the first question, you can think of an instance a little bit like a mix between a server and an email provider. Basically, no matter which instance you pick, you will be able to talk to users on other instances/servers.2

So kind of like: You sign up with Proton, and you will be able to email folks on Outlook, or Gmail, or folks who self-host their email. You basically choose your "home server" or "provider" based on functionality or interest, not on who you will be able to talk to.

You want an experience where all the -isms are bannable offences? That's definitely a thing. In fact, many instances have this as a core part of their rules. Or maybe you are looking for an instance that revolves around one of your interests - let's say, one of & for cyclists? That exists too. Gaming? Yes. Solarpunk? Yep, also that. There's probably a dedicated instance for your hobby too (and if there isn't - you could, in theory, start one, although I wouldn't recommend this experience for a fediverse newbie.)

As for the second question - great news! If you picked an instance that you aren't totally happy with, you can switch instances. Yep.

In contrast to Big Tech, you have a true right to exit, and a right to move around and take your data with you. For example, on Mastodon, you are able to export/import lists of followers, mutes, and blocks. All as .csv files so they are a) easy to read, and b) super duper easy to ingest over at your new instance. You can even migrate your followers to the new account. 3 This, along with being able to interact with people on other platforms, is another key piece of interoperability.

05. You can Choose to be Digitally Sovereign

Most algorithmic media is HQ'ed and hosted in the US of A. The fediverse, on the other hand, is made up of instances all over the world.

This is key in the context of digital sovereignty. You are not beholden to, not locked in to, not sending your data to multiple corporations that are all headquartered in the US. If you want to sign up for Mastodon, you can find an instance - or you can start one - that is hosted in your region or country.

This has a couple of important knock-on effects:

06. Other Neat Things: Fresh Features, Client Apps, Author Attribution

These will be focused on Mastodon as that is the platform I use the most, but - look at all the cool stuff that's happening:

OK, but what about Bluesky?

If you have spent any amount of time on the interwebs, you have probably heard about BlueSky. And if you have, you may be wondering why I don't recommend it alongside the fediverse.

There are some good things about BlueSky that almost make me want to recommend it:

However! Not all is well, and these are the reasons why I wouldn't recommend BlueSky at this time:

I'm going to give Gander a shoutout here; it's not quite fully off the ground yet, but a promising Canadian platform that uses BlueSky tech under the hood - so potentially a platform to keep an eye out for in the future.

Practical Tips on How to Get Started

So how do you... get started?

It's quite easy, actually. Many traditional media outlets write about the Fediverse in a way that makes you think it is either arcane wizardry, or that you need a degree in Computer Science to use it successfully; I am here to tell you that that is not the case.

Let's use Mastodon as an example.

  1. Select an instance / a server (these terms are often used interchangeably). Maybe you already know which one you are going to go with, for example because a friend or someone you follow & trust online has recommended an instance to you. In that case, go forth and sign up!
    1. If not, or if you'd like to explore some more, I recommend giving this fedi.tips article a read, and using services like Fedi.Garden and JoinMastodon. That should give you a pretty good idea of what's out there. Remember - you can always move after in case you discover an instance you like better than the one you originally signed up with.
  2. Set up a quick lil profile! It doesn't have to be complicated. A profile picture and a short description will go a long way. A lot of users will not interact with completely "blank" profiles, as those are often no-good bots, and we don't like those.
    1. Extra credit for making an #introduction post! Here's a quick example from when I set up the Technically Good account on techhub.social. Write about what you are interested in, what you are looking for, throw in some hashtags for good measure, and you're off to the races. 🚀
  3. These days, you'll likely see a prompt to follow a few accounts. I'd encourage you to do that! As mentioned in a previous section: There is no algorithm. You have to curate your feed. This includes following interesting people, and following interesting hashtags - nothing will be "recommended" to you on your home timeline.
  4. Lastly: Stick with it! Give the Fediverse some time to grow on you. It will feel slow in the beginning. We are so used to the algorithmic firehose that not having it feels "slow" now. But: The interactions are SO much more meaningful, and you'll likely discover that the Fediverse isn't nearly as much of a time sink as algorithmic networks. Because it doesn't need to be, because it doesn't need to - or want to - commodify your attention. After a while, you'll likely notice that you'll stop chasing the "fame". it's more about interacting with other humans than getting those likes and boosts. It's beautiful, really.

Going with a Different Flavour

If you'd rather go with a different flavour of the Fediverse, have a look at fediverse.party, which I find incredibly artistically pleasing, and which tells you all you need to know about Pleroma, Misskey, Pixelfed, and a bunch of other Fediverse "flavours." Maybe you really liked early Facebook, in which case Friendica might be up your alley. The signup process for those other "flavours" is similar to that of Mastodon - you pick an instance/a server, a username, and you're up and running.

I've linked to fedi.tips before, but it is worth mentioning again - they have a fantastic "Quick Start" section that walks you through first account setup, choosing an app, all sorts of things, that will get you up and running and enjoying your fediverse experience in no time.

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Recent Posts

  1. If this makes you think of the Metaverse: It's not that. No relation. Thankfully.↩

  2. There's intricate tech behind it, and some nuance, as with all things, like: If the instance you have signed up with has banned/blocked a certain other instance, you will not be able to interact with those users. However, if you picked an instance that aligns with your values, the instances that your instances has blocked are likely ones that you wouldn't want in your timeline anyway.↩

  3. This process is not without its faults, as when the "old" (the from) instance is temporarily unavailable, export/migration may not work. However, these are exceptions and malfunctions, not actions actively prohibited by the people who run the platform so that you and your eyeballs stick around for longer and get locked in.↩

  4. That basically just means it can "cut ties" with that instance, so that members of that instance cannot comment on your stuff, or boost it, for example. They can't come bothering ya anymore.↩

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