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==A brief history==
==A brief history==


Why not being the first dezentralised social network that runs on renewable energy? Sounds utopian, but we do it anyway!
Why not being the first decentralised social network that runs on renewable energy? Sounds utopian, but we do it anyway!


The project emerged from discussions in Fediverse in 2019. The conversations were about digitization, environmental sustainability of social networks, data centers and energy consumption. It all started in March 2019 with the mastodon-account [https://chaos.social/@greenfediverse GreenFediverse]. In the beginning the community around the project created some manually edited lists: [https://lite.framacalc.org/greenfediverse-instances old instances list] and a [https://lite.framacalc.org/green-webhosting green webhoster list]. In 2020 [https://mastodon.social/@attac_hl @attac_hl] worked on the technical realization of a [https://greenfediverse.frama.io/green-instances/ new green instances list] and combined the databases from [https://sp3r4z.fr/mastodon/ Mastostats] and the [https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/green-web-feed/ GreenWebFoundation]. In 2021 [https://digitalcourage.social/@aligyie @aligyie], created a [https://lite.framacalc.org/green-webhost-ranking green webhost ranking].
The project emerged from discussions in Fediverse in 2019. The conversations were about digitization, environmental sustainability of social networks, data centers and energy consumption. It all started in March 2019 with the mastodon-account [https://chaos.social/@greenfediverse GreenFediverse]. In the beginning the community around the project created some manually edited lists: [https://lite.framacalc.org/greenfediverse-instances old instances list] and a [https://lite.framacalc.org/green-webhosting green webhoster list]. In 2020 [https://mastodon.social/@attac_hl @attac_hl] worked on the technical realization of a [https://greenfediverse.frama.io/green-instances/ new green instances list] and combined the databases from [https://sp3r4z.fr/mastodon/ Mastostats] and the [https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/green-web-feed/ GreenWebFoundation]. In 2021 [https://digitalcourage.social/@aligyie @aligyie], created a [https://lite.framacalc.org/green-webhost-ranking green webhost ranking].
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==Why are we doing this?==
==Why are we doing this?==


We, as users of the federated universe called "[[fediverse]]" are aware that our self-hosted instances run on servers with different types of energy consumption. The global energy demand for our data centers will continue to increase despite the fact that they will be more efficient. One of the core questions are: what kind of energy will we use in the future? Should we favor certain data centers and services? Green web hosting will be one of the important key factors in addressing the climate crisis and environmental degradation on our planet. We face huge challenges on our way there. On the one hand, there is a great lack of transparency, including increasing greenwashing tendencies. We also face the complexity of the energy market and its unpredictable dynamics. Are there again bad players on the market? How can we find out which energy suppliers offer us real green energy without greenwashing?  
We, as users of the federated universe called "[[Fediverse]]" are aware that our self-hosted instances run on servers with different types of energy consumption. The global energy demand for our data centers will continue to increase despite the fact that they will be more efficient. One of the core questions are: what kind of energy will we use in the future? Should we favor certain data centers and services? Green web hosting will be one of the important key factors in addressing the climate crisis and environmental degradation on our planet. We face huge challenges on our way there. On the one hand, there is a great lack of transparency, including increasing greenwashing tendencies. We also face the complexity of the energy market and its unpredictable dynamics. Are there again bad players on the market? How can we find out which energy suppliers offer us real green energy without greenwashing?  


With our research we try to get a first but not complete overview about webhosting provider. This data set include Fediverse instances which are using renewable energy for their servers. We want to take a closer look at our digital infrastructure to make the ecological footprint we leave in the digital space more visible. With this step we try to combine ecology and technical aspects, to make them visible and more aware for everyone - our main goal is to create awareness for an ecologically sustainable development of our digital space including the Fediverse, to transport this topic to public. We are aware that it is not possible to obtain or produce green energy everywhere on our planet. We do not want to blame anyone for not using green energy. We are aware that the production of the hardware that our server uses takes place in conditions that involve the exploitation of humans and nature. Therefore, the questions are not only limited to ecology and technology, but must also be extended to the dimensions of social and human rights aspects. Unfortunately, these dimensions are always disregarded, which is why we would like to strongly advocate that this topic should be viewed from a multi-perspective lens. Naming poor conditions and inequalities is only a small step. Building open knowledge can lead to more conscious choices in our actions.
With our research we try to get a first but not complete overview about webhosting provider. This data set include Fediverse instances which are using renewable energy for their servers. We want to take a closer look at our digital infrastructure to make the ecological footprint we leave in the digital space more visible. With this step we try to combine ecology and technical aspects, to make them visible and more aware for everyone - our main goal is to create awareness for an ecologically sustainable development of our digital space including the Fediverse, to transport this topic to public. We are aware that it is not possible to obtain or produce green energy everywhere on our planet. We do not want to blame anyone for not using green energy. We are aware that the production of the hardware that our server uses takes place in conditions that involve the exploitation of humans and nature. Therefore, the questions are not only limited to ecology and technology, but must also be extended to the dimensions of social and human rights aspects. Unfortunately, these dimensions are always disregarded, which is why we would like to strongly advocate that this topic should be viewed from a multi-perspective lens. Naming poor conditions and inequalities is only a small step. Building open knowledge can lead to more conscious choices in our actions.
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<u>Database 1:</u> [https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/ The GreenWebFoundation]'s open database, the "Green Web API" [https://github.com/thegreenwebfoundation (github]) works in such a way that it outputs the "green" status of a website. This is done by the GreenWebFoundation first using various machine-verifiable methods to determine the domain names, IP addresses or the [[wikipedia:Autonomous_system_(Internet)|autonomous system number]]. In addition, the GreenWebFoundation has built an independent certificate database, where operators of websites or web hosts, which can not be automated-machine recorded, can register - take a look at the [https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/what-you-need-to-register/ registration-process].  There, a "proof" in the form of a certificate can then be provided, i.e. a [https://api.thegreenwebfoundation.org/greencheckimage/joinfediverse.wiki?nocache=true badge] can be acquired. These registered servers and services can then be labeled, i.e. provided with the information that they operate with renewable energy or not. Website addresses can be queried in the front end via a "[https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/green-web-check/ Green Web Check]" search mask or via the API. Whether a "green" entry exists here, the API then outputs a status result with "green" or "gray". More information about the functionality of this API can be found [https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/news/introducing-the-green-web-foundation-partner-api/ here]. "The Green Web Foundation is a recognized not-for-profit organization registered in the Netherlands, that is run by a small group of dedicated volunteers located in Germany and The Netherlands." "Our strategy is simple: we use the existing protocols of the internet to understand where infrastructure is run, when we speak to the people running it to see how they power it. We then make these answers easy to look up, providing free online tools, APIs and open datasets, and helping people incorporate this information into their own services and analysis."[https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/our-story/ <nowiki>[citation]</nowiki>]
<u>Database 1:</u> [https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/ The GreenWebFoundation]'s open database, the "Green Web API" [https://github.com/thegreenwebfoundation (github]) works in such a way that it outputs the "green" status of a website. This is done by the GreenWebFoundation first using various machine-verifiable methods to determine the domain names, IP addresses or the [[wikipedia:Autonomous_system_(Internet)|autonomous system number]]. In addition, the GreenWebFoundation has built an independent certificate database, where operators of websites or web hosts, which can not be automated-machine recorded, can register - take a look at the [https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/what-you-need-to-register/ registration-process].  There, a "proof" in the form of a certificate can then be provided, i.e. a [https://api.thegreenwebfoundation.org/greencheckimage/joinfediverse.wiki?nocache=true badge] can be acquired. These registered servers and services can then be labeled, i.e. provided with the information that they operate with renewable energy or not. Website addresses can be queried in the front end via a "[https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/green-web-check/ Green Web Check]" search mask or via the API. Whether a "green" entry exists here, the API then outputs a status result with "green" or "gray". More information about the functionality of this API can be found [https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/news/introducing-the-green-web-foundation-partner-api/ here]. "The Green Web Foundation is a recognized not-for-profit organization registered in the Netherlands, that is run by a small group of dedicated volunteers located in Germany and The Netherlands." "Our strategy is simple: we use the existing protocols of the internet to understand where infrastructure is run, when we speak to the people running it to see how they power it. We then make these answers easy to look up, providing free online tools, APIs and open datasets, and helping people incorporate this information into their own services and analysis."[https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/our-story/ <nowiki>[citation]</nowiki>]


<u>Database 2:</u> Another database we use is that of [https://the-federation.info/ the-federation],  (they are also on [https://socialhome.network/u/thefederation socialhome] and [https://github.com/thefederationinfo/the-federation.info github]). Using the API, which is also open, we get a list of all connected and [https://the-federation.info/info here registered] instances of the Fediverse. A single instance offer us more information with the "/nodeinfo/2.0", (e.g. https://chaos.social/nodeinfo/2.0). Here we get, for example, what kind of "software" (Mastodon, Peertube, etc.) is used on an instance.
<u>Database 2:</u> Another database we use is that of [https://the-federation.info/ the-federation],  (they are also on [https://socialhome.network/u/thefederation Socialhome] and [https://github.com/thefederationinfo/the-federation.info github]). Using the API, which is also open, we get a list of all connected and [https://the-federation.info/info here registered] instances of the Fediverse. A single instance offer us more information with the "/nodeinfo/2.0", (e.g. https://chaos.social/nodeinfo/2.0). Here we get, for example, what kind of "software" (Mastodon, PeerTube, etc.) is used on an instance.


<u>Then the magic begins: The Data-Collider:</u>
<u>Then the magic begins: The Data-Collider:</u>
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