F.A.Q. - Frequently Asked Questions/en: Difference between revisions
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This F.A.Q. derived from a protocol of a series of workshop(s) held by [[Fedizen:PaulaToThePeople]] for Fediverse beginners, especially those who came to Mastodon after Musk bought Twitter. It's also good for those who came to Lemmy after the controversial Reddit API changes.<br> | This F.A.Q. derived from a protocol of a series of workshop(s) held by [[Fedizen:PaulaToThePeople]] for Fediverse beginners, especially those who came to Mastodon after Musk bought Twitter. It's also good for those who came to Lemmy after the controversial Reddit API changes.<br> | ||
Paula is not holding workshops | Paula is not holding workshops anymore as the demand has ceased, but you can always ask her questions. | ||
==What is Mastodon?== | ==What is Mastodon?== | ||
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Mastodon is a free software microblogging project. It shares quite a few similarities with Twitter, but differs in some key features.<br> | Mastodon is a free software microblogging project. It shares quite a few similarities with Twitter, but differs in some key features.<br> | ||
It is decentralized/federated and belongs to the Fediverse ([[ | It is decentralized/federated and belongs to the Fediverse ([[F.A.Q. - Frequently Asked Questions#What is the Fediverse?|see below]]). | ||
When you just created an account you'll see the basic interface with an empty home timeline. Follow other accounts and create your individual interesting home timeline.<br> | When you just created an account you'll see the basic interface with an empty home timeline. Follow other accounts and create your individual interesting home timeline.<br> | ||
To follow/find accounts that are hosted on different instances (servers) than your own account, you usually have to search for their full handle (username@instance.tld) or their profile's url. | To follow/find accounts that are hosted on different instances (servers) than your own account, you usually have to search for their full handle (@username@instance.tld) or their profile's url. | ||
When you use Mastodon via your desktop browser, you can change quite a few things about its look and feel via your account settings. Anyone looking for an equivalent to Tweetdeck's many columns, may switch to the advanced interface:<br> | When you use Mastodon via your desktop browser, you can change quite a few things about its look and feel via your account settings. Anyone looking for an equivalent to Tweetdeck's many columns, may switch to the advanced interface:<br> | ||
It allows you | It allows you for example to pin a column for hashtags you've searched by clicking on its top right corner. | ||
As with Tweetdeck, if the number of columns exceed your display's width, you either need to scroll left and right or zoom out, until all columns fit again into your screen. | |||
All notifications a shown in one column, in which you can switch between different types of notifications. The column's top right corner opens its settings, where can optimize your notification column to your individual needs.<br> | All notifications a shown in one column, in which you can switch between different types of notifications. The column's top right corner opens its settings, where can optimize your notification column to your individual needs.<br> | ||
If you want to ensure, you will not miss posts from accounts that are the most relevant to you or you want to cluster accounts to create thematic timelines, for example, you can create [[Mastodon features explained#Lists|lists]], and pin them as a column. Only accounts you are following, can be added to our lists. | If you want to ensure, you will not miss posts from accounts that are the most relevant to you or you want to cluster accounts to create thematic timelines, for example, you can create [[Mastodon features explained#Lists|lists]], and pin them as a column. Only accounts you are following, can be added to our lists.<br> | ||
You can also click the bell symbol on a profile besides the (un)follow button to get notified about all posts by a user. | |||
Your home timeline shows posts by accounts you follow and boosts by those accounts. There is no algorithm sorting posts for "relevance". Everything will appear in the chronological order it was either posted or boosted. Everything in your timeline will have the same look whether it originated from a Mastodon account or an account from some other Fediverse service.<br> | Your home timeline shows posts by accounts you follow and boosts by those accounts. There is no algorithm sorting posts for "relevance". Everything will appear in the chronological order it was either posted or boosted. Everything in your timeline will have the same look whether it originated from a Mastodon account or an account from some other Fediverse service.<br> | ||
The local timeline displays all the public posts accounts on your server published - boosts are exlcuded. | The local timeline displays all the public posts accounts on your server published - boosts are exlcuded. This can be very interesting on themed instances. | ||
The federated timeline shows posts from the whole Fediverse as your server knows it. It includes posts from every account your server was introduced to either by someone following or successfully searching from your server. | The federated timeline shows posts from the whole Fediverse as your server knows it. It includes posts from every account your server was introduced to either by someone following or successfully searching from your server. | ||
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The flagship instance is [https://open.audio open.audio].<br> | The flagship instance is [https://open.audio open.audio].<br> | ||
You can browse audio by hashtags, albums, artists, playlists, ... | You can browse audio by hashtags, albums, artists, playlists, ... | ||
==What is Lemmy?== | |||
''See also: [[What is Lemmy?]] | |||
Lemmy is the "reddit" of the Fediverse together with [[What is kbin?|kbin]]. So it's a content aggregator service that can be used like a forum.<br> | |||
You can find a list of instances here: https://join-lemmy.org/instances <br> | |||
You can follow and take part in Lemmy discussions from other parts of the Fediverse. | |||
==What is BookWyrm== | |||
''See also: [[What is BookWyrm?]] | |||
A Fediverse software for book cataloguing.<br> | |||
You can upload books or select some from the catalogue, add your status about the book (started reading, finished reading etc.) and write reviews.<br> | |||
You can view the same info if you e.g. follow the BookWyrm account on Mastodon.<br> | |||
There is no federated/local feed, just your home feed, so you have to follow other people to see posts other than yours.<br> | |||
Example instance: bookwyrm.social | |||
==Questions from participants of the workshops== | ==Questions from participants of the workshops== | ||
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A small selection of helpful server lists: | A small selection of helpful server lists: | ||
*[[ | *[[Instances]] | ||
*[https://fediverse.party/en/portal/servers/ fediverse.pary (Themed Servers)] | *[https://fediverse.party/en/portal/servers/ fediverse.pary (Themed Servers)] | ||
*[https://instances.social/ instances.social] - instance picker (check out the [https://instances.social/list/advanced#lang=&allowed=&prohibited=&min-users=&max-users= advanced mode] and sort by interesting details like security quality) | *[https://instances.social/ instances.social] - instance picker (check out the [https://instances.social/list/advanced#lang=&allowed=&prohibited=&min-users=&max-users= advanced mode] and sort by interesting details like security quality) | ||