Draft:New Fediverse Article

This article is a draft! A lot of info might still be missing and the page might change at any time.

What is the Fediverse?

A colorful pentagram logo. The corners are 5 filled circles in the colors red, yellow, green, blue and purple. All circles are connected with bars in colors that are the result of mixing the colors of the two circles. Between the bars and the circles there is a small gap. The logo is transparent but usually the background is white. The Fediverse is a giant decentralized or "federated" network of social media services owned and moderated by the people, consisting of mostly Free Software. Unlike centralized social media platforms, the Fediverse is not and cannot be owned by one person or company and therefor cannot be influenced by the rich and powerful. There are services for microblogging, blogging, photoblogging, videohosting and much more and they are all interconnected or federated. So you only need one account to follow users on any of the platforms. How does the Fediverse work? What does "Fediverse" even mean? And what does "federated" mean? Why use the Fediverse instead of some other social media platform? Who is the Fediverse for? What is the Fediverse not?

How do I join the Fediverse?

Joining the Fediverse is not quite as straight forward as joining other social media platforms - but it's not hard either, if we explain it well. There is not one central website where you create an account and that's it, instead you have to make some choices first. This might seem daunting at first, but making an informed decision can make a big difference. Basically you choose a server software based on what look and feel you want to experience in the Fediverse. Then you pick a server based on it's name, theme, rules and moderation quality. Which server software should I choose? Which instance should I join? Can I switch instances later? What client apps should I use? What do I do with my new account?

How do I use the Fediverse?

Usage very much depends on the server software you chose. Use the search field of this wiki to find an article about the software you chose and you'll find some usage tips there. Below we list some of the common questions, that are independent of the software. Why is my home timeline empty? Where do I find people to follow? Can I follow hashtags and groups? How can people find my account? How do I set up my profile? What should I post first? What settings should I change? How can I protect myself? How can I build up my followers? What cool features should I try? What does this feature do?

What else is there to know?

This wiki has a lot more articles about everything related to the Fediverse. For example: Hosting and administering your own instance Moderation About this wiki

What is the Fediverse? What does "Fediverse" even mean? And what does "federated" mean? Why use the Fediverse instead of some other social media platform? Who is the Fediverse for? What is the Fediverse not? How do I join the Fediverse? Which server software should I choose? Which instance should I join? Things to consider, when choosing an instance: topic, local community or general moderation safe space vs. tavern policy of blocking scrapers, mirrors, capitalist instances, ... size name/url (will be part of your handle) ownership (server location, infrastructure, administration, finance, green hosting, longevity) Can I switch instances later? What client apps should I use? What do I do with my new account? How do I use the Fediverse? Why is my home timeline empty? Where do I find people to follow? Can I follow hashtags and groups? How can people find my account? How do I set up my profile? What should I post first? What settings should I change? How can I build up my followers? What cool features should I try? What does this feature do? What else is there to know? Hosting and administering your own instance Moderation