Draft:New Fediverse Article

What is the Fediverse?

The Fediverse is a giant network of social media services. 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. 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?

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