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fediverse.md (3029B)
      1 # the fediverse
      2 
      3 if you're tired of twitter (or you got banned from it like me) then
      4 you're probably looking for a decent replacement to meet people and
      5 discuss various topics of interest. the fediverse is currently the best
      6 replacement, but when you first get into it, it may be difficult to
      7 understand. the first thing that's different from twitter is the fact
      8 that there are multiple instances – thousands of them. they're like
      9 E-mail servers except for microblogging, in a nutshell, and they can run
     10 different software. currently, the most popular servers use
     11 [Mastodon](https://joinmastodon.org/),
     12 [Pleroma](https://pleroma.social/), or
     13 [Misskey](https://joinmisskey.github.io/en/). you can look at each and
     14 see what feels best for you. Pleroma is the easiest to run, which is why
     15 a lot of instances use it, and it supports both its own layout as well
     16 as the Mastodon layout, so if you want an easy decision, you should
     17 probably go with a server running Pleroma.
     18 
     19 with that out of the way, assuming you don't want to run your own
     20 server, you're probably wondering which of the thousands of servers you
     21 should use. I used to maintain a list of instances on this page that met
     22 certain criteria, but over time I have realised that the choice is more
     23 nuanced than I initially thought. in addition, I do not have the time
     24 nor the interest to keep such a list up to date. instead, now I am
     25 simply using this page to explain what you should be aware of when
     26 choosing an instance.
     27 
     28 if at all possible, you *should* host your own, that way you can make
     29 your own policies and don't have to entrust someone else to make
     30 decisions on your behalf. barring that, ideally an instance will:
     31 
     32 * have a clear moderation policy
     33 * have clear federation policies with other servers
     34 * have a list of blocked servers, if the instance chooses to block other
     35   servers
     36 * be receptive to the needs of Tor users and other privacy-concerned
     37   people
     38 
     39 **before you choose an instance, please make sure you would make a good
     40 fit. free speech / limited moderation does *not* invite spammy or
     41 annoying behaviour to any of these instances.** also be aware that every
     42 instance has its own posting and media limits, so be sure to
     43 double-check if you often write long posts or upload large files.
     44 
     45 <hr id="limited-moderation"/>
     46 
     47 ## note about <q>limited moderation</q>
     48 
     49 this means that the instance enforces rules to the extents required by
     50 law and to remain a <q>good neighbour</q> to the rest of the fediverse.
     51 more specifically, spam and illegal content is dealt with upon being
     52 brought to the attention of the instance's moderation team. these
     53 instances may promote free-speech and -expression ideals to the extent
     54 allowed by their laws.
     55 
     56 inversely, instances that do not practise <q>limited moderation</q> have
     57 additional conduct rules that you must review before creating an
     58 account. personally I believe it is healthy for instances to have their
     59 own standards defined, as long as they are defined clearly and do not
     60 impose negatively upon federation.