New Welsh movement aims to reclaim the social web with ‘pethau bychain’ digital campaign

Tŵt, the community‑owned social platform created in 2018, has unveiled a six‑week campaign called “Pethau Bychain” — a nod to the famous words of Dewi Sant and a call to build a more thoughtful, people‑centred digital culture. The initiative leads into the official launch of the new Tŵt app on St David’s Day.

Over the coming weeks, Tŵt will publish a series of reflections on how small, everyday actions can reshape the online world. From adding image descriptions for accessibility to using language tags that support Welsh speakers, the campaign argues that these “little things” can help build a digital commons that belongs to the people of Wales rather than distant corporations.

“We are at a turning point in how we exist online,” said Jaz‑Michael King, Director at Tŵt Cymru. “The legacy platforms are failing to provide safe, joyful spaces for community connection. By focusing on the ‘pethau bychain’, we are proving that digital sovereignty isn’t just about technology; it’s about hospitality, kindness, and taking control of our own digital heritage. This is our cyfraniad to Cymru — our contribution to the nation.”

Tŵt is part of the fast‑growing Social Web, also known as the Fediverse — a decentralised network of independent platforms that connect together without relying on a single company to control data or feeds. The approach allows Tŵt users to interact seamlessly with other UK‑based communities such as mastodonapp.uk and mastodon.scot, as well as thousands of servers worldwide.

Unlike mainstream social networks, Tŵt is not driven by advertising or data mining. The platform is governed by its members, who set the rules and shape the culture.

“The difference with Tŵt is that the people using the platform have a real say in how it’s run. Moderation isn’t outsourced or automated, it’s rooted in our shared values as a community. We’re accountable to each other, not to shareholders or algorithms,” said Jayne Samuel‑Walker, community moderator at Tŵt.

The campaign will culminate in a community event in Cardiff on 28 February, bringing together supporters and digital pioneers on the eve of the app’s official launch.

More information on the “Pethau Bychain” series, along with event details, is available at croeso.toot.wales.

#DewiSant #JazMichaelKing #localNews #PethauBychain #socialMedia #tootWales #Tŵt #TŵtCymru

In case anybody from @teamtoot is on LinkedIn and wants to give this post a nudge, I'm pushing Mastodon in Welsh digital thinking https://www.linkedin.com/posts/davidclubb_opensource-activity-7416012656815636480-H9bI

#TootWales

#opensource | David Clubb

I'm loving the work by Transform Wales - timely, much needed, and (hopefully) impactful. Their report (https://lnkd.in/erKbbe7z) and website (https://lnkd.in/ecttpM3s) clearly articulate the case for change 🙌 I'm pleased to see that #OpenSource gets a look-in, and would have loved to see it with even more prominence. For example, why is it that important public information is (almost exclusively) distributed across privately owned channels that are (almost exclusively) hosted in America and not subject to any accountability in Wales? Particularly when Tŵt Cymru | Toot Wales, an open source and fully bilingual alternative, is available (https://lnkd.in/ejxu8FCu). Great stuff by Ann Kempster, Dafydd Vaughan, Jo Carter and Nia Campbell 👏

In the Fediverse track at SFSCon, Jaz-Michael King spoke about: Hiraeth and Hashtags: Building a Bilingual Community on the Fediverse fediforum.org/2025-1... #fediforum #sfscon #fediverse #socialweb #iftas #tootwales
FediForum | FediForum/Fediverse Track at SFSCon, November 2025, in Bolzano, Italy

FediForum

In the Fediverse track at SFSCon, Jaz-Michael King spoke about:

Hiraeth and Hashtags: Building a Bilingual Community on the Fediverse

https://fediforum.org/2025-11-sfscon/

#fediforum #sfscon #fediverse #socialweb #iftas #tootwales

FediForum | FediForum/Fediverse Track at SFSCon, November 2025, in Bolzano, Italy

FediForum

First toot from Payters Records!
Cardiff-based and crate-deep in vinyl, CDs, cassettes, and gear that keeps music alive.

Selling, swapping, and celebrating all things analog.
DM if you're after something special or want to trade.

Let’s make some noise!

#VinylCommunity #CassetteCulture #CDCollectors #MusicGear #RecordShopWales #PaytersRecords #TootWales #TripHop #Portishead #AnalogForever

For those of you with accounts on toot.wales, maintenance and migration is taking longer than expected but it seems that everything is under control.

Here's the blog for status updates during downtime: https://blogs.toot.wales/toot/

#TootWales #TwtCymru

Tŵt Blog

Newyddion Tŵt News

Tŵt Blog

#NowPlaying Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci - Banana

~40 minutes of audio/visual treats circa ‘94-‘96.

Ffarout is a great YouTube channel for Welsh music and S4C archives .

I might post more of my favourite YouTube music curios over the next few days.

Hasty edit: The last song has strong strobing effects!

https://youtu.be/Y2vUhYnFNL8

#Music #WelshMusic #S4C #TootWales #Cymru #Cerddoriaeth #MV #MusicVideo #WPop

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci: Banana

YouTube

Bit disappointed that the sportsbots.xyz domain appears to be blocked by this instance. There are a few sports account mirrors I'd love to be able to follow.

#TootWales #Sportsbots #Fediverse #DomainBlock #TŵtCymru

I feel extra-grateful today to be on this bilingual network at Toot Wales/Tŵt Cymru. Post in English/Saesneg or Welsh/Cymraeg as you wish. The mix in the local timeline is great to browse and really helps my language progress. Thanks/diolch @jaz @davidoclubb and all at @teamtoot. I love #TootWales. Dw i’n caru #TwtCymru. ♥️
#DysguCymraeg

My #Mastodon feed is becoming top quality – fast, funny, smart and uplifting. Just what I want from a social network without the downsides of elsewhere. (Thank you, good people I follow.) The more I use it, the more I like it. I’m here to stay.

Extra shout-outs to my preferred app Toot!
@tootapp #TootApp
and my first and best choice of server toot.wales
@jaz @teamtoot #TootWales #TŵtCymru
Diolch yn fawr.