SharonAWritesNov 5, 2022
FediTips has moved!

Hey new people and those thinking of joining, you do NOT need to sign up on huge servers!

You can follow and interact with people on any server from any server, the servers are connected.

It would really, really help the network right now if you could sign up on medium or small size servers. You will still be able to follow and interact with whoever you want, and the network as a whole will work much better.

A good safe place for beginners to find servers to join is https://joinmastodon.org/servers

Nov 5, 2022 at 9:13amWeb
Show threadFediTips has moved!Nov 5, 2022

You also don't need to be on the same server as your friends.

You can find each other from different servers by exchanging account addresses, here's how it works:

https://fedi.tips/how-to-use-mastodon-and-the-fediverse-basic-tips/#WhatsMyAccountsAddress

It's a bit like exchanging phone numbers!

Show threadFediTips has moved!Nov 5, 2022

p.s. By the way, a lot of the servers on https://joinmastodon.org/servers say "get on waitlist" but this phrasing is misleading.

A lot of these servers don't have a waitlist at all and will accept you pretty quickly, within a few hours in some cases. It's just the server admin is screening out spammers by switching on the "why do you want to join?" form, because spambots find this form harder to cope with.

Show threadJonobieNov 5, 2022
@feditips what happens if you join on a server that the owner later decides to just delete?
Show threadSofie 🇺🇦🇹🇼🇨🇦🇬🇱Nov 5, 2022
@Jonobie @feditips As long as you get a warning in advance, you can export and import your account into other servers. If you do not trust the server, a monthly export as a backup might be a good idea - or moving to a trustful server.
Show threadJonobieNov 5, 2022
@sofiii @feditips thanks, sounds like there aren’t really any software guardrails though if someone just decides to drop a server? That feels faintly precarious as this all gets bigger, although it’s good to see things like covenants for not doing it. (I started to look at running my own server, though the one in English I saw seems like everything is “temporarily unavailable”, I’m guessing due to the current surge? https://masto.host/pricing/ )
Show threadSofie 🇺🇦🇹🇼🇨🇦🇬🇱Nov 5, 2022

@Jonobie @feditips Yes, it is worrisome (with every Internet service). It is enough to when an account gets deactivated.

I expect that one of the apps will provide an automated backup function. I will do it manually from the website until I figured something out:
https://mastodon.social/settings/export

Maybe someone else knows more about an automated backup? #mastodon #backup #help

Show threadFediTips has moved!Nov 5, 2022

@Jonobie

The servers on that list have agreed to the "Mastodon Covenant" involving reliability and moderation. They have promised to give a certain amount of warning before closing down. I think the warning period is three months?

This gives you time to transfer your account to another server, including your follows and followers:

https://fedi.tips/how-to-use-mastodon-and-the-fediverse-basic-tips/#TransferringYourMastodonAccountToAnotherServer

Show threadRuthi BrandtNov 5, 2022

@feditips according to this explanation, it is a bit misleading then when you sign up and you're told to "choose a server, but don't worry, you can later move to a different one", as you can't transfer your posts (which I'd argue is an important part of one's account).

I guess I need to decide soon where I'm likely to want to stay, before I post too much... :)

Show threadWiredfire Nov 6, 2022
@RuthiBrandt @feditips
At a pinch in the even of a server vanishing you could feed your profile to the Wayback Machine for archiving, and download a copy of all your posts directly from the instance for the record too.
Show threadRuthi BrandtNov 6, 2022
@wiredfire @feditips but that doesn't help you add them to your new account, does it?
Show threadWiredfire Nov 6, 2022

@RuthiBrandt @feditips

It does not. But the content doesn’t need to vanish entirely. It’s a trade-off for sure, but on balance I believe we get a lot more form Mastodon / fediverse than we lose.

Show threadRuthi BrandtNov 6, 2022

@wiredfire @feditips oh this wasn't a dig at Mastodon, or the fediverse. I'm quite excite by this place potential 🙂

I just think the 'you can easily move your account later' thing needs to be a bit more accurately explained (and maybe the celever tech people will find a way to solve this issue at some point? 🤞)

Show threadWiredfire Nov 6, 2022

@RuthiBrandt @feditips

The biggest thing that is really coming out of the current influx of new users, is that mastodon, and the fediverse, could definitely do a lot more to help communicate the core concepts to newcomers interested in exploring these spaces.

Show threadbrookhintonNov 7, 2022
@wiredfire @RuthiBrandt @feditips
And ideally in a way that is easy for people without tech knowledge to understand. Many of my friends run away just seeing the word “server” without some clear , reassuring context.
As it is now, not only does a newbie have to do some digging to add people on other instances (and even that sometimes fails at the search level), but the mastodon site is unclear on how that person joins at all. It’s there, but not in the front page and not very clear.
Show threadWiredfire Nov 7, 2022

@brookhinton @RuthiBrandt @feditips

Any new platform has a learning curve, but onboarding could certainly be easier here.

Still, there’s some high profile accounts that offer a great deal of guidance & increasingly I’m seeing Joe Public see enough noise to push through to see what it’s all about.

I’m sure it’ll get better when the Mastodon team have a chance to address it and aren’t busy fielding media requests & putting out server fires 😅

Show thread𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑹𝑴⛈️Nov 5, 2022
@feditips Hey did you see my DM?
Show threadBenjaminNov 5, 2022
@feditips Unfortunately the waitlist instances don't seem to appear on the app. Have been fielding a few concerns on the blue bird from folks concerned that Mastodon doesn't support art...
Show threadElreNov 6, 2022
@BenjaminNelan @feditips I experienced this too! I was disappointed to see that the "food" section was empty, but then later I found a food server when I lookedon the website
Show threadbetonglenNov 5, 2022
@feditips can/should one join more than one server?
Show threadJohn Koen 🏳️‍🌈 🎶Nov 5, 2022

@BeTongLen no need to join more than 1, as explained in this webpage by
@feditips

https://fedi.tips/how-to-use-mastodon-and-the-fediverse-basic-tips/

How To Use Mastodon and the Fediverse: Basic Tips | Fedi.Tips – An Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse

An unofficial guide to using Mastodon and the Fediverse

Show threadJudah BrownNov 5, 2022
@feditips @Mastodon should fix this!
Show threadPatriotic CatsNov 6, 2022
@feditips why won’t mstdn.social come up,in list of servers? how can I move to that one?
Show threadWeremushroomNov 6, 2022
@feditips yep, at social.linux.pizza it was minutes before I got my invitation.
Show threadSeedy! #SwedenNov 5, 2022
@feditips so, kinda like sharing an email address. In fact, the format is exactly the same as an email address.
Show threadFediTips has moved!Nov 5, 2022

@threepio

Yes, it's because the federation structure on here is similar to email: lots of independent conventional servers exchanging messages, and no one controls the network as a whole.

Show threadNNov 5, 2022
@feditips I'm sorry if I'm asking something off topic, but any way I can view the list of hashtags I followed?
Show threadAnstey Spraggan/HarrisNov 5, 2022
@feditips If there are countless ways of opening an account with one’s own name, how do you stop countless imitations? Surely someone could copy your name & just have a different suffix/group.
Show threadKeith GNov 5, 2022

@anstey @feditips one thing you can do is post a bit of code on a website you own to prove your identity & connection to a particular fedi account. it’s in the mastodon options under profile, i believe.

but it’s basically the same problem as an email address, right? how do you keep people from impersonating your email?

Show threadFediTips has moved!Nov 5, 2022

@anstey

This kind of address system has been around since the beginning of the internet, so the problems and solutions are well understood.

It's important to pay attention to the server part of the address because this tells you where the account actually is.

For example, the European Union has lots of official accounts on here and we know they are official because they have "europa.eu" as their server. Only the EU has control of that site.

Email has the same issues and solutions.

Show threadneilh90Nov 5, 2022
@feditips is there a way at all to see the timeline of other servers?
Show threadFediTips has moved!Nov 5, 2022

@neilh90

Yes, go to their website! You don't have to log in, just click "Local" or "What's happening".

Show threadZhenbo LiNov 5, 2022

@feditips The phone number simile is great! If I exchange phone number with my friend, we don’t need to be using the same wireless service. Maybe one is Bell, while other is Rogers. We can even be in different countries!

However, social platforms are forcing us to use the same one. If I’m on twitter and my friend is on Facebook, well, one of us have to move. It also applies to WhatsApp, telegram, iMessage….

Mastodon might be the best chance to take back users’ right to use different servers.

Show threadsoletan 🇺🇦🐸Nov 5, 2022
@zhenboli @feditips In addition to that, it doesn't even have to be Mastodon for participating. As Mastodon is just "the brand of the phone you are using". There are other tools capable of interacting live with Mastodon accounts such as Pixelfed, friendica and more. They all contribute to what is called the #fediverse.
Show threadZNov 5, 2022

@feditips I ended up signing up for an account on two servers, any recommendations for best practice?

Should I delete one? Guessing better to do sooner than later.

It does seem to be different crowds on each. Can I consolidate the people I’m following to one account & still see the same stuff?

Show threadEthan TrawickNov 5, 2022

@feditips You really do though.

No one wants to constantly have to switch back and forth between browser tabs while copy and pasting URLs into a website search bar to interact and respond to posts. It's terrible UX.

Show threadTephlonBlondeNov 5, 2022
@feditips how do I see what others post in response to a post? I think there are 7 responses to this but I cannot read them.
Show threadSue BeardNov 5, 2022
@feditips I am finding it impossible to follow people from the link they send. I get this message. I am using chrome on android. The search bar on the left is not operational, I can't search for either users or hashtags. Any advice you could give would be appreciated.
Show threadKamNov 6, 2022
@feditips This was the toot I needed on my new journey! Thanks
Show threadRicardoNov 5, 2022

@feditips what is your definition of a small, midsize and big servers?

My point being what’s the ideal size of a server? To be small enough to be performant and big enough to have good local feed.

Show threadFediTips has moved!Nov 5, 2022

@ricardoramos

Short answer: Go for a server with fewer than 10,000 members.

Long answer: It's not so much about numbers as percentage of the network. If everyone is on a small group of giant servers that will cause severe problems now and in the long term.

So, if you look at the numbers currently on https://joinmastodon.org/servers (in the top right corner of each server's info box), try to go for servers at the smaller end of the scale.

Show threadCairo Braga [toot]Nov 5, 2022
@feditips @ricardoramos also, most of the users being registered on 3 huge servers in a universe of 1200 instances does not really align with the effort of decentralization that's at the core of the Fediverse and the Open Internet.
Show threadginevraNov 6, 2022
@feditips @ricardoramos I primarily joined an 8k server. They are having to do upgrades several times throughout the day yesterday. Are you sure the bigger instances aren't better placed to cope with the influx?
Show threadFediTips has moved!Nov 6, 2022

@ginevra @ricardoramos

Believe me, no!

Mastodon.online has been as slow as treacle to use over the past week, really painfully slow. Errors and weird behaviour.

Mastodon.social doesn't even load sometimes.

The speed is to do with whether resources match demands, not resources overall.

Trying to all go onto one server is a really bad idea for this and lots more reasons. If we spread out onto lots of smaller servers we will still be able to communicate but each server will run more smoothly.

Show threadneatcheeNov 5, 2022

@feditips
From an expectations perspective, this is a *really* hard sell.

1) "But I want to be where my friends are" doesn't respond to logic. It's a reaction that is literally bred into us as a species.

2) Bootstrapping your timelines is an inscrutable process when you're not on larger servers. Websites with giant directories of people are intimidating, and small servers with fewer total follows from the server to populate the federated timeline don't provide enough varied content.

Show threadneatcheeNov 5, 2022

@feditips
A feature I'd love to see (and will maybe add to the issue tracker after more thought) is a public, read-only, rate-limited API for a server's local and federated timelines.

Let people browse or even subscribe to a public feed to expand their access to more content.

Show threadlashmanNov 5, 2022

@neatchee @feditips would most likely have to be opt-in (not out) for server admins

but not a bad idea

Show threadneatcheeNov 5, 2022

@lashman
@feditips

Yes, definitely opt-in. But that should be a no brainer for the bigger and even medium sized servers, given how insecure messaging is on the platform already. I wouldn't have a private conversation anywhere near Mastodon right now lol

Show threadlashmanNov 5, 2022

@neatchee @feditips as with every other social network really

here's hoping with all the new people and funding they'll start working on encrypted DMs sooner rather than later. They were already planned anyway, but maybe now they'll arrive faster :D

Show threadneatcheeNov 5, 2022
@lashman
@feditips
I read on the issue tracker that it's already implemented on the services side and literally just needs someone with cryptography experience to do the work for the client end. Hopefully the influx of users will provide someone to do that work
Show threadlashmanNov 5, 2022
@neatchee @feditips yup, yup, exactly! definitely became a priority after all those "admins can read your DMs" twitter threads started going around
Show threadneatcheeNov 5, 2022

@lashman
This also gives me yet another reason to be upset about the slow adoption of IPv6.

IPv6 multicast is basically built for this scenario.

Show threadlashmanNov 5, 2022
@neatchee oh, i'm VERY upset, trust me! 😔