I don't think people are realising the danger the Fediverse is in.
The only thing stopping corporations and VCs taking over this place is that the Fediverse is spread out on many different servers, which makes it very difficult to purchase.
If most of the Fediverse ends up on mastodon.social, which is now a strong possibility, there will be nothing to stop most of it being sold to Musk or Zuckerberg or whoever.
The bigger mastodon.social becomes, the more likely a buyout is to happen.
(1/4)
Here's what Eugen Rochko's Mastodon gGmbH organisation now controls:
-The Mastodon server software & API (though the current version is FOSS)
-The mastodon.social server, which has 1 in 7 of all Fediverse users
-The official Mastodon apps, now telling people to just sign up on mastodon.social
-The official website at joinmastodon.org
-The trademark for the word "mastodon", which lets them dictate terms to any server which uses it
This is a tempting package for any potential buyers.
(2/4)
The trademark alone gives Mastodon gGmbH huge power, it lets them tell any server using the word "mastodon" in its domain name what software or forks it can use.
And it's getting worse. Mastodon gGmbH is now making official apps which direct people to sign up on mastodon.social instead of a random trusted server or choice of trusted servers.
The more people sign up on mastodon.social, the more tempting Mastodon gGmbH becomes as a takeover target.
(3/4)
With all that in mind, here's a suggestion:
➡️ *IF* mastodon.social becomes more than 50% of the Fediverse, either by total users or monthly active users, the rest of us should defederate it.
Sticking with mastodon.social because "that's where the people are" is pointless. Centralised growth will simply cause the governance problems we've seen on Twitter and Facebook to be replicated on here.
Growth has to be decentralised in order to protect the independence of all Fedi servers.
(4/4)
@Crookedlilhouse @feditips fedi.directory oops
that's for accounts to follow, can't remember the one was for picking a server
@experiencersinternational @Crookedlilhouse @feditips
Came across this one the other day. Not perfect, but very populated and groups in languages and has a few other parameters you can fiddle with to see if you find something tempting.
https://www.comeetie.fr/galerie/mapstodon/
Personally, I have chosen a server in my own country to call home - because then it is much easier to give some financial support through reliable channels if needed.
@MaryPot @Crookedlilhouse @feditips fediverse observer was actually a heck of a lot better for more local stuff
idk if that's just the hosting servers though
@experiencersinternational @Crookedlilhouse @feditips
If you mean instances - they are both official mastodon instances.
@experiencersinternational @MaryPot @Crookedlilhouse @feditips
That's not true. There are quite a few geographic #FediVerse sites for the U.K., ranging from Glasgow.Social through Mastodon.Scot to Toot.Wales. And those are the big ones. There are further smaller ones like Mastodon.London and Dorset.Social, and more that I won't name here because I know that they are one person hobby outfits and don't need the pressure.
If you want places to look for places, go to https://hueyy.github.io/awesome-mastodon/#server-lists
@JdeBP @experiencersinternational @Crookedlilhouse @feditips
Great tip!
Found this very searchable list in there.
https://instances.social/list#lang=&allowed=&prohibited=&min-users=&max-users=
@JdeBP @experiencersinternational @MaryPot @Crookedlilhouse @feditips
Due to the deteriorating legal environment in the #UK, I'd pre-emptively select an #instance in the #EU (though not in #Poland or #Hungary, possibly not #Italy due to the #neofascist #PM, #Meloni), because of the Comunity-law backed #GDPDR Directive.
#Ireland might be a native-language choice.
@HistoPol @experiencersinternational @MaryPot @Crookedlilhouse @feditips
Interestingly, a small number of U.K.-looking instances are not, and might be the very things that you'd want.
Mastodon.London is hosted in Germany.
Mastodon.Org.UK is in the Netherlands, according to
@xvilo's blurb.
I'm not sure about Mastodon.UK.Com. It claims to be U.K.-hosted, but the about page says that French/German law applies. No clue from @root's user profile.
@JdeBP @HistoPol @experiencersinternational @MaryPot @Crookedlilhouse @feditips @root
Thats correct, mastodon.org.uk is hosted at @transip which is located in the Netherlands 
@JdeBP @experiencersinternational @MaryPot @Crookedlilhouse @feditips @xvilo @root
I think we might have to differentiate a bit.
I have not registered a URL in quite a while, but the owner or administrator of a country Top-Level Domain is usually a government agency or a government-appointed firm.
That organization could exert pressure on the URL "tenant", i.e. the person owning the (temporary) right of...
@JdeBP @experiencersinternational @MaryPot @Crookedlilhouse @feditips @xvilo @root
...use. Due to this, I, personally, would avoid any #TLD from a none-#EU country.
(I admit that as of today, this is overly cautious, but I am taking a worst-case scenario approach.)
As a second step, I have been told that the laws of the country where the server is physically based, are chiefly relevant.
However, paying up...
@JdeBP @experiencersinternational @MaryPot @Crookedlilhouse @feditips @xvilo @root
...the remaining rent/ hosting space for the (usually) year, I'd hazards a guess that most hosing companies would let you leave right away, as they can re-let your space on the server.
My point being that there also is the (latent) risk of an instance owner switching the provider and thus possibly the country, too.
However, I...
@JdeBP @experiencersinternational @MaryPot @Crookedlilhouse @feditips @xvilo @root
...pretty much doubt that any sensible instance-owner would leave the #GDPDR area, if based there initially, at this point, as this might entail a breech of contract with its users.
On the other hand, if the discussed directive for chat control comes into force, #Switzerland might be an option.
Curious about your ideas and the...
@JdeBP @experiencersinternational @MaryPot @Crookedlilhouse @feditips @xvilo @root
...opinions of people from the pertinent legal profession.
@Crookedlilhouse @feditips
After a quick google search, here is a step-by-step guide on how to switch servers: https://nerdschalk.com/change-or-switch-servers-on-mastodon-step-by-step-guide/
If you want to find a server, https://instances.social has basically all of them, and at https://wehavecookies.social we always welcome new users.
Hello!
There are a collection of servers on https://joinmastodon.org/servers, also on https://instances.social as well as on https://fedi.garden/
My server is also open, but mainly for people living in Sweden.
@yassinelanda @jens @Crookedlilhouse @feditips It very much depends on the number of users and how federated the instance is going to be (both effect the amount of traffic).
There are Mastodon hosting servers where you pay them to host you (only some of them are accepting new people). Searching them can give a good idea of the general costs involved.
The minimum costs seems to be around the 6 euro range. Can be cheaper if you rent a server instead of using a hosting service.
@yassinelanda @Crookedlilhouse @feditips
It very much depends on your setup and resources. If you’re renting a virtual device there’s going to be increasing costs as your server grows, but if you own your hardware and use existing internet connections then that cost could be less.
It’s also what your aim is. Should it be a small server for you and maybe some friends? Or is it a general server for thousands of people? That will affect the cost.
Here is my experience switching:
@Crookedlilhouse @feditips
from https://universeodon.com/@Gargron@mastodon.social/103393780276051792
How to migrate from one Mastodon server to another without losing followers:
1. Sign up on new server
2. On NEW server: Go to Account -> Moving FROM another account
3. Enter old account's handle
4. On OLD server: Go to Account -> Moving TO another account
5. Enter new account's handle and submit
How to migrate from one Mastodon server to another without losing followers: 1. Sign up on new server 2. On NEW server: Go to Account -> Moving FROM another account 3. Enter old account's handle 4. On OLD server: Go to Account -> Moving TO another account 5. Enter new account's handle and submit #YoMigroaMastodon
@feditips But then nothing else really changes outside of that. He still owns the trademarks. The official apps still get people signing up on m.s preferentially. m.s becomes another corporate silo.
Sure, the rest of us would be rid of mastodon.social, but if that instance is really that big then all we've done is turn them into another birbsite, and then there's the rest of us.
Defederation isn't as big a threat as it sounds, because if m.s is that big, it's self sustaining. It doesn't actually need the rest of the Fediverse.
@feditips Respectfully, I am not sure this would have the effect you desire.
If the few try to silence the many, this often fails and they are in turn silenced. Witness the myriad open source projects that decide to fork and then simply die from lack of contributors.
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