mastodon - Link to source

If you have any questions about Mastodon or the rest of the Fediverse, please feel free to ask!

This is a human being typing this, it's not a bot account. I mainly set this account up to help people directly.

Any question is fine, don't be afraid of it sounding too basic or silly 🙂

#FediTips

#feditips
in reply to django

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

Obviously spamming a bad idea, but specific rules about what exactly is spam would depend on the server.

For example some servers forbid any kind of self-promotion, even for indie artists trying to make a living by selling art. Other servers would be fine with this as long as they're not spamming other people's threads with it or using irrelevant tags etc.

This entry was edited (1 year ago)
in reply to django

mastodon - Link to source

A J Greengrove

@django Hi, I'm continuing to this thread since I'm from the opposite end: an indie (st)artist. So I followed advice "use hashtags liberally, it's how your post is found!" and now that I check specifically hashtags earlymusic partimento csound lilypond , I've "polluted / buried" those with my guitar playing videos. What is the polite and right way to go about telling of your videos but not spamming: and how to choose "spam-resilient" hashtags? Thanks for amazing work here!
@django
in reply to A J Greengrove

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

@ajgreengrove @django

Yeah, this is a problem as people are encouraged to use hashtags as much as possible, but also told not to use too many.

My personal take is that it's okay to use lots of tags which relate to your post, but others might prefer to have a maximum number of tags.

The maximum number of tags is sort of unclear, maybe partly because it depends on what the post is about? Some posts might cover a lot more topics than others.

Sorry I can't help more! 😦

@django @A J Greengrove
Unknown parent

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

@Gonzalo

Pretty much all Mastodon apps let you log in with multiple accounts at once, usually using an account switching button (on the official apps this in the bottom right corner).

You can also use PixelFed accounts via Mastodon apps, although the PixelFed-only features wouldn't be accessible.

So, you should be able to log in on Ice Cubes with your PixelFed account while also be logged in with your Mastodon account?

Unknown parent

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

Standard Mastodon (aka "vanilla Mastodon") will display rich text in other posts but doesn't let you create it.

Variations of Mastodon such as Glitch and some non-Mastodon Fediverse servers do let you create it, which is why you can sometimes see it on your timeline.

Your server runs standard Mastodon so it doesn't support creating it.

There's a complete guide to the situation of Mastodon and rich text / markup / markdown here:

fedi.tips/is-mastodon-compatib…

This entry was edited (1 year ago)
Unknown parent

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

Hmm... 🤔

First, you could try logging in with your Pixelfed on the official Mastodon app. If that works, then the problem is with Ice Cubes.

If there's the same problem on the official Mastodon app too, then the problem may be on the Pixelfed server.

That particular Pixelfed server is running a slightly older version of the software (v0.12), maybe it needs to update to the latest release version (v0.12.4)?

EDIT: Also worth updating the apps too, just in case.

This entry was edited (1 year ago)
Unknown parent

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

@uri

Usually server rules either ban NSFW or allow it behind a content warning.

If the unwanted content is coming from a small number of accounts I'd suggest muting or blocking them. If they're posting content that is problematic, it would be a good idea to report it by clicking ⋯ below the post.

If the unwanted content is coming from many accounts from a single server, you might want to let your server admin know as they may be able to silence or block it.

Unknown parent

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

@jezebelley

Fedi is people, Bluesky is a corporation.

Almost all Fedi servers are owned and run by ordinary people and grassroots non-profits. Fedi servers are fully independent and anyone can start one.

Bluesky is owned by a for-profit corporation run by cryptocurrency people. Bluesky doesn't have independent servers, it has a centralised corporate infrastructure through which everything flows. It's structured to prevent servers being independent.

in reply to SnerkRabbledauber

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

Servers on Bluesky cannot communicate with each other at all. They can only communicate with relays, and then the relays (if they feel like it) will pass it on to other servers. Relays are very expensive to run, AFAIK there is only one relay at the moment, which is owned by the Bluesky corporation.

On the Fediverse, it's much simpler: servers communicate directly with other servers and don't need to connect to any kind of relay. Fedi servers are independent.

This entry was edited (1 year ago)

SnerkRabbledauber reshared this.

in reply to Uncle Josh

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

@UncleJosh

If a server goes down, other servers will wait and retry later if they can't get a response now. When it comes back online the server will start catching up on the posts it had missed. (This is also how email servers work, by the way.)

If it's down permanently then that's a problem, but that's why it's important to join a server which promises to give lots of warning if they intend to close down. This gives time to move your account elsewhere.

More info at fedi.tips/what-if-a-server-clo…

@Uncle Josh
in reply to SpacePatriot

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

@spacepatriot

That sounds like you're looking for a peer-to-peer distributed network rather than a federated network?

Scuttlebutt and its spin-off project @manyver_se are based on that idea, but due to technical and privacy barriers they still need to use servers to connect people. You can find out more at manyver.se

They're not part of the Fediverse as they use a very very different protocol, but it sounds like a better match for what you're asking about?

@Manyverse @SpacePatriot
in reply to SpacePatriot

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

@spacepatriot

Ah okay, maybe we are talking at cross purposes? 🙂

On the Fediverse, the term "server" and "instance" mean the same thing, so a single-user instance would be the same thing as a single-user server.

At a technical level there wouldn't be any difference between a server/instance owned by one person or several people.

If you're asking about lightweight server/instance Fediverse software, something like GoToSocial is very lightweight? There's more info at gotosocial.org

@SpacePatriot
in reply to SpacePatriot

mastodon - Link to source

Danny Boling ☮️

@spacepatriot
I think what you're looking for is how to set up a single-user instance: an instance for one person, using a custom URL, so they are in total control of content and moderation.

If so then you're in luck. First, this isn't difficult; in fact it's very popular.

You're also in luck because I believe @feditips (using a different account) offers managed instances where an admin does all the technical stuff, letting you focus only on the content:

social.growyourown.services/@h…

@FediTips has moved! @SpacePatriot
in reply to wonkothesane

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

@wonkothesane

Are you wanting to set up your own server, so you have control over moderation? Here are some reasons why it's a good idea:

growyourown.services/why-growi…

There are some tips on organisations running their own server here:

fedi.tips/how-can-organisation…

There's also a more general guide to making your own server here:

growyourown.services/making-yo…

"Org is a child-focused NFP, so moderation is an issue""

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding, but I wouldn't recommend kids being on social networks?

@wonkothesane
in reply to Louis [OLD ACCOUNT]

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

@louischance

I think it would be similar in visibility whether you're starting your own or joining one. Most of your potential audience will be on non-PeerTube Fediverse platforms, especially Mastodon.

If you want to promote your PeerTube videos, it's a good idea to boost them from your existing account on piaille.fr. Most of the popular PeerTube accounts have main non-video accounts on Mastodon etc where they post about their topic as well as promoting their videos.

@Louis [OLD ACCOUNT]
in reply to Fedi.Tips

mastodon - Link to source

Louis [OLD ACCOUNT]

thanks yes it makes sense ! I'll get in touch with some instances or start one using Yunohost on a vps.
I understood that an instance gets federated as soon as a user from another account has interacted with some of its content (liking it for example), so I guess ultimately visibility mostly depends on sharing the content through other networks like Mastodon.
in reply to Louis [OLD ACCOUNT]

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

@louischance

The federation on Mastodon etc depends on people from other instances following your PeerTube account (not the channel, it has to be the account people follow to trigger federation).

So, as a first step encourage your existing followers on Mastodon to also follow your PeerTube account, and then after a few people have done this you can upload your first videos.

If you upload videos before anyone has followed your PT account, they will not be visible anywhere on Mastodon etc.

@Louis [OLD ACCOUNT]
in reply to Auden in Austria Digital

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi.Tips

@AAD_OeAW

To keep instance costs low, instances only notice remote posts and accounts that have some kind of connection to your instance.

There are things you can do to increase the number of posts and accounts your instance has noticed. Some of these can be done by users, others require action by your instance admin:

fedi.tips/using-relays-to-quic…

@Auden in Austria Digital
⇧