Okay, it's time to tell new users a secret about Mastodon.
Mastodon is (whispers) part of a much bigger network 😮
Mastodon servers use an open standard called ActivityPub to talk to each other. That's how you interact with people on other Mastodon servers.
But, dozens of other federated networks also use ActivityPub, so (this is the good bit!) you can follow people on these other networks from your Mastodon account!
For example:
PixelFed (pixelfed.org) is a photo sharing network, here's a random example account @Iancylkowski
PeerTube (joinpeertube.org) is a video sharing network, with a p2p system that allows videos to go viral even on small servers, here's a random account @craftykat
BookWyrm (joinbookwyrm.com) is a social reading site, an open alternative to Amazon's Goodreads, here's a random account @mouse
Together, Mastodon and these other services form... The Fediverse 
(whispers) Click on the link...
framatube.org/w/4294a720-f263-…
JoinPeerTube
PeerTube is a decentralized video hosting network, based on free/libre software. Join the federation and take back control of your videos!JoinPeerTube
FediTips has moved!
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •The link you just clicked on leads to a video on PeerTube, on a server called framatube.org.
BUT... if you copy and paste the same address of the video into the search box in Mastodon, and search for that link within Mastodon, it will appear to you as a Mastodon post
You'll then be able to watch it (of course), but also you'll be able to comment on the video by replying to the post within Mastodon, like the video by favouriting it, and follow its creator by following the account that posted it.
This is the Fediverse in action, totally different services interacting through a common open standard.
It can be hard to get your head round this at first, but it's incredibly useful and once you get used to it simply how things should be.
murad
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •kennon
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •benx
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Hi, one of the influx on new users here.
From a user interface point of view this is one thing it would be cool to iron out, if possible.
When I go to another server that's not my own, it would be nicer to just sign in there (using my existing account as a "single sign on" type thing) and being able to write my comment without having to come back to my own server first.
I know there are probably technical reasons for why that has not been implemented but I think it would be cool.
FediTips has moved!
in reply to benx • • •I'm not completely sure what you mean by "going" to another server?
If you follow or interact with someone within Mastodon, you will see their posts in your timeline and you can interact with them there without going anywhere else. This is true whether the person is on Mastodon or some other Fediverse network.
If you can't find them on your server, you can put their address in the search box and it will make them appear. The same goes for posts (which is what I mentioned in the original post).
I might have misunderstood what you mean though?
benx
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •I think i have explained better here
No, i don't mean server, exactly. I mean a different instances web client, more precisely.
kolektiva.social/@benx/1082163…
benx (@benx@kolektiva.social)
kolektiva.socialFediTips has moved!
in reply to benx • • •Ah, ok, I see!
Right, okay...
You don't have to go to their server and click follow.
It's much, much easier just to copy the URL of their profile into the search box on your server, click search and interact with it from within your own server.
It means no signing in, no extra work, it becomes just like any other person you see in the timeline.
Same goes for copying and pasting URLs of posts.
benx
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Ok, yes. But still a little klunky i think.
A different solution would be instead of having to copy paste the url...
1/ you only have to click on a link to someone elses profile
2/ your web client recognises this is a link to another mastadon client
3/ and then the profile is automatically loaded in the your web client instead of switching to the other server's client.
FediTips has moved!
in reply to benx • • •Yeah, that would be nice! Maybe if there was a certain formatting in a Masto URL it could recognise it as a Masto server and launch a Mastodon app?
If you're on github, do you want to suggest it on the Mastodon github? I could do it if not.
benx
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Chris Young
in reply to benx • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to Chris Young • • •It depends what you mean by "use".
You can follow and interact with these services from your Mastodon.
If you post a photo on Mastodon, it will be visible to people on PixelFed as if you had a PixelFed account.
If a PixelFed person posts a photo, it will be visible to people on Mastodon as if they had a Mastodon account.
There's not a huge difference there in functionality, so there's not really a need to have separate accounts.
In the case of BookWyrm, if you want to write a new book review yourself you would probably need to sign up on a BookWyrm server.
But if you just want to follow and comment on what BookWyrmers are posting, you can do that from Mastodon.
There's no central Fediverse account system because when you centralise stuff, it sooner or later gets bought out by Elon Musk type people.
marc [sustain release] ✅
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •jefftheworld
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Yup! Try it out!
videos.rights.ninja/w/vgvFHCQE…
Sunny Day - jefftheworld
Rights.Ninja VideosRippasnortus
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Andrew 🚲
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •BookWyrm
bookwyrm.socialaliceice
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to aliceice • • •aliceice
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to aliceice • • •Rokosun
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to Rokosun • • •Awwww... thank you! 😭
I hope people find these posts useful!
Ali
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Wow!
The more I learn, the more I feel like I'm starting to realize how vastly more connected and organic the fediverse is, and i'm loving it.
Posts that are mutually accessible between platforms of different specialties. Linked content sharing between servers so data doesn't have to be duplicated again and again. Not just the lack of effort to keep you locked down to just one platform, but actively encouraging new variety and connected communities.
☺️ 🤩
FediTips has moved!
in reply to Ali • • •Yes, indeed!
Also, because the Fediverse shares a userbase, it isn't about competition. When one platform's userbase increases, it also increases the audience for all the others.
Even tiny and experimental platforms can work on the Fediverse because their posts can be seen from the larger platforms, they don't need a lot of users in order to have a lot of reach. So, this can encourage experiments and innovation too, in a way that walled gardens don't.
deruku
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Doug H.
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to Doug H. • • •Not that I know of.
But, that seems to be the number one non-book question about BookWyrm. Definitely demand for something like that!
ellis noack
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Owncast, a self-hosted streaming platform, (very) recently also became part of the Fediverse!
owncast.online
@owncast
Owncast
OwncastQuijipixel
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •@Iancylkowski @craftykat @mouse
That is so cool! the only thing I don't like is the thing being called Fediverse... seriously, anything attached to the word verse raises my eyebrow so much it leaves my face
tux0r
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Matt Langley
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Now, this is really interesting. The world needs this and it's been obvious for some time.
It's a problem I've been pondering for 20 years.
wateverfall
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Loose Cannon
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •anne.
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •hackbyte (friendica) 13HB1
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to hackbyte (friendica) 13HB1 • • •Not enough characters, want to keep things simple for new users so I just mentioned a few.
There are something like 20-30 projects using ActivityPub! 😁
FediTips has moved!
Unknown parent • • •@Iancylkowski @craftykat @mouse
I think the book data on BookWyrm is from free open sources like Wikidata.
The import from Goodreads is for people moving their collections from Goodreads to BookWyrm.
About the speed, you might want to try a different server? There are lots of different ones all independently owned, some of them might be faster than others.
Warrington-Runcorn
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to Warrington-Runcorn • • •No, it's that you don't need to log into Pixelfed.
You are already able to interact with Pixelfed just by being here.
For example, try clicking on the account in the post @Iancylkowski, you'll see posts from PixelFed right here in Mastodon.
Warrington-Runcorn
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to Warrington-Runcorn • • •If you post a picture here in Mastodon, someone following you from PixelFed will see it on PixelFed.
So, you're already posting on PixelFed just by being on Mastodon, in effect.
Warrington-Runcorn
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
Unknown parent • • •@ultramagnus_tcv
Really sorry to hear that 😞
Do you know which server you were on when you saw this?
I can send a message to the admin asking them to block that video, it's possible it was federated from another server.
FediTips has moved!
Unknown parent • • •Okay. Let me know if it happens again.
It's possible something slipped through they hadn't moderated (yet).
By the way, I have a separate account @FediVideos that only recommends videos from PeerTube servers with responsible moderation, so you're very unlikely to see anything upsetting there.
Mack Dervish
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Shari
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Oh my giddiest of vertiginous close relatives! I had abso-bloody-lutely no idea any of this was going on. I'm terribly old (58) and thought I was down with the kids because I did FartBase and Twatter, but no!!!
I wish my poor little injured brain could fully appreciate this. I will try to explore a little bit here and there.
FediTips has moved!
in reply to Shari • • •😁
It is actually quite a retro structure, federation is how all communications used to work before Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp etc took them over.
Emu Hp
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Shari
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Ian Cylkowski Photography
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Flopagus 🐸🇪🇺🌍🦊🪲🖋️📒📷📚
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to Flopagus 🐸🇪🇺🌍🦊🪲🖋️📒📷📚 • • •You will find people from PixelFed naturally just by browsing Mastodon, because a lot of the accounts on here are PixelFed, even if you don't notice it.
You might even follow someone for years without knowing they're on PixelFed (And they might follow you without realising you're on Mastodon!)
Flopagus 🐸🇪🇺🌍🦊🪲🖋️📒📷📚
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
Unknown parent • • •@Iancylkowski @craftykat @mouse
It's complicated!
Basically, there are lots of instances on the JoinPeerTube site but it's not quite as picky as the JoinMastodon instance list. I think there isn't the same covenant system as JoinMastodon has.
For what it's worth, these are pretty good instances with responsible moderation, but it's just a small selection:
share.tube
diode.zone
tilvids.com
tube.tchncs.de
spectra.video
v.basspistol.org
vidcommons.org
video.blender.org
ShareTUBE [a PeerTube Server]
share.tubeJai Alai Guy
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •𝔏𝔲𝔠𝔢 ❦
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •hackbyte (friendica) 13HB1
in reply to 𝔏𝔲𝔠𝔢 ❦ • • •𝔏𝔲𝔠𝔢 ❦
in reply to hackbyte (friendica) 13HB1 • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to 𝔏𝔲𝔠𝔢 ❦ • • •@Iancylkowski @mouse @craftykat
If you want to have a PixelFed account, you need to sign up on a PixelFed server.
There's a list of servers at fedidb.org/software/pixelfed
By the way, you can use Mastodon apps with PixelFed accounts, just sign in as normal.
FediDB - Developer Tools for ActivityPub
fedidb.org𝔏𝔲𝔠𝔢 ❦
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to 𝔏𝔲𝔠𝔢 ❦ • • •@Iancylkowski @mouse @craftykat
Short answer is no.
But PixelFed only has one dedicated app at the moment anyway..
FediTips has moved!
in reply to 𝔏𝔲𝔠𝔢 ❦ • • •@Iancylkowski @mouse @craftykat
If you want to have a PixelFed account, you need to sign up on a PixelFed server.
There's a list of servers at fedidb.org/software/pixelfed
By the way, you can use Mastodon apps with PixelFed accounts, just sign in as normal.
FediDB - Developer Tools for ActivityPub
fedidb.orgMichał Żadkowski
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to Michał Żadkowski • • •You're not doing anything wrong.
Is the PixelFed account quite new?
If no one on your Mastodon server has followed you PixelFed account, then your posts won't be visible there.
However, after at least one person on a server follows your PixelFed account, all new posts from the account will be visible on that Mastodon server.
So, basically, as you get more followers your posts will become more and more visible across the Fediverse (including Mastodon).
Michał Żadkowski
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Well, yes, the account is brand new. As sad as it is, I am currently the only one following myself on pixelfed from mastodon.
(This is not a plea to follow me, btw, I’m just getting myself acquainted with the whole system)
FediTips has moved!
in reply to Michał Żadkowski • • •It is not sad, we all do that when trying to get accounts "noticed" by servers!
I know it's not ideal, but the system is like this so that small cheap servers can be part of the Fediverse.
If every server had to load every post by every member on every other server, it would become so expensive that only very rich people would be able to afford running a server at all.
So... don't feel ashamed to ask for follows! There is a very practical reason to do so!
Michał Żadkowski
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •michael
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to michael • • •If you're following an account on another server, your server will only start "seeing" new posts made after someone on your server followed that account. So, anything the remote account posted before they were followed from your server will not be visible from your server.
BUT... you can force your server to "see" older posts too by copying and pasting their URL and searching for that URL in the search box on your server. If you then refresh the account's profile that was missing items, you will see the older post there too. (You would need to search for each post separately if you want them all to be visible on your server.)
Every time you search for an old post, it gets added to what the server can see.
You can also use the search trick to force your server to see accounts that no one on your server follows yet.
michael
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to michael • • •michael
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •hackbyte (friendica) 13HB1
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •michael
in reply to hackbyte (friendica) 13HB1 • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to michael • • •nohhue
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to nohhue • • •I know this sounds like a silly question, but what do you mean by "use"?
You can interact with accounts on those services from within Mastodon.
For example, if you want to actually post a video in PeerTube you'll need a PeerTube account.
But if you want to follow a video maker, or comment on videos or like them or share them, you can do all that from your existing Mastodon account.
You can try the interaction now on accounts like @opensciencevids, which is a PeerTube account.
nohhue
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •> For example, if you want to actually post a video in PeerTube you'll need a PeerTube account.
That answers it, then. You don't have an all-in-one account. You just can "see" other services with one account.
FediTips has moved!
in reply to nohhue • • •It's not "all in one", but it's not just "seeing" either.
If you watch rather than make videos (which is most people), a Mastodon account will do everything you need on PeerTube.
If you reply to a PeerTube post in Mastodon, it will appear as a comment below that video in PeerTube.
If you like a PeerTube post in Mastodon, it becomes a thumbs up on the same video in PeerTube.
Following a PeerTube account in Mastodon counts as a follower in PeerTube (their follower count there will go up by 1).
David Rodriguez Jr.
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Laziest Twitch Streamer
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Shawn Morphic
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •@Iancylkowski @craftykat @mouse
Too bad about all that TLDR though .... ugh. but ok, here goes. diving in
Topaz, Gem Coyote
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Louis R. Couture
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
in reply to Louis R. Couture • • •More Meg?
As in the size of files?
I think the file size limits are similar to Mastodon, but the individual servers might have different limits?
Louis R. Couture
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •Trevor Flowers
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •jfenn2199
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •pavi
in reply to FediTips has moved! • • •FediTips has moved!
Unknown parent • • •You can access the Fedi through Tor.
And Tor has an official account on here at @torproject
But there's no direct connection between Tor's tech and Fedi's tech. They are meant for two different purposes.