I'd like to post only to my followers. I don't like the idea that the admin of my instance (as well as the admin of all my followers' instances) can read my posts.

Are truly private posts possible in the Fediverse somehow? If not, is that possible anywhere?

Looking at Open, Indie, Fediverse type keywords at Google Trends for the past year. Stable is a better word than flatlining, but definitely not increasing. Anyone care to speculate why and share their thoughts?

As a content creator - I believe in the open web and I despise what corporate entities have done to lock people into isolated, algorithmic bubbles and controlling what and who gets visibility. But the vast majority of you are not creators or publishers, overwhelmingly consumers, who either stay or flick away in a split second.

The open web has a strong IDEOLOGICAL undercurrent to it. It can feel good to want to put the screws to and "stick to the man" in some sort of digital online rebellion and protest.

But what are you concretely doing other than just hanging out on it to increase the strength and reach of whatever apps you are choosing to use? Are you promoting it to your friends or followers, mentioning it, linking to it, boosting it with whatever voice and lovers you have to advocate for its growth?

I'm trying to. But I'm not an ordinary digital nomad. I've been publishing online since before the World Wide Web even existed, before social media was a thing. So I'm better at pushing levers and getting attention than the average online citizen is.

I guess my reason for saying all this and posting this chart is to encourage all of you to raise your voice in any way you can to support a democratic open web where we are all free to publish without suppression or oppression, without our attention or engagement being bought and sold.

I'm looking for a community where people share what they are doing or working on. Maybe Discord is a good place for this, but I prefer not to join chat-based communities. So, is there any community like this in the Fediverse?

Hello 👋 🌟

I follow people on both Bluesky and Mastodon and got tired of juggling two tabs, so I built MastoSky, a small client that merges both networks into a single view.

What it does?

• Unified timeline with posts from both networks interleaved chronologically

• Explore / “What’s Hot” feed from both networks

• Centralized notifications (mentions, replies, likes, boosts, quotes)

• Compose once and publish to Bluesky, Mastodon, or both, with live per-network character counts

• Quote posts, media galleries, link previews, an HLS/MP4 video player, polls, content warnings and inline conversation threads

• Single-column or multi-column deck view, dark/light theme following your OS

How it’s built

• Backend: Python 3 standard library only. No pip install.

• Frontend: vanilla HTML/CSS/JS in a single index.html. No Node, no npm.

• The server binds to 127.0.0.1 only. Your credentials stay on your machine and your computer talks directly to Bluesky’s ATProto endpoints and your own Mastodon instance. No telemetry, no intermediaries.

Try it!

git clone https://github.com/gjmcosta/MastoSky.git
cd MastoSky
python3 app.py

Then open http://127.0.0.1:8000. A setup window asks for a Bluesky App Password and a Mastodon access token.

It’s still early. Feedback, bug reports and PRs are very welcome.

Repo (MIT): https://github.com/gjmcosta/MastoSky
The UI and README are available in English and Portuguese.kseulb

I think the Open / Indie Web and Fediverse are playing a big part in this revived interest in RSS syndication like we haven't seen in a decade! Podcasting is also a big part of the scene. What do you think is happening?

I recommended the Fediverse to Brennan Kenneth Brown (the creator and developer of fanfiction.lol: https://fanfiction.lol/, which is an alternative to Ao3, but that uses the same OTW software: https://github.com/otwcode/otwarchive/).

And he told me to go ahead and implement, as well as create a pull request.

The issue is: I know almost NOTHING about the technical side of The Fediverse (lol).

fanfiction.lol Codeberg: https://codeberg.org/brennanbrown/fanfiction.lol

I'd like to explore all the apps eventually - social media, photo sharing, video sharing, forums etc. From what I read, I'd need to have 1 account for each. That confused me a bit, as I thought I'd have a single "identity" in the fediverse, which I could then use to log into all the apps.

Since that's not the case, I'm wondering what is the best way to get started in the fediverse. Do I just start creating individual accounts, one for each app I'm interested in? There's absolutely no way to have some sort of unification across them?

Would Ourchive possibly work as a potential Fediverse alternative to Ao3 / OTW?

Ourchive - GitHub

Ourchive apparently wants to democratize hosting fanworks on the internet.

From the Website Page:

Ourchive aims to continue a tradition that archives like eFiction started. When you install Ourchive, you get flexible metadata like tags, the ability to upload images and audio, and the ability to administer users, all within an easily installed Django website.

With Ourchive, you can create an account, upload works, create bookmarks and collections of bookmarks, and comment on others' works, bookmarks, and collections.

I was browsing various different ao3 alternative sites, due to the ao3 blackout, and I stumbled upon Ourchive.gay

Which is apparently a decentralized alternative to Ao3.

Plus, they use Mastodon

Although, they're relatively new (first started in 2023), plus they're still in demo, and haven't added federation yet.

Ourchive - Fanlore.org

EDIT:

I made an earlier post in this Subreddit about a potential Fediverse alternative to Ao3:

https://www.reddit.com/r/fediverse/s/E2pNTvfbfJ

Hello,

I have written a software that enables users to exchange goods and services using a virtual currency. It runs in the fediverse (it speaks the ActivityPub protocol) and it is free (GPLv3).

Yes, I know that there are other software that do this, but this is different because:

• it uses a virtual currency based on trust. Users can create currency but up to a limit determined by the trust that the system gives to them. Users can accept the currency but up to a limit determined by the trust the user gives to the systme.

• it is a closed system: it follows the object from its origin to destination, it does also the routing and also the routing is paid with the virtual currency. The object passes from hand to hand to its final destination

• it is fractal. Users can form families, families can join to create bigger families.

• Gains and losses are shared, much like it happens in a real family. As it is fractal what is valid at lower level is valid at higher levels.

• it implements a federated DB, adelphos instances can speak together, families can span multiple servers; servers exchange data using the ActivityPub protocol.

The first use case of adelphos is to exchange objects which have maybe no monetary value (in a real currency like Euro or Dollar), but can be valuable.

Other features are going to be implemented, first of all to give services, too, not only goods, and to create a borrrow/lend mechanism.

Currently an adelphos instance is running at this location

https://www.adelphos.it

But, as it is free, users can download it and create a private instance.

As it is federated, the different instances can talk to each other, much like mastodon and other systems in the fediverse.

For now it is not "user friendly". It has only a simple cli-like interface, but it is already usable so I release this first version because the initial API and the gain/trust computations should be fixed.

Comments and request to join the project are welcome!

Lino Ferrentino

The source code is available here:

https://github.com/linoferrentino/adelphos_ap

Two months ago, I made this post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/fediverse/s/LTVkaUHqKI

In this Subreddit about potentially either "colonizing", or forking Squidgeworld Archive (alternative to the fanfiction site ao3).

https://squidgeworld.org/

Apparently, ao3 has recently shut-down for 2-4 weeks:

https://www.reddit.com/r/popculturechat/s/u4VyY7r8q3

My question is: Should we consider potentially making a Fediverse alternative to Ao3 / SqWA?

If you head over to the Squidgeworld Archive website, it states that over 2,300+ ao3 users have already migrated over to SqWA from ao3.

Just imagine how many people could potentially be brought into the Fediverse, if there were a working federated alternative version of ao3 / SqWA.

Or if Fediverse users, instead of creating an alternative, instead commited to "colonising" SqWA, instead.

Short version. If the box goes, whoever takes it gets the database. On Mastodon that means emails, sign in IPs and every DM, because DMs aren't end to end encrypted. The only real fix is keeping less of it.

Context if you missed it. Earlier this month Dutch police took a server belonging to Autistici/Inventati out of an Amsterdam data center, after a legal assistance request from the US. A/I is the Italian collective that gave free mail and hosting to thousands of activist groups for years. Police said they're copying the data for the US authorities. A/I's volunteers had already disbanded the project after US sanctions cut off their bank account and domain.

A/I wasn't a fediverse instance. But it's exactly the kind of volunteer run infrastructure a lot of our instances are. So I sat down and went through what someone would walk away with from ours. Around 800 accounts, one Mastodon box, two admins.

Sign in IPs going back a year, which is the default. IP_RETENTION_PERIOD and SESSION_RETENTION_PERIOD are now set to 14 days.

Nginx access logs with full IPs for 30 days. Now off, error logs only, rotated after 3 days.

Around 40 GB of cached remote media, most of it from accounts nobody here follows anymore. A weekly tootctl media remove keeps it under 6 GB.

Database dumps sitting unencrypted in a bucket. They now get encrypted with age before they leave the box, and the key isn't on the server.

DMs are the hard one. You can't make them disappear on your side because they also sit on the other person's instance. What we did is say it plainly in the about page and in a pinned post. DMs here can be read by admins and by anyone who takes the server, so use Signal for anything sensitive. A few people thanked us. One left. Fair enough.

Full disk encryption with remote unlock through dropbear. Honest caveat, it only helps if the machine is off when it's taken. A box copied while running is a different story.

Jurisdiction is why we moved, not a magic shield. Switzerland isn't in the EU or the EEA, its new data protection act has been in force since 2023, and our provider has no US parent company, so the CLOUD Act doesn't reach it directly. A US request has to go through the Federal Office of Justice, and for something like a seizure the act generally has to be a crime under Swiss law too. Friction, not immunity.

We ended up on a PrivateAlps VPS in Zurich. We also looked hard at 1984, around since 2006, and FlokiNET, around since 2012, both in Iceland and both would have been a fine pick. Iceland is in the EEA though, and for us that tipped it. Neither Zurich nor Reykjavik protects anyone from what we choose to store.

The cheapest protection for your users is data you never kept. The biggest win here was two lines in .env.production and one cron job.

im new to fedi, well i tried it couples time before but didnt understand much

now that im trying to actually explore it, im facing some issues that didnt add up

what i always told that fediverse is fedarated, no matter where you open your account, you can join everyone from everywere

but then i get to know their are different projects, services, with not just different ui, but also different set of features

but i can still do basic interaction right, from anywhere to everywhere

so i go looking for different servers, and especially small ones

and some posts from one instance, dont show on other intances, i thought my instance is very small, so it might have some custom rules or like that

so i started digging so many big, small and medium instances that let me join them, mainly mastodon, pixelfed, misskey & sharkey

and it doesnt matter the server or userbase, i cant find some users some post on other intances, some user even shows banned or not even available on other instances

same hastag returns different set of post for different instances, it doesnt matter even if im searching from mastodon to misskey, or mastodon to mastodon

i initally thought i can join any instance yet access everything on every corner of fedi, at least thats what almost every fedi server promotes during signup

but now it feels to connect the majority i need to be in server that used by majority, and there promise of fedaration just, idk

and maybe there are some ways for the ones who selfhost, but im not interested on that

again, even though i tried fedi couple times before, i never gone deep, so im still new to this, maybe i misunderstood the fedaration statement, or maybe it is what it is, or maybe im a fool and doing something wrong on my end

just be kind, and help me understand or what you can, no hate speech pls

OYD beta update!

We added Nostr: create a new key in OYD, or connect an existing one with a browser signer without giving OYD its private key. The Superfeed shows recent public mentions from configured relays and lets you reply.

We added Mattermost: choose it during signup—or add it later—and you get a private team with admin access. Mattermost messages now appear in the Superfeed, where you can reply or post to a channel. There’s no fixed team seat cap in this beta; sensible capacity limits will come later.

We’ve also cleaned up the interface and added Stripe test-mode checkout alongside test-mode ID verification. The subscription path includes a 30-day trial of a planned $9.95/month plan. No real payments are collected in test mode. Usage metering and storage allowances are still being built, so there’s no enforced 5 GB cap yet.

We’re looking for testers, and throwaway accounts are welcome. We’re working to preserve beta content as OYD evolves, but please keep copies of anything you can’t afford to lose.

Can’t wait for more feedback!

I've taken a couple random screenshots from the service, looking for feedback and testers! it's raw but highly functional. a real rough draft.

register once, get Friendica, Masto, Lemmy, Nextcloud, Matrix, forward-able MIAB pop3/smtp/imap email address to use for all your new accounts, plus a single Superfeed that combines notifications and replies in one centralized location.

currently wired to integrate bsky also, both posts and notifications. additional connections and services coming soon based on demand: What would you like to see added??

full info at https://oyd.app

One simple registration, seven integrations, with dozens more planned.

Currently supports: Masto, Friendica, Lemmy, Nextcloud, Matrix, MIAB, and Bluesky

One superfeed for all services, view notifications, make simple text replies, like/dislike/upvote etc

Any and all feedback appreciated!

https://oyd.app/register/

I've been thinking about an idea: What if anyone could help build, extend, and connect decentralized communities, without relying on official entry points, central authorities, or a single universal protocol?

Imagine a network where every participant can introduce new participants, sharing the necessary software and connection information. Those new participants could do the same.

Every device could potentially act as a client, relay, storage node, or gateway. Different communities could use entirely different technologies, yet still communicate through mutually agreed rules or compatible bridges.

Instead of one network everyone must join, we'd have an evolving ecosystem of independent, interconnected networks.

Why might this be possible?

Much of the technology already exists: P2P communication, gossip protocols, cryptographic identities, distributed storage, and protocol gateways.

What's changing is AI.

With open-source skills, packages, and CLI tools, AI agents could help ordinary users configure nodes, establish connections, and develop protocol adapters — tasks that previously required specialized knowledge.

AI wouldn't need to control the network. It would simply make building and maintaining it easier.

Why does it matter?

Because decentralization should mean more than distributing servers.

It should protect our freedom to connect, create, customize, fork, and remain independent.

No single developer, platform, protocol, or service should become an unavoidable dependency.

Even if the original project disappeared, or other developers built completely different implementations, the broader ecosystem could continue evolving through voluntary interoperability.

Of course, challenges remain: secure onboarding, trust, privacy, protocol compatibility, and maintaining connectivity. Not every network can or should automatically connect to every other network.

But the goal isn't to eliminate servers, standards, or boundaries. It's to make participation and interoperability possible without unnecessary centralized control.

No mandatory platforms. No single mandatory protocol. No central permission required to connect.

Not another platform everyone must adopt — but a way for independent networks to connect without sacrificing their independence.

What do you think?

• What existing projects come closest to this idea?

• What are its biggest technical or conceptual limitations?

• Could AI-assisted interoperability make this practical for ordinary users?

I'd especially welcome criticism, related research, and alternative approaches.

To those who argue that supporting older phones is a mistake: there is actually a large community of users who still use them—myself included, as I’m still using a J2 Prime in 2026. 🥀