In case you missed it, StreetPass is a free open source web browser extension which helps you find accounts to follow on Mastodon:
➡️ https://streetpass.social
After you've installed the extension, just use the web as normal. Your browser will start noticing if sites you visit have Mastodon accounts, and will make a list of these accounts.
(Owners of websites need to have a verified link to their site on their Mastodon profile. More info here: https://fedi.tips/how-do-i-verify-my-account/)
StreetPass is by @9c7ef1d6
This account also has a website full of tips about how to use Mastodon and the Fediverse:
➡️ https://fedi.tips <---- Click here to open the website
It's all written in plain non-technical language, and aimed at a general audience. There's a section at the top with quick links to the most essential tips, and a complete list of guides below that.
If you can't find the answers you need on the site, ask me and I'll reply. :blobcat:
@80e5a4ba
"If you *are* going to push people toward smaller servers, at least acknowledge some of the problems that may arise. "
If you read the links I suggested people find servers from, they are all required to have at least two admins, give three months warning if they are closing down, take daily backups, moderate against specific kinds of hate speech etc.
I'm not recommending random servers but very specific lists.
Many, many people have asked about error messages when using mastodon.social.
Mastodon.social is far too large. Its massive size causes errors, and threatens the long term safety of the whole Fediverse.
I strongly encourage people on mastodon.social to move their account to another server.
You can find reliable servers on the official site at https://joinmastodon.org/servers or my own recommended list at https://fedi.garden
Here's a step-by-step guide for moving: https://fedi.tips/transferring-your-mastodon-account-to-another-server/
@4ea1bdab
The alt text is there, but unfortunately there's not an easy way of seeing it on mobile browsers. The iPhone has the same problem. AFAIK the only easy way is using an app instead of the website.
Developers seem to have forgotten the alt text exists 😢 One theory about this is that originally the alt text was used by sighted people in the days of slow internet connections to know what an image was as it loaded. When speeds increased, sighted people paid less attention to alt text.
Is there something about Mastodon and the Fediverse that you need help with?
Reply to me or send me a DM and I'll try to help if I can, or put you in touch with someone else who can help.
Don't worry if a question seems silly or obvious! The idea of this account is to especially help new people.
#FediTips
In case you missed it, each Mastodon server can have its own custom emoji that are visible to everyone but can only be used by people on that server.
They can be still :cate: or animated :rickroll:
If you want a particular custom emoji added to your server, contact your server admin about it.
Mastodon apps normally have a dedicated custom emoji button within the app, which looks something like 🙂 (separate from the keyboard emoji button).
More info about custom emoji: https://fedi.tips/what-are-custom-emoji-how-do-i-access-them-can-i-add-new-ones/
Pixelfed users!
For safety reasons, Pixelfed will block DMs from people you don't follow. However, this is just a default option, you can change it if you prefer.
If you use Pixelfed and want to receive DMs from anyone:
1. Log into your account on your Pixelfed server's website
2. Go to Account Settings
3. Go to Privacy
4. Tick the box marked "Receive Direct Messages from anyone"
5. Click the "Submit" button below
#FediTips #PixelfedTips #PixelTips #Pixelfed #Fediverse #Privacy
If you're using Mastodon through your server's website, Local and Federated timelines are now available through the "🌎 Live Feeds" link at the right side of the screen:
- "This Server" shows the latest public posts on your server, the equivalent of Local.
- "Other Servers" shows the latest public posts from accounts on other servers that are visible to your server.
- "All" shows all posts that are visible to your server, the equivalent of Federated.
Apps will have their own interfaces.
If you're uploading to #PeerTube, it's important to include tags, because these will make it a lot easier for people to notice your video.
PeerTube tags automatically appear as hashtags on Mastodon, so people searching or following those hashtags will see your video 👍
If you use more than one word in a tag, it will automatically be converted into a single phrase.
(PT tags have always worked as hashtags on Mastodon, but starting in Masto 4.2.0 the tags are actually visible below the video.)
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/111/132/590/298/775/468/original/acc94f47643769ae.png
@4764c84a
I think it's just to stop "bait and switch" abuse of polls, but there ought to be a warning as it's not at all obvious.
It's also not consistent either, because you can edit the main part of the post without resetting the poll.
As you might have noticed earlier today, I accidentally reset the poll from yesterday 😳
So, here's a warning for poll creators:
If you edit a Mastodon poll, changing the options at all will reset the poll to zero, even if people have already voted on it. It will do this automatically without warning, so only edit options if you're okay with resetting the poll.
To see more advice on creating polls on Mastodon, click here:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/how-to-post-a-poll-on-mastodon/
#FediTips #Mastodon #MastoTips #Polls
The Fediverse has an event organisation platform called @8064d0db, find out more at:
➡️ https://joinmobilizon.org
#Mobilizon servers let groups create events where participants can sign up, even without an account.
Mobilizon group accounts can be followed from Mastodon etc so people can see that group's new events appear in their home feed.
It's made by @ab066f2d, the same people who make @fa63c31b and provide all kinds of nice free open source online services.
#Fediverse #FediTips #Events
If you have a WordPress-powered blog, you can turn it into a Fediverse server and people will be able to follow the blog from Mastodon etc.
More info on how to do this here:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/wordpress-turning-your-blog-into-a-fediverse-server/
This works through the AcitvityPub for WordPress plug-in, which has just been updated to version 1.0:
➡️ https://wordpress.org/plugins/activitypub/
The plug-in is by @0c3a0f82 in association with #Automattic, one of the major players behind WordPress itself.
#WordPress #Fediverse #FediTips #ActivityPub
You can use one account to follow people across the Fediverse, you don't need to sign up on multiple servers.
Having said that, a lot of people do use multiple accounts (or "alts") if they want to post themed content. For example, some have alt accounts just for food content.
All Mastodon apps support being signed in on multiple accounts, and let you switch between accounts easily.
If you do use alt accounts, keep them on separate servers so that a problem on one doesn't take them all down.
@c1b1684c@41f2ed49
1) You can make even a single user instance have a wider reach through relays, especially targetted ones that are on the topics you're interested in. (More info at https://fedi.tips/using-relays-to-quickly-expand-a-servers-view-of-the-fediverse/)
2) Your own server's view of the Fediverse doesn't affect the visibility of your accounts to other people. For example my account @0ef0bef1 has 60k followers despite being on a single user server with no relays.
Oddbean new post about login | logout
Notes by 96cfb05d | export