#mastodon #messages #expiry #feditips

Dear #fediverse

I've noticed many of you claim in your profiile that old posts will be deleted. OK, however:

- Why?
- Also, how do you go about this?

I don't have a reason to do this, hence my backlog is full of crap! :)

Hello #BSDCafe friends! After some thorough testing, I've decided to introduce @nileane 's TangerineUI ( @TangerineUI ) as an optional interface for our #Mastodon instance.
In my opinion, its lovely colors bring a cheerful and calm vibe to the interface, and I truly hope you'll enjoy it.
Rest assured, all other current interfaces - the Mastodon Bird UI (by @rolle ( and the default - remain unchanged.
Enjoy!

#BSDCafeServices #BSDCafeUpdates

Hello #BSDCafe friends! After some thorough testing, I've decided to introduce @nileane 's TangerineUI ( @TangerineUI ) as an optional interface for our #Mastodon instance.
In my opinion, its lovely colors bring a cheerful and calm vibe to the interface, and I truly hope you'll enjoy it.
Rest assured, all other current interfaces - the Mastodon Bird UI ( by @rolle - which is set as default theme for many languages) and the stock - remain unchanged.
Enjoy!

#BSDCafeServices #BSDCafeUpdates

Wait, I just changed the theme of my Mastodon web interface, and it looks so good!

I found how to do it under Settings -> Appearance -> Site theme. #hackyderm has `tangerineui` available and I loved it.

#learning #mastodon

Fediverse is still the most lively social network I have ever used, since MySpace in 2003. It is better than Twitter or any commercial social media platform ever was. Absolutely love being here.

The most profound thing about it is the international coverage. After the first wave of enshittification in 2010, algorithms took over, and suddenly as a polyglot I was labeled as Finnish. No more visible international posts, people only saw the Finnish ones.

I've noticed the same effect in commercial AI. It ignores the fact that I use English online 99% of the time and still replies to me in Finnish despite all instructions. Algorithms and AI label you. They assign you a language, a status, a certain type of person. There's no changing that.

The Fediverse and Mastodon are delightfully mine, yours, and truly open source - respecting privacy. Nobody's machine can tell you, "You are this, and this is why we do that."

Fuck labelers and the fog machines. Let me be me. Here, on my own server, I can embrace my weirdness and post however I want, how often I want, whenever I want, in whatever language I choose - without constantly worrying about how my identity will be perceived by a machine.

#SocialMedia #Mastodon #Fediverse

Tiny Mastodon Tip About Quote Posts 📢

If your instance is already running the newly released version Mastodon 4.4,

Know that in preparation for the full implementation, the team has included a consent setting for the upcoming Quote Post feature.

While quoting a post will not
be available as a native feature until Mastodon 4.5 later this year, it's wonderful that you can adjust if you want in or not before it even arrives!

HOW TO❓

1. From the web interface, go to "Preferences" on the right-side menu. Then click on "Other" under the "Preferences" section

2. If your instance was newly updated, you should now see an option in "Posting Defaults" for "Who can quote" (see image below) 👇

Note: If the option isn't there, your instance has not updated to the version including it yet. Be patient, it will likely be added in the weeks to come.

3. From the "Who can quote" drop-menu, you can choose either "Everyone", "Followers and mentioned users", or "Only mentioned users"

4. Once the next version is released, you will be ready for Quote Posts! No matter your choices 💪

5. Enjoy the freedom of choosing the features you wish to participate in (or not)! 😌✨

For more information on Quote Posts, you can read Mastodon's announcement blog about it here: https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/02/bringing-quote-posts-to-mastodon/

#TinyMastodonTip #Mastodon #Fediverse #QuotePosts

Alt...

Screenshot from the updated Mastodon web interface, showing the Preferences page in the "Other" section. The page shows the new option to select "Who can quote" preferences from a drop-menu.

@TheForeignAgent @linuxine @benjaminbellamy

et une autre pour demander une plateforme "réseaux-sociaux" souveraine pour les député-es et le gouvernement #Fediverse #Mastodon

https://petitions.assemblee-nationale.fr/initiatives/i-2706

#France #RéseauxSociaux #AssembléeNationale #SouveraineteNumerique

The #BSDCafe #Mastodon instances have been upgraded to v4.4.1

#BSDCafeUpdates #BSDCafeServices

Has anyone had problems with running mastodon on FreeBSD in the past, especially with updating it?
Whenever I try to run “RAILS_ENV=production bundle exec rails assets:precompile” there is a node process at about 400% indefinitely. Does anyone know a solution to that?
To install it I followed @stefano's guide (https://it-notes.dragas.net/2022/11/23/installing-mastodon-on-a-freebsd-jail/)
#mastodon #SelfHosting #FreeBSD

Updating Mastodon: 20 minutes
Updating snac2: 2 minutes

#fediverse #mastodon #snac #snac2 #activitypub

There is a new setting for server operators in #Mastodon 4.4, under Administration -> Server Settings -> Discovery, called "Allow external sites to see your Mastodon server as a traffic source". If you're running a server for a larger group of people there is no privacy downside to enabling this, and it will help make the fediverse more visible as a traffic source to the rest of the web.

Just upgraded my server to #Mastodon v4.4.0 - worked like a charm!

Thanks for all the hard work - I'm excited to explore the new features!

For today's #ThankYouTuesday, I'd like to thank everyone who supports the Fediverse. So, that means *you*. Yes, you, the one reading this.
Thank you!

The Fediverse truly is for everyone: if you don't have the skills or means to set up your own instance, you can join one of the public instances that aligns with your aspirations. If you can and want to, you can create your own instance, and thanks to lightweight (and interoperable) software, you can do it with spare hardware or very affordable VPS.
So thank you to all of you, friends of the Fediverse!

#Fediverse #Mastodon #snac #GoToSocial #Wordpress #Mitra #Akkoma #Pleroma #Honk #Peertube #Pixelfed #TooManyToEnumerateHere

What's new in #Mastodon 4.4?
Here's the official blog post: https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/07/mastodon-4.4/

I've just updated the blog post: Increasing or Modifying Character Limits and Poll Options in Mastodon 4.3 and 4.4

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2024/10/09/2024-modifying-limits-in-mastodon-4-3/

#Mastodon #Fediverse #OwnYourData

The #BSDCafe #Mastodon instances have been upgraded to v4.4.0
The #MastodonBirdUI has been upgraded as well and should now look better on mobile.

Sorry for the small interruption - a nice thunderstorm blocked me at home so I used this time to upgrade the instances 😉

#BSDCafeUpdates #BSDCafeServices #BSDCafeAnnouncements

We’ve successfully upgraded our Mastodon server to:

- v4.4.0 (stable) + mementomods-2025-07-08
- Mastodon Bird UI 2.3.0 (stable)

This update includes the latest build, so everything should be as current as possible. The branches are synced and up to date.

As always, if you notice anything strange or buggy, please let me or any of the other admins know.

Enjoy your time here! Feel free to message me if you have any questions or thoughts.

#MementoMoriSocial #Mastodon #MastoAdmin #MastodonBirdUI #BirdUI #OpenSource

How do I report a bug in #Mastodon?

The BSD Cafe Mastodon instances have been upgraded to v4.3.9

#BSDCafe #BSDCafeServices #BSDCafeUpdates #Mastodon #BSDCafeAnnouncements

i keep finding it bizarre that we can't see what posts a profile directly posted, without boosts, on #mastodon... wtf? makes me want to do less boosting, which is bad, no?

https://ngmx.com/@sindarina/114765300790947788

... and that's why I don't see the bad answers from this instance (mine seems to have done so).

Meanwhile, thanks to quote-boosting, I can read toots from an account that has blocked me (I don't always behave, and they have a short tolerance):

https://wandering.shop/@cstross/114765624019158905

#Mastodon (#fediverse?) should fix the latter.

Found this last night on #Reddit. Yup.

#Mastodon #SocialNetworking

Alt...

I have been using Mastodon for a couple of years now, and while the privacy focus is part of the shift, the bigger shift is understanding that Twitter and Mastodon are not competitors. PixelFed and Instagram are not competitors. The old platforms are social media. They are entertainment platforms that nominally connect you to friends. But their actual customers are advertisers and entertainers (influencers?) The new federated platforms are social networking. They're community-owned and operated for the sole purpose of serving a community. They don't have customers, they have members. They are collaborative efforts run by individuals and not-for-profits.

#CrazyFediverseAnalogies

I think it's a great thing that Pixelfed is getting adopted by a lot of people who are not Mastodon users.
Among other reasons because people will finally start to understand what the Fediverse is and that it's not synonymous with Mastodon.

#PixelFed #Mastodon #Fediverse #SocialMedia

Announcing FediMeteo – Weather in the Fediverse!

UPDATE: I have created an account for updates and other information on FediMeteo - follow the account @admin to stay updated!

UPDATE: Ireland, Poland, Portugal and Switzerland have just been added

Weather has always influenced our lives: from agriculture to outdoor activities, to extreme events that, thanks to modern technology, can now be predicted with greater reliability. Personally, weather plays a significant role in my daily decisions, which is why I decided to create a service tailored for the Fediverse.

FediMeteo uses Open-Meteo data to publish updates every 6 hours, including current weather conditions, forecasts for the next 12 hours, and predictions for the upcoming days. Each country is served by its own dedicated instance (e.g., it.fedimeteo.com for Italy), managed through snac to ensure simplicity and efficiency in publishing.

You can follow FediMeteo directly in the Fediverse (on Mastodon and compatible platforms), via RSS, or by visiting the dedicated page for your city (e.g., fr.fedimeteo.com/paris).

Currently supported countries include:
Austria, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, – with many more regions coming soon!

FediMeteo is hosted on a FreeBSD-based VPS, with each country isolated in its own jail to ensure security and scalability.

Visit the main site to explore the national instances and start following your local weather updates today:
https://fedimeteo.com

Happy weather monitoring to all! 🌦️

FediMeteo is dedicated to my grandfather, who every evening would give me the weather forecast based on TV, radio, and his personal experience. He would convince me that the weather would be bad, so he had an excuse to accompany me to school instead of me going alone.

#FediMeteo #Announcements #FreeBSD #FediMeteo #WeatherForecasts #Weather #Meteo #snac #Fediverse #Mastodon

Mastodon #research 🚀

I’m working on my master’s thesis at the University of Vienna, and I’d love your input! My research focuses on sustaining long-term user activity on Mastodon, contributing to a more active Fediverse. If you have a few minutes, please take my short survey:
👉 https://sosci.univie.ac.at/MastodonActivity/

Your thoughts will contribute to meaningful research. Feel free to boost this post so we can reach as many users as possible. Thank you so much! 🙌

#Mastodon #Survey #FediverseResearch

When I talk about the importance of going all in on the Fediverse, I speak based on experience.

At Opera we built a massive user community. When I quit, we had something like 35 million registered users and 35 million monthly visitors.

The new Opera management did not see the value of that. They believed it was cheaper and better to just use Facebook and that investing in your own community was a waste of money. So they closed down MyOpera and built a following on Facebook and Twitter instead. Then they got caught by the bait and switch when Facebook changed and you would no longer reach your audience, without paying. Later on Twitter changed as well.

This is important to explain to companies and institutions as they go shopping for social media sites to invest in. The best investment is clearly in your own site, being part of the Fediverse. It is not even all that expensive to do. It may take longer to build, but at least it is your own.

Not saying you cannot build a following on those other sites, but your long term strategy should be the Fediverse with your own server.

We try to lead the way here and thus we build Vivaldi Social. Not just for our selves, but to make a point and support the Fediverse.

#fediverse #Mastodon #Twitter #Threads #BlueSky #Vivaldi

Mastodon Follow Pack FAQ 1.0

What are Follow Packs?

They are just packaged topical lists of up to 35 accounts you can follow from your Mastodon or other Fediverse account. You can follow the entire pack by importing a file. And the entire pack loads into a list, so it becomes a feed for that subject. You can also just browse for accounts you might want to follow individually.

So, they’re like Bluesky Starter Packs?

Yes, but not quite as convenient. It’s not hard, but because Mastodon does not have a one-click way to do this, you need to download a follow pack file and then use Mastodon’s import facility. Instructions are provided in the directory and also below.

What Follow Packs are there?

Packs are being added all the time. Right now there are packs for Astronomy and Space, Climate, US Politics and Miscellany. For a current directory check out the Mastodon Migration FediBlog at: https://mastodonmigration.wordpress.com/2024/11/20/mastodon-follow-pack-directory-nov-20-2024/

How do I do do it?

Check out the latest directory at https://mastodonmigration.wordpress.com/2024/11/20/mastodon-follow-pack-directory-nov-20-2024/ . Basically determine which pack you want to follow and download the .csv then import the pack. Instructions are provided. Follows are loaded into a list in your account.

OK, but I don’t want to mess up my lists. What happens if I already follow an account in the pack?

That’s fine. The followed account will just be added to the new list, and if you already had that account in a list, it will now just be in both lists.

Can I then add more accounts to the list?

Sure! That’s the idea. Many of these accounts boost other great accounts in their topic area. You will quickly find additional accounts you will want to follow. When you do follow a new account add it immediately to the list by clicking the “…” button at the top of the profile and selecting “Add or Remove from lists”

What if I don’t like your pack list title?

Simply change it. Click on the list, then the gear icon and you can edit the list name and contents. Also, you can determine if you want to “Hide these posts from home” so they don’t clutter up your home feed.

What if I’ve been added to a list and I don’t want to be in it?

Every follow pack has a listed administrator. Message them to ask to be removed.

How do I know if my account is in a Follow Pack?

You can search through the directory. Also, whenever a new directory is posted all members of every pack are notified by being copied on the post.

What if I don’t want to follow accounts from Threads or Bluesky?

Any pack that contains Threads or Bluesky bridged accounts will have a special notice. Just don’t import one of them.

#FollowPack #StarterPack #MastodonMigration #MastoTips #Help #Directory #Guides #Mastodon #Fediverse #FediBlog

Follow Pack Notices

OPT-OUT NOTICE: If your account is listed in any Follow Pack and you do not want it to be, please message the pack administrator and refer to the pack from which you would like your account removed.

BRIDGE ACCOUNT NOTICE: Packs that include accounts that bridge outside the Fediverse will be identified with a special notice.

REPLIES ON MASTODON NOTICE: Replies include all named accounts. Please edit any replies to remove addresses you do not intend to send the reply.

Follow Pack Instructions

Download the pack .csv file and import into Mastodon to follow all accounts:

– Click on a FollowPack .csv file link to download
– Click on Preferences (gear) icon on bottom right
– On mobile or narrow desktop click top right “hamburger” button
– Click Import and Export >>> Import
– Import type dropdown: Select “Lists” (NOT “Following list”)
– Verify that ‘Merge’ is selected (IMPORTANT)
– Click Browse… button >>> Select “[file name] – list.csv”
– Upload >>> Confirm

______________________________

This post comes from the WordPress Mastodon Migration Blog: https://mastodonmigration.wordpress.com/

You can receive all new posts to this WordPress Blog on Mastodon by following Mastodon account:

https://mastodonmigration.wordpress.com/@mastodonmigration.wordpress.com

(Copy and paste above address into search to find and follow)

Important: Replies on Mastodon to this WordPress post by default include all named accounts. Please edit your reply to remove all addresses you do not intend to send the reply. Thank you.

#accountlist #activitypub #astronomy #Astrophysics #bluesky #Booster #Climate #ClimateScience #Dire #Directory #FediBlog #fediverse #followpack #followpackdirectory #GlobalWarming #guide #Guides #Help #mastodon #mastodonmigration #MastoTips #Media #Miscellany #mmfp #Politics #Random #socialMedia #Space #StarterPack #Threads #twitter #USPol #USPolitics #USPoliticsBoos #USPoliticsMedi #USPoliticsMedia #USPoliticsThreads

This afternoon, an acquaintance joined a Mastodon instance and asked me which "celebrities" are present in the Fediverse, as if it were important to determine the value of a social network based on that.

I told him that the most important user in the Fediverse is him. Just as it’s you, reading this. Someone who has decided to interact with others freely. Who has chosen to trust their administrator (or create their own instance) more than they trust those who run traditional, monolithic, centralized social networks.

So, I want to thank all the friends of BSD Cafe, whether local or not, for being here and making this place what it is. And I thank all my friends in the Fediverse, who make my timeline lively, interesting, intelligent, fun, and thought-provoking - every day, at any time.

#BSDCafe #Mastodon #Fediverse #SocialNetworks #SocialMedia #Community #Trust #OpenSource #DigitalFreedom #JoinTheFediverse

A small compendium of the Fediverse platforms I use/know well.

In the past few days, I revisited some of my old Fediverse instances since some friends asked me to help them set up a new one. I also took the chance to perform maintenance on some leftover instances. Here's my experience:

Akkoma: My oldest instance still running, opened in 2022. It was offline for a few months (3/4). I updated everything to the latest version and restarted it. I’m not sure why, but it’s extremely slow, with a heavy load on Postgres and many queries just to open the main page. I like Akkoma - I'll investigate further.

GoToSocial: I updated a friend's instance - GoToSocial itself was up-to-date, but the underlying system wasn’t. I noticed that once it exceeds 2000 followings, it becomes a bit slow. The database is PostgreSQL, but that's not the issue. The GoToSocial process becomes somewhat heavy on the VPS. Still, it's very usable and a software with great potential, in my opinion. The Mastodon API is implemented quite well and works with the major software.

Mitra: It seems well-built. The person had around 1000 followers and followings on a Mastodon account, which they moved from a large instance. No speed issues, though sending a message makes the server “heavy” for a bit, but it’s temporary. The Mastodon API is partially implemented, but the software is advancing quickly, and I find its native interface quite pleasant.

Snac2: I've always had a soft spot for Snac2. The lack of a database and some design choices make it an excellent solution for small instances. For example, sending posts to all known instances increases visibility and interaction. Its basic, JavaScript-free interface is very clear, though it might not be the best for those used to Mastodon. But the Mastodon API is improving version by version, and I think the developer is doing an excellent job. It struggles a bit with larger numbers, but that's due to the underlying file system, not the software itself. If "move" support (both in and out) were added, I would recommend it to anyone starting self-hosting for single-user or small community instances because "move" is one of the options that gives the most freedom in Fediverse software.

Mastodon: My “old” personal instance was stuck at version 4.1.x and had been offline for a few months. I updated the FreeBSD Jail and upgraded Mastodon to 4.2.12 and then to 4.3.0-beta1. No issues. I also helped a friend (who had an old Pleroma-based instance they barely used) migrate. This user has around 5000 followers and followings - Mastodon is running on FreeBSD on a VPS (arm64) for just over 3 euros a month, with no significant issues (apart from media storage, but that's not Mastodon’s fault). Mastodon is sometimes said to be heavy, and that's partly true, but its modularity ensures that even in cases of overload, queues may slow down, but navigation and the local timeline remain reasonably fast. I think this is a good thing for any larger-scale use of an instance.

In short, I think things are moving in the right direction, and the software is evolving nicely. Well done, devs!

#Fediverse #Akkoma #GoToSocial #Mitra #Snac2 #Snac #Mastodon #SelfHosting #InstanceManagement #FreeBSD #OpenSource

Now that #Brazil has banned Xitter, where are Brazilian people going?

Based on Google Trends, they’re mostly interested in #Bluesky, and to a (much) lesser extent, in #Threads

#Mastodon is nowhere to be found, which should immensely worry pro-Fedi people

1/4

I want to launch a hashtag where, every Tuesday, I'll post a message and it would be great if it became a habit for many.

In a world full of conflicts, selfishness, and egocentrism, it would be nice to focus on the good that others do, what makes our lives better thanks to the contribution of others.

My first #ThankYouTuesday to the friends of #BSDCafe - both within the community servers and beyond - who have undoubtedly contributed to making my life better, more stimulating, and richer. So, I extend this gratitude to all those who, here in the fediverse or elsewhere, are present and positive, giving me inspiration and motivation.

Truly, thank you!

#ThankYouTuesday #gratitude #positivity #community #fediverse #mastodon

15 million users in the Fediverse, now.

No ad-blocker needed.
Zero ads.
My data stays on my server.
Interactions are genuine, driven by people's desire, not an algorithm pushing for conflict to boost engagement (and ad sales).
Nobody's here just because it's trendy. If you're here, you want to be here.
The best social media experience I've had in years.

Thank you to all of you, among these 15 million accounts, who have helped make this a wonderful place to be.

#Fediverse #Privacy #NoAds #GenuineInteractions #Decentralized #ThankYou #Mastodon