{"id":438934,"date":"2022-04-28T22:15:43","date_gmt":"2022-04-28T19:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/a-twitter-alternative-how-does-mastodon-work\/"},"modified":"2022-04-28T22:15:43","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T19:15:43","slug":"a-twitter-alternative-how-does-mastodon-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-twitter-alternative-how-does-mastodon-work\/","title":{"rendered":"#A Twitter Alternative: How Does Mastodon Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2d7e3c412b5\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2d7e3c412b5\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-twitter-alternative-how-does-mastodon-work\/#%E2%80%9CA_Twitter_Alternative_How_Does_Mastodon_Work%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;A Twitter Alternative: How Does Mastodon Work?&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-twitter-alternative-how-does-mastodon-work\/#What_Is_Mastodon\" >What Is Mastodon?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-twitter-alternative-how-does-mastodon-work\/#How_Does_Mastodon_Work\" >How Does Mastodon Work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-twitter-alternative-how-does-mastodon-work\/#How_Can_I_Join_Mastodon\" >How Can I Join Mastodon?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CA_Twitter_Alternative_How_Does_Mastodon_Work%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;A Twitter Alternative: How Does Mastodon Work?&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage alignnone size-full wp-image-801950\" data-pagespeed-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/mastodon_hero_3.jpg?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/mastodon_hero_3.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/mastodon_hero_3.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The Mastodon Logo on a blue background\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Want to keep an eye on the world\u2019s events beyond the corporate eye of <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter<\/a>? Then the microblogging platform Mastodon might just be for you. Here\u2019s a look at what it is, how it works, and how it compares to Twitter.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Mastodon\"><\/span>What Is Mastodon?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Mastodon is an open-source microblogging social network similar to Twitter where people can make profiles, post messages (up to 500 characters in a standard \u201ctoot,\u201d which is Mastodon\u2019s version of a \u201ctweet\u201d), share images or videos, and follow other people\u2019s accounts. Unlike Twitter, Mastodon is partially decentralized, which means there is no one company running the entire Mastodon network.<\/p>\n<p>You can <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/joinmastodon.org\">use Mastodon<\/a> through a web client on any device with a web browser, or through a mobile client on a smartphone or tablet. It includes features similar to Twitter, including replies, boosts (like \u201cretweets\u201d), favorites (similar to \u201cloves\u201d on Twitter) a timeline view, and support for moderation features such as blocking and voluntary content warnings that hide sensitive content.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-802043\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/mastodon_screenshot_2.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A Mastodon screenfrot from April 2022 showing notifications.\" width=\"650\" height=\"295\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Mastodon also incorporates features that Twitter doesn\u2019t, such as automated post deletion (for older posts of a certain age), requiring <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roval for follows without restricting your account, and opting out of search engine indexing.<\/p>\n<p>Privacy advocates might also appreciate that the platform\u2019s lack of advertising means Mastodon is <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly free of the ad-network surveillance seen on other social networking platforms. But it\u2019s important to note that, while Mastodon instances do not utilize advertising at this time, the servers are individually run and the software code can be customized, so the status of ads on some instances <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/mastodon\/mastodon\/issues\/8913\">could potentially change<\/a> in the future as Mastodon grows in popularity and large servers become costly to administrate. But for now, the spirit of freedom, open-source, and privacy are alive and well on the platform.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>What Are Personalized Ads, and How Do They Work?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Does_Mastodon_Work\"><\/span>How Does Mastodon Work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Mastodon is a social media network comprised of nodes (called \u201cservers\u201d or \u201cinstances\u201d), each running special software. Anyone can <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.joinmastodon.org\/user\/run-your-own\/\">run their own<\/a> Mastodon instance (if they have the proper dedicated server), which can then link to others in a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.joinmastodon.org\/\">federation<\/a> or remain private. Individuals or companies can have complete control over individual Mastodon servers, so there are still centralized points of administration, but it\u2019s not as concentrated as in the case of Twitter, Tumblr, or Facebook.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-802045\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/mastodon_screenshot_1.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"408\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The Mastodon software is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/mastodon\/mastodon\">open source<\/a>. It is based on an open-source social networking protocol called <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/activitypub\/\">ActivityPub<\/a>, which is developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (the same organization that maintains standards for the web.)<\/p>\n<p>While using Mastodon, people sign up for accounts with specific instances. Once logged in, you can view a local timeline (of posts from that instance only) or,\u00a0if the instance is federated with others, see a federated timeline comprised of toots from people in other instances. Mastodon users can send messages to each other using their Mastodon account names (such as \u201cbenjedwards@mastodon.social\u201d), which are similar to email addresses in that they feature the server address as well as the user name.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Can_I_Join_Mastodon\"><\/span>How Can I Join Mastodon?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In general, Mastodon is free to use. To get started with Mastodon, visit <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/joinmastodon.org\/communities\/\">Mastodon\u2019s Communities page<\/a> and pick an instance you\u2019d like to join. Some instances have open membership, while others require you to request an invitation to the server, subject to the approval of an administrator there. At the moment, the most popular instance is called <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/mastodon.social\/\">Mastodon.social<\/a>, but there are many others to choose from that focus on different types of subject matter (<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> or gaming, for example), or regional interests.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-802044\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/mastodon_signup_1.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A Mastodon sign-up screen.\" width=\"650\" height=\"447\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>When you find the one you want to join, click either \u201cRequest Invite\u201d or \u201cJoin.\u201d Then enter your email address and create a username and password. After confirming your email and getting any necessary approval from the instance\u2019s administrators, you can log in at the instance\u2019s domain name, and you\u2019ll be microblogging in no time. Have fun, and stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/801927\/a-twitter-alternative-how-does-mastodon-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;A Twitter Alternative: How Does Mastodon Work?&#8221; Want to keep an eye on the world\u2019s events beyond the corporate eye of Twitter? Then the microblogging platform Mastodon might just be for you. Here\u2019s a look at what it is, how it works, and how it compares to Twitter. What Is Mastodon? Mastodon is an open-source&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":438935,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/mastodon_hero_3.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-438934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=438934"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438934\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/438935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=438934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=438934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=438934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}