We're continuing investigation to the performance issues, you can follow and react here: https://lemmy.world/c/friendicaworld

mastodon - Link to source

We are excited to share that we are beginning work on a new onboarding experiment for #Mastodon: Default Server Recommendations.

Our intent for this experiment is to recommend the closest server geographically that is in the correct language during the sign-up flow. We will be running this experiment on our iOS and Android apps only to start.

1/6

#mastodon
in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

Mastodon

(The reason we’re starting with the apps and not the web is because the necessary data to run this experiment is already provided through the app store. It is more complicated to do this right for the web, and we want to think carefully about how to do this in a way that respects privacy.)

2/6

in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

Mastodon

Starting now, we’re recruiting general purpose servers with open sign-ups. To be eligible, servers must:

- Run default Mastodon (for now)
- Agree to the Server Covenant
- Have existed for 1+ year
- Have shut-down & disaster plans

4/6

in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

Mastodon

If you’re interested in participating in this experiment, please let us know by filling out this form.

(sorry it’s in Google docs)

forms.gle/7uRui5VnMPfEYAgq8

5/6

Default Server Recommendations - Interest and Newsletter Sign-up

Register your interest in participating in the Default Server Recommendations program. Filling out this form is not a guarantee that your server will be selected for participation. Your data will be handled in accordance with GDPR.
Google Docs
This entry was edited (5 days ago)
in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

Mastodon

The Default Server Recommendations experiment is a first step in reimagining how Mastodon onboarding & server discovery work.

Our team’s intent is to work with the community to build new onboarding pathways that support the entire network.

We can’t wait to get started 💜

6/6

in reply to Mastodon Belgium Admin

mastodon - Link to source

hannah aubry

@admin hey! The only thing to do for now is make sure you’re meeting these eligibility requirements:

- Run default Mastodon (for now)
- Agree to the Server Covenant
- Have existed for 1+ year
- Have shut-down & disaster plans

Besides that, stay tuned!

@Mastodon Belgium Admin

reshared this

in reply to beachbum1972

mastodon - Link to source

Eashwar

@beachbum1972 If you're starting with media on your local system, you can configure your proxy server (nginx or equivalent) to try serving media from DO first and then falling back to the local filesystem. Then configure mastodon to use S3 (all new media will now be in DO). At this point you have all the time you need to migrate the files over from the local filesystem to DO. This is effectively what Hachyderm did when migrating media from local filesystem to a storage bucket.
@beachbum1972
in reply to Eashwar

mastodon - Link to source

Eashwar

@beachbum1972 Found the blog post about it. There's not a lot of detail there but the tl;dr is to use the nginx try_files directive to check the storage bucket first before the local filesystem.
community.hachyderm.io/blog/20…

Leaving the Basement

Hachyderm has reached 30,000 users. A 'small sized' service in regard to scale. However, in the process we have hit very familiar 'medium sized' scale problems which caused us to migrate our services out of my basement.
Hachyderm Community
@beachbum1972
in reply to Riquiñez

mastodon - Link to source

contrasocial

@andrewblasco
It's a double edged sword. Yes, mastodon.social is large and unweildy, but as the default it kept me from ignorantly joining a toxic instance like beigeparty. I'm for change, but it's yet to be seen how this plays out in practice.

A better solution might be something like an official introductory instance where you get 6 months to get your footing and then it prompts you to migrate and gives you a selection of vetted servers. Like pushing a baby bird out of the nest.

@Riquiñez
in reply to contrasocial

mastodon - Link to source

Juho Mäntysalo

@contrasocial @andrewblasco
Nice idea about the kicking from the nest, even if it were just a prompt without stick behind it.

Even better if you could take a bit more with you when you leave: copy the stats (first registration to Fedi etc), archived version of your posts, or copy some of your content (shares, posts with most likes etc).

@Riquiñez @contrasocial
in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

Jörgi

✅already answered, no more need for reposts

@Mastodon
How about also interest based?
There are some for special interests
Like punkstodon.de for punk music, metalhead.club for metal heads, infosec.exchange for tech security interested people and so on.
So just the region is maybe too less?
At least it's something to be considered after the first iteration

@Mastodon
This entry was edited (5 days ago)

Stullekovski reshared this.

in reply to Jörgi

mastodon - Link to source

Juho Mäntysalo

@joergi
Correct if I'm wrong, but a special interest -server where majority of the people speak a language foreign to you and refer to irl -events far from you locale, might not be the nicest first experience even if you live for the subject.

This onboarding -thing sounds like a newbie-feature: someone said mastodon would be worth trying, and they try to cut it by themselves.

People who want to get to a hobby server would mostly have the server researched beforehand, right?

@Jörgi
in reply to Juho Mäntysalo

mastodon - Link to source

Jörgi

@iju maybe.
but !@haubles already explained it pretty good!

I'm fine with it. and also: everyone is different. I prefer the community of my interest, others like you described.

it doesn't matter, as long as the people join the Fediverse 😉

hachyderm.io/@haubles/11599023…

hannah aubry

2026-01-31 14:41:56

mastodon - Link to source

@joergi hey! This experiment will be for general purpose servers only, but we'll be looking into running other onboarding experiments—including for special interest servers—soon.
@Juho Mäntysalo @hannah aubry
in reply to Orion Ussner kidder

mastodon - Link to source

Juho Mäntysalo

There's more to server than just understanding the language. Consider talk about politics, promotion of irl-events, or asking help with something.. these are all topics where a hobby is a secondary concern to location.

That isn't to say a hobby couldn't be a reason to pick a server, mostly that I wouldn't recommend a hobby server for a noob at fedi, even if I knew they lived for the subject.

Of course, ymmv.

This entry was edited (4 days ago)
in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

Aral Balkan

This is a link to the server covenant:

joinmastodon.org/covenant

One important question – and one we’ve discussed together – is which definition of antisemitism are you going with? I’d appreciate it if you could state the decision you’ve reached on this publicly. Crucially, is it one that conflates opposition to Zionism, Israel, and the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people with being bigoted against Jewish people or not? This is key in knowing whether only Zionist, pro-Israel, pro-genocide Mastodon servers will be featured in recommendations or not.

Mastodon Server Covenant for joinmastodon.org

joinmastodon.org
This entry was edited (5 days ago)

reshared this

in reply to Kackfresh

mastodon - Link to source

Aral Balkan

It’s not a credible definition of the word but it is a *legally accepted* one in certain jurisdictions and it is essential that we know what is meant – in this specific context – by a term that is so widely and so willfully misunderstood so we understand what exactly the effects of this initiative will be and whether we should be in support of it or in opposition to it.
This entry was edited (5 days ago)
in reply to Aral Balkan

mastodon - Link to source

Aral Balkan

@Kackfresh
in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

Colin

besides geographical location, are there going to be any filters for like, interests or core topics etc?

A gardening and plant instance is going to have a different vibe from the software/hardware developer instance, etc.

It would be neat to be a part of this, but only if relevant users/signups are being directed.

Edit: "General Purpose Servers" ah.. missed that keyword (figured that would've been mentioned again earlier?). /ht: tyrol.social/@nitrml/115989922…

Niko Trimmel

2026-01-31 13:22:39

mastodon - Link to source

@colinstu it says "general purpose servers". So no special interests servers or topical servers are gonna be able to participate in this feature (at the moment).
This entry was edited (5 days ago)
in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

Domo 🦇

Having open signups is so risky and makes moderation so much harder for the rest of the fediverse. This is a bad idea. You should require closed signups to prevent spam and harassment. Right now mastodon.social already creates so much extra work for moderators due to this policy. Having this policy says to bad actors: you're allowed to come here and hurt others for at least a little bit. It's such low hanging fruit...
in reply to Octavia Con Amore Succubard's Library

mastodon - Link to source

hannah aubry

@OctaviaConAmore
For this experiment, that is correct. We are looking to partner with servers that have open sign-ups. But we've heard the feedback that spam is going to be a big issue for many servers to participate, so our team is going to discuss what we can do about that next week.
@Octavia Con Amore Succubard's Library
in reply to hannah aubry

mastodon - Link to source

Davey

Thanks for clarifying.

As it stands any participating server would be paying a price for inclusion.

I'm not even sure how many reputable general purpose servers still have open sign-up after recent spam waves.

As a volunteer, eyeballing potential member applications while not attending to one's own business is the only way to do it.

This entry was edited (4 days ago)
in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

Jens Bannmann

Good point! Just in case your team hasn't thought of this yet, I'd like to share an idea.

On the pricing page of my hobby project (link in my bio), I wanted to show the prices of the "correct" country. But I wanted to ensure that I don't get to know the result if someone is just visiting.

But sending the user's IP address to a third party geolocation service is not legally possible without first asking for consent.

Here's my solution: the web page contacts a tiny endpoint on my server that returns the IPv4 address it sees, but doesn't log it. Then the country lookup happens client-side via a geo-IP database file that the web page has loaded into the browser cache earlier. As the web server itself also doesn't log, I don't have any data on visitors (unless they become customers). 🎉

In the next step, you could list all languages of servers in that country, starting with the most common ones spoken there (e.g. for Switzerland: DE, FR, IT, RM) & let them choose.

#GDPR #SaaS

#gdpr #saas
in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

Dusk to Don

Fabulous news. Any movement away from mastodon . social (risk of centralization, and plenty of other issues) is progress

HT @FediTips

social.growyourown.services/@F…

Fedi.Tips

2026-01-14 18:04:32

mastodon - Link to source

Mastodon.social has no advantages over any other Mastodon server. It has no special status or privileges, it uses exactly the same software as other Mastodon servers.

In fact I'd strongly advise people *NOT* to sign up on mastodon.social, here are the reasons why: fedi.tips/its-a-really-bad-ide…

TL:DR - It's far far too big, it's putting the entire decentralised nature of the Fediverse in danger.

If you want help choosing a good reliable server, have a look at fedi.garden

#FediTips

Mastodon.social is not a good way to join Mastodon. If you’re already on it, you might want to move your account to a different Mastodon server. | Fedi.Tips – An Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse

An unofficial guide to using Mastodon and the Fediverse
FediTips (Fedi.Tips - An Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse)

@Fedi.Tips
in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

FinchHaven sfba

"We will be running this experiment on our iOS and Android apps only to start."

And here is the core symptom of the core problem itself:

You're pointing the question and its solution right back at the Deathstar Mothership itself: @Mastodon dot Social

Sort of a recursive, self-fulfilling loop, no?

But not the least bit surprising

@Mastodon
This entry was edited (5 days ago)
in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

Vlad_3301

in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

Fedi Fox

#FOSDEM #Fediverse #Privacy

Would you please like to focus your attention on the issue of encryption, please. Currently you are building a network with servers that do not encrypt user data and do not offer e2ee for private messages. This will explode into a gigantic privacy catastrophe when Mastodon will get it´s endless November, so these heavy design issues must be solved before that.

#fediverse #privacy #fosdem
in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

Matt

☝️ check out the thread, admins:

cc.
@chm
@admin@mastodon.nu
@trumpet
@hugo
@xaphanpl
@admin@paktodon.asia
@tc
@xrobau
@team
@sysadmin
@amministratore
@mastodonie
@maop
@kenobit
@chief
@support
@admin@piaille.fr
@valvoja
@henri
@saustrup
@donelias
@admini
@spla
@announcements
@mike@thecanadian.social
@admin@mastodon.com.br
@adrian
@xrobau
@aussocialadmin
@mike@chinwag.org

@Hugo Gameiro @spla @Mike [SEC=OFFICIAL] @don Elías (como los buses) 🥨 @Admin Piaille @Mike Fraser @Saustrup @ϻค𝔬ᑭ @Kenobit @ADRIAN 🏳️‍🌈 @Mastodon.ie @Aus.Social Admin @mstdn.ca Updates @Tor Christian @mastodon uno admin @Stichting Activityclub @Administratören @Rob Thomas [Admin m.au] @Sysadmin @Christian Michel @trumpet@mastodon.scot @Krzysztof Dmowski @Järjestelmänvalvoja @Tootie McTootface @Henri Vasserman @Admin @support @admin@paktodon.asia @chief
in reply to kali

mastodon - Link to source

Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩

not to defense mastodon.social, there's plenty of shit accounts here, but i've also found plenty of shit accounts on other servers too

what you're complaining about, it doesn't even seem like a fediverse problem, but a social media problem. there's always successful entrenched assholes and trolls, everywhere

if there's specific accounts you have in mind, DM me. maybe we can find a way to nuke them

This entry was edited (4 days ago)
in reply to kali

mastodon - Link to source

Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩

the post above is a direct attack on the server size of the flagship instance. so, you like it. as for the other thing you're implying, i don't think it's accurate. what i think is accurate is the server is running in germany, and inherits the position it must maintain from that legal jurisdiction. you have a problem with germany, not mastodon.social
This entry was edited (4 days ago)
in reply to kali

mastodon - Link to source

Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩

@kali
kali, *you* summoned me into your complaint here. i can't even begin to mansplain to you what i don't even fucking understand that you're complaining about. do you understand who i am? i'm just some fucking dude in western ny. i have no real power, i have no agenda save my posts about ukraine, and voting in the usa, and other issues that catch my interest. how do i figure in your complaints that you think it's important to mention me? why do you summon me?
@kali
in reply to kali

mastodon - Link to source

Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩

@kali
kali there's accounts i like, and accounts i don't like. there's also plenty of accounts who think i'm peachy keen, and plenty of accounts that fucking hate me. this is all very normal and not remotely remarkable, the same applies to every other account, i'm not special

just please don't summon me into drama, so i try to understand what the fuck is going on, and i get rewarded for that by being accused of mansplaining. how can i mansplain what i don't even fucking understand!

@kali
in reply to kali

mastodon - Link to source

Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩

@kali
kali: i'm a fucking rando hothead loudmouth in western ny. i can't solve the shit israel is doing, i can't influence politics on mastodon.social or any other server. i can't do shit kali. all i can do is engage on social media on topics that interest me, that's what social media is for

what the fuck do you want from me? why the fuck do you think "i'm going to summon ben royce here" and i'm going to do... what? what is this random asshole from western ny supposed to do?

@kali
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩

mastodon - Link to source

Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩

@kali
and frankly kali: fuck you

*you* summoned me. i'm trying to engage on why

and for that effort, i get accused of mansplaining?!

fuck you!

stop fucking summoning me in something i don't even fucking comprehend that you're complaining about. why me? what did i do that made you think "ben royce should be in on this"

in on what?

what is the point of summoning me, then attacking me when i try to understand? what is the fucking point of that?

@kali
in reply to kali

mastodon - Link to source

Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩

@kali
you want me to leave mastodon.social?

i have left one server before for mastodon.social when i was just getting starting out and knew nothing of the politics

i am in fact thinking of starting my own server, but not tomorrow, not even next month or 3 months. so you may see me elsewhere someday. until then, what the fuck do you want me to do? leave the server because you have problems with it i can't get a grasp on without being fucking attacked by you? what the fuck?

@kali
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩

mastodon - Link to source

Juho Mäntysalo

@benroyce

There's a position that mastodon.social -users fall into three categories: the harassers etc / noobs who mostly lurk / and real posters™ like you (and mayhaps me).

The argument goes that real posters™ not moving to a smallish server, they make it impossible to block the harassers and the noobs.

( Personally I haven't moved due to fearing (among other things) that smaller servers' homogeneity may lead to regulating words and not intentions. De facto, if not de jure. )

@Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Juho Mäntysalo

mastodon - Link to source

Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩

moderation is all over the fucking place on all servers. some servers are fucking great. some servers really fucking suck. i don't want connections severed because of the pique of some asshole who thinks they are looking out for me when they just have some fucking agenda, whatever it may be, whatever their intentions. and i'm a guy who hunts vatnik accounts to bait them, report them, and get them suspended. so i have no problem with moderation per se, i'm not some "free speech" bigot chud
This entry was edited (4 days ago)
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩

mastodon - Link to source

Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩

@iju

as for moderation on mastodon.social, i'm sure someone could write 10 books on how much it sucks, but the same could be said for any server. moderation is not a science, and there's always grey areas and complaints. it's simply large enough, it's standard enough. having said all of *that* i do intend to move, and start my own server. someday. next year. 3 months from now

@Juho Mäntysalo
in reply to Mastodon

mastodon - Link to source

Iαη 🍺

Great that the recommendation is no longer for a specialised topic server.
The fediverse is about avoiding the problems of centralisation. Having centralised topic servers has already resulted in much fedi-infighting.
I have several special interests. But its nonsensical to need multiple accounts. Resulting in topics most people are excluded from because they are not a member of that club. And those topics are watered down with other topic or non topic posts.
This is all because Mastodon doesn't yet have Federated groups, where 'anyone' can join. Where topic posts stay within those groups.
⇧