Mastodon is the software that the Apobangpo.Space Server runs on.

It is a free and open-source, decentralised social media platform, and has microblogging features similar to the BirdApp (with a few important differences).

Rather than being run by one central company, Mastodon runs as a federated network, connecting a large number of independently run instances (servers) via the Fediverse, each with their own focus, code of conduct, terms of service, privacy policy and moderation policies.

A few key features include:

• A chronological feed: Toots (posts) are displayed in chronological order, and are not manipulated by an algorithm.
• Community-focused: Users can join and create communities without being tied to a single company.
• No advertising: The platform is mostly free from advertisements, and users data is not being sold for marketing purposes.
• Flexible: Users can move from one instance to another and take their network of follows/followers with them. This allows everyone to find a community that meets their needs in terms of moderation style and terms of use.
• Moderated: Each instance can moderate their spaces as they see fit. This enables everyone to decide on the types of content and behaviour they wish to engage in, and distributes the moderation responsibilities to smaller, loosely joined communities, rather than relying on big-tech moderation, which is often lacking.

Find more info on our What is the Fediverse? page. 

There are more than 7,000 different Mastodon Instances, and all have a different focus and/or terms of use. There is a useful list of established Instances at: https://joinmastodon.org/servers. There is also an excellent curated directory of instances at: https://fedi.garden

When choosing your server, consider the following:

• Check out the moderation policy: Rules about harassment are important to consider.
• Does the server have a topic focus, or is it a general social space?
• What types of content are allowed? Are the content moderation rules clear? Do they match with what you are comfortable seeing on your timeline?

Obviously, we think you should join the Apobangpo.Space server. For more info, check out our Community Charter, Terms of Use and our How to Join resources.

YES! Mastodon allows you to move your follows and followers to a new server if you decide the one you’re on isn’t a good fit.

• Check out a useful migration resource from Fedi-Tips here: Transferring your Mastodon account to another server
• Check out our guide to moving to Apobangpo.Space

The easiest way to access Mastodon when you’re starting out, is to use it in your web browser. The interface is available when you login to your account (on your selected server). Additionally, if you are on a mobile device, you can try the official app (iOS, Android).

However, many users report that they find Mastodon much easier with 3rd party apps.

For more info:

• Browse the official list here: https://joinmastodon.org/apps.
• Check out our How to setup Apobangpo.Space in my App resource for more info on how to add your Apobangpo account to your preferred app.
• You can also try the Mastodon client in a web browser, simply by visiting Apobangpo.Space in your browser and logging in. Alternatively, there are some great bespoke web-clients including Phanpy, MastoDeck and Elk.

Sending a Toot

In order to Toot (the Mastodon equivalent of a Tweet), simply enter the message you want to post into the “What is on your mind?” text box and press ‘Publish’. There is a limit of up to 500 characters per toot, and you can reply to your own toots to create a thread.

Replying to a Toot

If you want to reply to another user’s Toot, click the “Reply” that appears at the bottom of their post. This will add their @username to your input box along with a preview of the message you’re replying to. The user will receive a notification of your response after you’ve posted it.

Mastodon allows you to choose the privacy settings for your posts. The options are:

• Public toots are the default status for toots on most servers. Public toots are visible to all users on public timelines, including on other Mastodon servers. They appear on your user profile page to anyone including visitors who aren’t logged into a Mastodon account, and search engines.
• Unlisted toots are similar to public toots, except that they will not appear in the public timelines or search results. They are visible to anyone following you and appear on your profile page to the public even without a Mastodon login.
• Private toots do not appear in public timelines or your profile page to anyone viewing it unless they are on your Followers list. If you choose to use this option, you should also set to require approval of new followers. Otherwise, anyone can follow you without confirmation and therefore see your private toots. Private toots cannot be boosted. If someone you follow makes a private toot, it will appear in your timeline with a padlock icon instead of the Boost icon. Private toots do not federate to other instances, unless you @mention a remote user.
• Direct posts are only visible to users you have @mentioned in them and cannot be boosted. However it is important to carefully consider the privacy of Direct message. Mastodon is not end-to-end encrypted.

Use the Post tools to set your Toot privacy level: 

A Note about Posts and Privacy

Because of the federated nature of Mastodon, you do need to be mindful of what you share and avoid sending sensitive or personal information in any of the modes described above, including Direct Messages. Whilst we maintain a high level of data security and privacy here on the Apobangpo.Space server, we cannot guarantee how other federated servers will treat your data.

If you need to share personal information, do not use Direct Messages. Please use an alternative encrypted tool. 

When you first login to Mastodon, your timeline might feel very empty and lonely. Don’t stress! There is no algorithm serving up tweets on Mastodon servers, so it’s up to us to build our timeline based on follows, hashtags and trends.

• Check out the FediTips guide to finding accounts to follow here.

Mastodon allows you to choose the level of privacy you would like for your account, as well as your posts. You can choose to make your account public or followers only, and control who can follow you.

Click on Edit Profile to manage these settings or go to https://apobangpo.space/settings/privacy to manage these settings: 

You can block or mute another user by clicking on the three dots icon in the footer below their post or by going to their profile and clicking the ︙ button and selecting one of the following:

• Mute: You will no longer see a user’s posts in your feed or posts that mention them. They can still see your posts and follow you.
• Block:  You will no longer see a user’s posts or mentions in your feed. They cannot follow you and your posts are hidden from them.
• Domain Block: Not only the account you’re blocking but all accounts in the same server will be blocked. This is really only required in extreme circumstances and you should communicate with your Server Admin if you have concerns about another Mastodon server (sometimes called an instance).

IMPORTANT: If you post public posts, users you have blocked can still see your posts when they log out, because public posts are visible to everyone on the internet. To restrict the audience for your post, use followers-only visibility settings.

PLEASE REPORT: If you have contact with a problematic user, please DO use the reporting tools to let Apobangpo Moderators know what’s going on. We appreciate all reports, as this helps us to keep the whole server safe.

If you are having trouble with a user on the Apobangpo.Space server because they are bullying or harassing you, or because they are engaging in any type of negative behaviour, you can use the inbuilt reporting tools to report the problem to moderators.

To do so, click on the ‘Report’ button on the offending posts or on the user’s profile page.

The Profile Directory shows all accounts that have opted into being shared with others. It can be used to quickly find profiles of people you may know or might be interested in following.

If you would like your account to be included in the Profile Directory, ensure that you have checked the ‘Feature profile and posts in discovery algorithms’ checkbox so your Profile can be displayed in the Profile Directory and search.

Content Warnings (CW) are built into the Mastodon platform and provide a way for content authors to mark their content as sensitive and flag it for users who may not want to see it on their timeline.They are for any kind of content that other members may not want to see on their timeline. This could include something serious like upsetting world news, or less serious like film spoilers.

You will find the CW Tools and Sensitive image warning tools in the posting window on the Apobangpo.space website and in all Mastodon Apps. Please use them!

When a content warning is included, the post content will be collapsed by default, and only the content warning note will be shown, similarly to an email or blog post title which is followed a link to “read more”. When images or video are associated with a post that has a content warning, a checkbox appears to allow you to “mark media as sensitive”. This hides the full media behind a blurred thumbnail.

The Fediverse also has a strong tradition of using CWs on posts about emotive topics such as politics or religion. And of course, CWs are used for potentially “not safe for work” content. Please be thoughtful in what you post, and use Content Warnings so we can ensure Aponbangpo.Space is safe for all users.

Image Descriptions (also referred to as Alt-tags) are a textual substitute for images on a website or digital resource They are designed to allow screen readers to announce alternative text in place of images, helping users with disabilities to perceive the content and function of the image. They are also useful if an image fails to load. Additionally Search Engines use alternative text to inform search results.

The Mastodon community has an established culture of making sure that Image Descriptions are included in posts to ensure that all users can access content and engage in the Fediverse.

To add a description to an image, simply click on it in the posting window, and you can provide a description.

Protecting your account is important to consider. As part of the Apobangpo Terms of Use, all users are responsible for the security of their account on the server. Here’s a few tips:

• Do use a secure email address when you signup.
• Create a strong password that includes Lower case and capital letter, numbers and symbols.
• Use a password keeper to manage your passwords
• Install Two Factor Authentication via the tools built into Mastodon.

How to Setup Two Factor Authentication: 

To install your two factor authentication, go to Preferences > Account > Two-Factor Auth and follow the steps. You will need an Authenticator App like Google Authenticator to complete the process.

Pixelfed is the software that the pixelfed.apobangpo.art Server runs on.

It is a decentralised social media platform. It has photo and video sharing features similar to Instagram (with a few important differences).

• Decentralised: Unlike centralised platforms, Pixelfed uses a decentralised model. It uses the ActivityPub protocol to connect individual Pixelfed servers (instances) run by different individuals/communities to each other and the broader fediverse.
• Open Source: The Pixelfed platform is open-source, allowing anyone with the necessary technical skills to install and run their own server (instance).
• User Control and Privacy: Pixelfed emphasizes user privacy and control for users.

Find more info on our What is the Fediverse? page or check out the Pixelfed resources on Fedi.Tips.