From 4d9977287201176f8c87a353f7324eff57c6b034 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Bob Mottram Date: Tue, 9 May 2017 15:00:52 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] Advice about the fediverse --- doc/EN/app_gnusocial.org | 2 + doc/EN/app_postactiv.org | 2 + doc/EN/fediverse.org | 37 ++++ website/EN/app_gnusocial.html | 36 ++-- website/EN/app_postactiv.html | 36 ++-- website/EN/fediverse.html | 334 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 6 files changed, 415 insertions(+), 32 deletions(-) create mode 100644 doc/EN/fediverse.org create mode 100644 website/EN/fediverse.html diff --git a/doc/EN/app_gnusocial.org b/doc/EN/app_gnusocial.org index f00fdf90..7cf1fefa 100644 --- a/doc/EN/app_gnusocial.org +++ b/doc/EN/app_gnusocial.org @@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ You can host your own GNU Social instance and then "/remote follow/" other users You should regard anything posted to GNU Social as being /public communication/ visible to anyone on the internet. There is a direct messaging capability between users but it's not particularly secure, so for one-to-one messages stick to better methods, such as XMPP with OTR/OMEMO or Tox. +Some general advice about life in the fediverse [[./fediverse.html][can be found here]]. + #+BEGIN_CENTER [[file:images/gnusocial_pleroma.jpg]] diff --git a/doc/EN/app_postactiv.org b/doc/EN/app_postactiv.org index a3fadecb..769198f9 100644 --- a/doc/EN/app_postactiv.org +++ b/doc/EN/app_postactiv.org @@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ PostActiv is a fork of [[./app_gnusocial.html][GNU Social]] which includes some extra fixes and optimisations to improve performance. It federates just like GNU Social does and so whether you choose GNU Social or PostActiv is really just down to personal prefernce. +Some general advice about life in the fediverse [[./fediverse.html][can be found here]]. + #+BEGIN_CENTER [[file:images/postactiv_pleroma.jpg]] #+END_CENTER diff --git a/doc/EN/fediverse.org b/doc/EN/fediverse.org new file mode 100644 index 00000000..51f59fdc --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/EN/fediverse.org @@ -0,0 +1,37 @@ +#+TITLE: +#+AUTHOR: Bob Mottram +#+EMAIL: bob@freedombone.net +#+KEYWORDS: freedombone, homestead, fediverse +#+DESCRIPTION: Homesteading the Fediverse +#+OPTIONS: ^:nil toc:nil +#+HTML_HEAD: + +#+BEGIN_CENTER +[[file:images/logo.png]] +#+END_CENTER + +#+BEGIN_EXPORT html +
+

Homesteading the Fediverse

+
+#+END_EXPORT + +Some things you might want to know about the Fediverse: + +* Keep the number of users on each server small +The importance of this can't be overstated. Servers with lots of users always eventually have problems where the interests of the users are not the same as the interests of the server administrator. If you are the server administrator, or if there are only a small squad-size group of people on the server, then it's a lot easier to resolve differences and everyone's interests are likely to be similar. + +* Drama will happen +It's inevitable in any social network, but fortunately your options for dealing with it are better than they are in the giant proprietary monoliths. In the proprietary world Google or Facebook don't give a damn about the fate of individual users. On a server with a small number of users if you're getting griefed then the administrator is likely to care and be able to do something about it. + +* Don't be afraid to block +Especially if other servers are publishing content which may not be legal in your jurisdiction then don't be afraid to use domain or user blocking from the *Administrator control panel*. The same applies if users on other servers are trying to harass you. Blocking creates politics and drama but _this is a feature not a bug_. It allows you to craft your own distinct community and user experience while also existing in the wider federation. It's hard to do this on sites like Twitter or Facebook. Try to keep blocking to a minimum though and avoid doing it for insubstantial reasons. If you have other users on your server then publish the blocked domains list somewhere they can see. That avoids disappointment and enables you to have a discussion about the validity of blocking decisions. + +* Network structure maps on to social structure +Over time follows and blocking rules come to match the underlying social geography of affinity groups. Blocking will happen and users will move around or start new servers. Drama related to blocking will dissipate. + +* Keep your follows under the Dunbar number +Keep the number of other users you're following and who are also active to under a couple of hundred. Any more than that and you'll just be overwhelmed by irrelevant stuff and whatever community you may have been part of will dissolve in a sea of entropy. There are no algorithmic timelines, and even if they're introduced then they create their own problems as an opaque form of censorship. _Real community happens at tribal scale_. It's something which people often don't like to admit because they get fixated upon bigger and bigger numbers, but it definitely seems to be true. + +* Avoid big public servers +It may seem like a good idea and it may seem like you're doing a service to the community by allowing random strangers to register, but servers with thousands of users only cause problems - social, administrative, financial and possibly also legal. The financial strain of running a powerful server with high reliability may be enough to encourage the administrator to begin pushing advertising onto the system, or sell user content, and then before you know it you have identical problems to Twitter. Instead try to encourage people to set up their own servers. Follow this principle and a lot of arguments and stress will be more easily avoided. diff --git a/website/EN/app_gnusocial.html b/website/EN/app_gnusocial.html index 73c28360..89aeef9d 100644 --- a/website/EN/app_gnusocial.html +++ b/website/EN/app_gnusocial.html @@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> - + @@ -260,6 +260,10 @@ You can host your own GNU Social instance and then "remote follow" other You should regard anything posted to GNU Social as being public communication visible to anyone on the internet. There is a direct messaging capability between users but it's not particularly secure, so for one-to-one messages stick to better methods, such as XMPP with OTR/OMEMO or Tox.

+

+Some general advice about life in the fediverse can be found here. +

+
@@ -270,9 +274,9 @@ You should regard anything posted to GNU Social as being public communication
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Installation

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Installation

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Log into your system with:

@@ -296,9 +300,9 @@ After the install has completed go to Security settings and select Cre
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Initial setup

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Initial setup

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If you have just obtained a Lets Encrypt certificate as above then go to About on the administrator control panel and you should see your GNU Social domain listed there along with an onion address. You can then navigate to your site in a browser.

@@ -325,9 +329,9 @@ GNU Social has a clutter-free mobile user interface which can be accessed via a
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Switching user interfaces

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Switching user interfaces

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A few web based user interfaces are available for GNU SOcial. They are selectable by going to the Administrator control panel and choosing App settings then gnusocial.

@@ -348,9 +352,9 @@ A few web based user interfaces are available for GNU SOcial. They are selectabl
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Using with Emacs

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Using with Emacs

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Blocking controls

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Blocking controls

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diff --git a/website/EN/app_postactiv.html b/website/EN/app_postactiv.html index 992fa20b..25a462bf 100644 --- a/website/EN/app_postactiv.html +++ b/website/EN/app_postactiv.html @@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> - + @@ -252,6 +252,10 @@ for the JavaScript code in this tag. PostActiv is a fork of GNU Social which includes some extra fixes and optimisations to improve performance. It federates just like GNU Social does and so whether you choose GNU Social or PostActiv is really just down to personal prefernce.

+

+Some general advice about life in the fediverse can be found here. +

+
@@ -260,9 +264,9 @@ PostActiv is a fork of GNU Social which inclu
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Installation

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+

Installation

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Log into your system with:

@@ -286,9 +290,9 @@ After the install has completed go to Security settings and select Cre
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Initial setup

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Initial setup

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If you have just obtained a Lets Encrypt certificate as above then go to About on the administrator control panel and you should see your Postactiv domain listed there along with an onion address. You can then navigate to your site in a browser.

@@ -303,9 +307,9 @@ Navigate to your PostActiv domain name and log in.
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Switching user interfaces

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Switching user interfaces

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A few web based user interfaces are available for PostActiv. They are selectable by going to the Administrator control panel and choosing App settings then postactiv.

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Using with Emacs

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Using with Emacs

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Blocking controls

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Blocking controls

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diff --git a/website/EN/fediverse.html b/website/EN/fediverse.html new file mode 100644 index 00000000..30cae8f3 --- /dev/null +++ b/website/EN/fediverse.html @@ -0,0 +1,334 @@ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
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+

logo.png +

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+

Homesteading the Fediverse

+
+ +

+Some things you might want to know about the Fediverse: +

+ +
+

Keep the number of users on each server small

+
+

+The importance of this can't be overstated. Servers with lots of users always eventually have problems where the interests of the users are not the same as the interests of the server administrator. If you are the server administrator, or if there are only a small squad-size group of people on the server, then it's a lot easier to resolve differences and everyone's interests are likely to be similar. +

+
+
+ +
+

Drama will happen

+
+

+It's inevitable in any social network, but fortunately your options for dealing with it are better than they are in the giant proprietary monoliths. In the proprietary world Google or Facebook don't give a damn about the fate of individual users. On a server with a small number of users if you're getting griefed then the administrator is likely to care and be able to do something about it. +

+
+
+ +
+

Don't be afraid to block

+
+

+Especially if other servers are publishing content which may not be legal in your jurisdiction then don't be afraid to use domain or user blocking from the Administrator control panel. The same applies if users on other servers are trying to harass you. Blocking creates politics and drama but this is a feature not a bug. It allows you to craft your own distinct community and user experience while also existing in the wider federation. It's hard to do this on sites like Twitter or Facebook. Try to keep blocking to a minimum though and avoid doing it for insubstantial reasons. If you have other users on your server then publish the blocked domains list somewhere they can see. That avoids disappointment and enables you to have a discussion about the validity of blocking decisions. +

+
+
+ +
+

Network structure maps on to social structure

+
+

+Over time follows and blocking rules come to match the underlying social geography of affinity groups. Blocking will happen and users will move around or start new servers. Drama related to blocking will dissipate. +

+
+
+ +
+

Keep your follows under the Dunbar number

+
+

+Keep the number of other users you're following and who are also active to under a couple of hundred. Any more than that and you'll just be overwhelmed by irrelevant stuff and whatever community you may have been part of will dissolve in a sea of entropy. There are no algorithmic timelines, and even if they're introduced then they create their own problems as an opaque form of censorship. Real community happens at tribal scale. It's something which people often don't like to admit because they get fixated upon bigger and bigger numbers, but it definitely seems to be true. +

+
+
+ +
+

Avoid big public servers

+
+

+It may seem like a good idea and it may seem like you're doing a service to the community by allowing random strangers to register, but servers with thousands of users only cause problems - social, administrative, financial and possibly also legal. The financial strain of running a powerful server with high reliability may be enough to encourage the administrator to begin pushing advertising onto the system, or sell user content, and then before you know it you have identical problems to Twitter. Instead try to encourage people to set up their own servers. Follow this principle and a lot of arguments and stress will be more easily avoided. +

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+
+ + + +
+Back to top | E-mail me +
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+ +