Mastodon tutorial and applications

Mastodon¶

Mastodon is an open-source social network that was created by German software developer Eugen Rochko in 2016. It was created as a response to concerns about the increasing centralization of social media, and as an alternative to centralized social networks like Twitter and Facebook.

Mastodon was first launched on October 16, 2016, and has since grown into a global network of users, administrators, and instances. The software behind Mastodon is available for anyone to use and run their own instance, and the project has a large and active community of developers and contributors.

Mastodon is a decentralized, open-source social network that was created as an alternative to centralized social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. It operates on a distributed network of servers, called "instances," which are run by individual users and organizations. Each instance operates independently, but all instances can communicate with each other and share content, creating a network that spans the entire world.

Users on Mastodon can post short messages, called "toots," which can contain text, images, videos, and other media. They can also follow other users, "boost" or share posts they like, and engage in conversations through mentions and replies. Mastodon also supports hashtags, which make it easy to discover and join conversations on specific topics.

One of the key differences between Mastodon and centralized social networks is that Mastodon is community-driven. Each instance is run by a different administrator, and each administrator can set their own rules and moderation policies. This means that Mastodon is much more flexible and diverse than centralized social networks, as each instance can cater to the needs and interests of its own community.

Another difference is that Mastodon is designed to be more privacy-friendly and secure than centralized social networks. All data on Mastodon is stored on users' devices, and users control who can see their data. Mastodon also has strong encryption built into its design, which helps to protect user data from hackers and other malicious actors.

Overall, Mastodon is a unique and innovative social network that offers a decentralized, community-driven alternative to centralized social media platforms. Whether you're looking for more privacy, more control over your data, or a more diverse and flexible social network experience, Mastodon may be the right choice for you.

Mastodon is built using the Ruby on Rails web application framework and the Elixir programming language. Ruby on Rails is a popular framework for building web applications, and is known for its ease of use and fast development times. Elixir is a functional programming language that is designed for building highly concurrent and scalable systems. It was chosen for Mastodon due to its ability to handle the large amounts of data and traffic that the social network generates.

In addition to Ruby on Rails and Elixir, Mastodon also uses JavaScript, HTML, and CSS for the front-end user interface, and PostgreSQL for data storage. The Mastodon codebase is open source and available on Github, allowing developers to contribute to the project and build their own custom instances of the social network.

Desktop applications¶

Personally I prefer to engage on Mastodon either via browser or in my favorite way with the mobile app. For my needs that is more than enough. Also, I do weekly backups and download my archives. Desktop app is OK but I rarely use them, but it is definitely easier with multiple accounts as it is visually comfortable to engage and read in that way.

Sengi¶

Really nice, love it. It gives more features than many others, still not too much. It is much easier to set up and understand than TheDesk. Features: - setting up columns from different instances at the same dashboard - very easy and fun to use - bookmarks and schedule - support for lists - custom char limit - toot badges ( replies, cross posting, bot etc.)

Sengi

TheDesk¶

Couldn't find how to disable auto timeline loading. User interface is confusing, requires patience and needs the most time to find things or to learn where they are and what certain options mean. Setting timelines lasts forever. Not suitable for people unaccustomed to complex dashboards.

It has a huge option settings:

schedule toots and drafts.
export/import preferences ( very much needed feature as it takes a while to set all in place)
custom save folder for pictures and screenshots
custom make themes, and custom import themes
Open Sticker support
custom search engine
timeline appearance, font size and custom fonts
hardware acceleration
image compression, custom shortcuts
mute or emphasis on words and clients
Support and connect for Spotify and Last.Fm, album artwork and music sharing ( Now Play)
Text2Speech with WebSocket plugin

TheDesk

Whalebird¶

No schedule or drafts. Loading removes second column. Slipping timeline is kind of annoying, requires some exercise to avoid it. This one is visually my favorite because it is very beautiful. Two column design is great, replies come really easy and are all visible. Profile menu can't be scrolled, so if you add a few more hashtags or lists, those disappear under the fold. Changing font size or going full screen doesn't help much.

Whalebird

Hyperspace¶

No schedule. App is pretty basic, good for noobs. Simple and easy to understand. No bookmarks to save favorite statuses. Super simple settings. Multiple color themes but only header color changes and there are two themes with the same color pink ( Compassionate and Adventurous). Multiple columns are inconsistent to look at as they do not move separately, so while one is half in another status is half out of visibility. Sent mention to a user without me actually pressing button, possibly sends on Enter.

Hyperspace

Tokodon¶

I really love the KDE Applications, but this is Linux only.

Tokodon - KDE Applications

Bitlbee plugin for Mastodon¶

This is just an extension for the IRC Linux client Bitlbee.

Bitlbee plugin for Mastodon

Mast¶

Apple only; PAID. By the look of it, Mast has no interesting features, developer website is not responsive and it looks clumsy. An app itself has a very low rating on Apple shop.

Mast