The Fediverse is a connected web of free open source platforms that does not track and does not subject users to algorithms or ads. I am on Mastodon, analagous to Twitter. There are fedi photo & video sharing apps & all communicate with each other. (It would be like seeing YouTube & Instagram & TikTok while scrolling your Twitter feed.) More info on the Fediverse. I think one of the most important things to consider about the fediverse is that its potential increases as the user base increases. Currently you can look at Fedi options and say they don't measure up to all the various corporate counterparts. That's true to some extent. I think that's why the first to grow the fastest has been Mastodon. A microblog seems easier to get right compared to video platforms or Facebook replacements. What's important to remember is that all fedi accounts can interact with each other. You absolutely should try out the best fit for you & you still get the option of seeing everything else. You can follow me and ask me anything. [You can follow my feed without joining using that URL or follow my posts via RSS.] Fedi users in general are helpful on the hashtag fedihelp. I use custom hashtags for my own organizing:
- healR = posts about my health journey
- Rartsy = photos of my art
- LaterR = return to this topic later
The strength of the fediverse depends on users. Join to become part of a community and not just another customer / data revenue source. For everything that currently exists that abuses users for profit there is an ethical version in development. If you join the fediverse you will help build the future of human communication.
▫ Linkstack instead of Linktree. It's identical functionality without harassing me with announcements & gameification. It simply does what I want. I donate $10 to them from time to time.
▫ Write Freely is my choice for super simple, distraction-free blogging that is connected to the Fediverse. It does not offer the same funcionality as the competition. If I wanted more robust options for my online existence than my current choices Neocities (here!) & Write Freely I would turn to Ghost. Ghost is the non-evil replacement for Substack, Patreon, WordPress, and more.
▫ Speaking of Patreon, I prefer Liberapay for donation processing. Since I have not upgraded my needs to Ghost, Liberapay offers me a simple interface for collecting recurring donations from patrons. Or it would if anyone had yet chosen to use it. I have hope. I'm using my Liberapay profile as a donation landing page. All the other online financing options that I accept can be reached from there. Of course I appreciate whenever anyone decides to donate to me, and I understand that people will use sites with which they are familiar. Just know that Liberapay has been operating securely for many years as a French nonprofit organization. The other funding sites that I've joined operate with capitalist motives.
The calendar changes as I make decisions. A whole lot is up in the air right now—a nerve-wracking quantity of freedom! I'm open to invitations. ;) But basically I am looking to settle into a routine for the coming year that puts me in Mexico for the majority of it, returning to see my sister & family for the fall & winter holidays.