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= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fediverse
= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fediverse


[[File:Fediverse logo proposal.svg|thumb|Fediverse logo proposal]]
 
[[File:Fediverse_logo_proposal_(mono_version).svg|thumb|Fediverse logo proposal (mono)]]
The '''Fediverse''' (a portmanteau of "federation" and "universe") is the ensemble of [[Federation_(information_technology) |federated]] servers that are used for web publishing (i.e. social networking, [[microblogging]], macroblogging, or websites) and file hosting.  
The '''Fediverse''' (a [[portmanteau]] of "federation" and "universe") is the ensemble of [[Federation_(information_technology) |federated]] servers that are used for [[web publishing]] (i.e. [[social networking]], [[microblogging]], [[macroblogging]], or [[websites]]) and file hosting.  
On different servers (instances), users can create so called identities. These identities are able to communicate over the boundaries of the instances because the softwares running on the servers support one or more Communication protocol|communication protocols which follow the  
On different servers (instances), users can create so called identities. These identities are able to communicate over the boundaries of the instances because the softwares running on the servers support one or more [[Communication protocol|communication protocols]] which follow the  
[[Open Standard]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170409030653/http://mastoguide.info/Pages/fedFAQ.html Mastodon User Guide] 2017-04-09 dead-url</ref> As an identity on the fediverse, you are able to exchange private messages or other data with other identities or to follow posts by other identities. In some cases, you can even show or share data (video, audio, text and other files) publicly or to a selected group of identities and allow other identities to edit your data (i.e. a calendar or an address book).   
[[open standard]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170409030653/http://mastoguide.info/Pages/fedFAQ.html Mastodon User Guide] 2017-04-09 dead-url</ref> As an identity on the fediverse, you are able to exchange private messages or other data with other identities or to follow posts by other identities. In some cases, you can even show or share data (video, audio, text and other files) publicly or to a selected group of identities and allow other identities to edit your data (i.e. a calendar or an address book).   


== History ==
== History ==
In 2008, the social network [[identi.ca]] was founded by [[wikipedia:Evan Prodromou|Evan Prodromou]]. He published the software [[GNU Social]] under a [[free license]] ([[GNU Affero General Public License|GNU Affero General Public License, AGPL]]). Besides the server, identi.ca, there were only few other instances existing, run by persons for their own use. This changed in 2011/2012 when identi.ca switched to another software called [[pump.io]]. Several new GNU Social instances were created.
In 2008, the social network [[identi.ca]] was founded by [[wikipedia:Evan Prodromou|Evan Prodromou]]. He published the software GNU Social under a free license ([[GNU Affero General Public License|GNU Affero General Public License, AGPL]]). Besides the server, identi.ca, there were only few other instances existing, run by persons for their own use. This changed in 2011/2012 when identi.ca switched to another software called pump.io. Several new GNU Social instances were created.
At the same time as GNU Social, other projects like [[Friendica]],  
At the same time as GNU Social, other projects like Friendica,  
Hubzilla,<ref name="Hubzilla gnusoc">[https://framagit.org/hubzilla/addons/tree/master/gnusoc gnusoc · master · hubzilla / addons] access-date=2018-07-17 </ref> [[Wikipedia:Mastodon (software)|Mastodon]] and Pleroma<ref name="Pleroma">[https://pleroma.social/ Pleroma] access-date=2018-07-17</ref> integrated the [[OStatus]] protocol, thus extending the fediverse.
Hubzilla,<ref name="Hubzilla gnusoc">[https://framagit.org/hubzilla/addons/tree/master/gnusoc gnusoc · master · hubzilla / addons] access-date=2018-07-17 </ref> [[Wikipedia:Mastodon (software)|Mastodon]] and Pleroma<ref name="Pleroma">[https://pleroma.social/ Pleroma] access-date=2018-07-17</ref> integrated the [[OStatus]] protocol, thus extending the fediverse.


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== Communication protocols used in the fediverse ==
== Communication protocols used in the fediverse ==
These [[Communication protocol|communication protocols]] which follow the [[open standard]] are used in the fediverse:
These communication protocols which follow the [[Open Standard]] are used in the fediverse:


<!-- Alphabetical Order -->
<!-- Alphabetical Order -->
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==Fediverse software platforms==
==Fediverse software platforms==
The software spanning the fediverse are all [[free software|free]]. Some of them vaguely resemble [[Twitter]] in style (for example, [[Mastodon (software)|Mastodon]] and [[GNU social|GNU Social]], which are similar in their [[microblogging]] function), while others include more communication and transaction options that are instead comparable to Google+ or Facebook (such as is the case with [[Friendica]] and Hubzilla).
The software spanning the fediverse are all [[free software|free]]. Some of them vaguely resemble [[Twitter]] in style (for example, [[Mastodon]] and [[GNU Social]], which are similar in their [[microblogging]] function), while others include more communication and transaction options that are instead comparable to Google+ or Facebook (such as is the case with Friendica and Hubzilla).


The following software platforms span the fediverse by using the listed communication protocols:
The following software platforms span the fediverse by using the listed communication protocols:
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! Type
! Type
![[ActivityPub]]
![[ActivityPub]]
![[DFRN]]
!DFRN
![[Diaspora (social network)|Diaspora<br/>Network]]
!Diaspora<br/>Network
![[OStatus]]
![[OStatus]]
![[Zot (protocol)|Zot<br />Zot/6]]
![[Zot (protocol)|Zot<br />Zot/6]]
|-
|-
| Aardwolf
| Aardwolf
| [[Social network]]
| Social network
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
Line 59: Line 58:
|-
|-
| CloutStream
| CloutStream
| Professional [[Social network]]
| Professional Social network
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
Line 67: Line 66:
|-
|-
| [[Diaspora (software)|diaspora* software]]
| [[Diaspora (software)|diaspora* software]]
| [[Social network]], [[Microblogging]]
| Social Network, [[Microblogging]]
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Proposed <ref>[https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/issues/7422 Support ActivityPub #7422] |url=|access-date=2018-08-18</ref> <ref>[https://discourse.diasporafoundation.org/t/lets-talk-about-activitypub/741 Let's talk about ActivityPub] access-date=2018-08-18</ref>
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Proposed <ref>[https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/issues/7422 Support ActivityPub #7422] |url=|access-date=2018-08-18</ref> <ref>[https://discourse.diasporafoundation.org/t/lets-talk-about-activitypub/741 Let's talk about ActivityPub] access-date=2018-08-18</ref>
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
Line 82: Line 81:
| <!-- Zot/6 -->                    No
| <!-- Zot/6 -->                    No
|-
|-
| [[Friendica]]<br />(f. Friendika; orig. Mistpark)
| Friendica<br />(f. Friendika; orig. Mistpark)
| [[Social network]], [[Microblogging]]
| Social network, [[Microblogging]]
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes  
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes  
| <!-- DFRN -->                    Yes
| <!-- DFRN -->                    Yes
Line 98: Line 97:
| <!-- Zot/6 -->                    No
| <!-- Zot/6 -->                    No
|-
|-
| [[GNU MediaGoblin]]
| GNU MediaGoblin
| file, image, audio, video hosting
| file, image, audio, video hosting
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Proposed <ref>[https://issues.mediagoblin.org/ticket/5503 Move federation code to ActivityPub spec #5503] access-date=2018-08-18</ref>
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Proposed <ref>[https://issues.mediagoblin.org/ticket/5503 Move federation code to ActivityPub spec #5503] access-date=2018-08-18</ref>
Line 106: Line 105:
| <!-- Zot/6 -->                    No
| <!-- Zot/6 -->                    No
|-
|-
| [[GNU social|GNUsocial]]<br />(f. StatusNet; orig. Laconica)
| GNUsocial<br />(f. StatusNet; orig. Laconica)
| [[Microblogging]]
| [[Microblogging]]
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Proposed <ref>[https://git.gnu.io/gnu/gnu-social/issues/256 Support ActivityPub #256] access-date=2018-08-18]</ref> <ref>[https://git.gnu.io/dansup/ActivityPub/ author=GNU social|title=Plugin|url=|access-date=2018-08-18</ref>
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Proposed <ref>[https://git.gnu.io/gnu/gnu-social/issues/256 Support ActivityPub #256] access-date=2018-08-18]</ref> <ref>[https://git.gnu.io/dansup/ActivityPub/ author=GNU social|title=Plugin|url=|access-date=2018-08-18</ref>
Line 114: Line 113:
| <!-- Zot/6 -->                    No
| <!-- Zot/6 -->                    No
|-
|-
| [[Hubzilla]]<br/>(f. RedMatrix; orig. Friendica-Red)
| Hubzilla<br/>(f. RedMatrix; orig. Friendica-Red)
| [[Content Management System|CMS]], [[Social network]], [[Microblogging]], [[Wiki]], [[Blog|Blogging]], Image gallery, File hosting
| CMS, Social Network, [[Microblogging]], [[Wiki]], [[Blog|Blogging]], Image gallery, File hosting
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
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| <!-- Zot/6 -->                    No
| <!-- Zot/6 -->                    No
|-
|-
| [[Mastodon (software)|Mastodon]]
| [[Mastodon]]
| [[Microblogging]]
| [[Microblogging]]
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes <ref>[https://github.com/tootsuite/mastodon/issues/1557 ActivityPub support #1557] access-date=2018-08-18</ref>
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes <ref>[https://github.com/tootsuite/mastodon/issues/1557 ActivityPub support #1557] access-date=2018-08-18</ref>
Line 147: Line 146:
|-
|-
| Misskey
| Misskey
| [[Social network]], [[Microblogging]]
| [[Social Network]], [[Microblogging]]
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
Line 171: Line 170:
|-
|-
| Osada
| Osada
| [[Social network]], [[Microblogging]]
| [[Social Network]], [[Microblogging]]
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
Line 235: Line 234:
|-
|-
| Pubcast (f. Metapods)
| Pubcast (f. Metapods)
| [[Netcast|Netcasting]]
| Netcasting
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
Line 242: Line 241:
| <!-- Zot/6 -->                    No
| <!-- Zot/6 -->                    No
|-
|-
| [[pump.io]]
| pump.io
| [[Microblogging]]
| [[Microblogging]]
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Proposed <ref>[https://github.com/pump-io/pump.io/issues/1241 ActivityPub support #1241] access-date=2018-08-18</ref>
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Proposed <ref>[https://github.com/pump-io/pump.io/issues/1241 ActivityPub support #1241] access-date=2018-08-18</ref>
Line 251: Line 250:
|-
|-
| Read.as
| Read.as
| [[News aggregator|Feed reader]]
| Feed reader
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes <ref>[https://github.com/writeas/Read.as Long-form ActivityPub-enabled reader] access-date=2018-08-29</ref>
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              Yes <ref>[https://github.com/writeas/Read.as Long-form ActivityPub-enabled reader] access-date=2018-08-29</ref>
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
Line 259: Line 258:
|-
|-
| Socialhome
| Socialhome
| [[Website]], [[Social network]], [[Microblogging]]
| Website, [[Social Network]], [[Microblogging]]
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              In progress <ref>[https://socialhome.network/content/83203/federation-socialhome-federates-using-the-di/ Federation - ActivityPub support is work in progress] access-date=2018-09-16</ref>
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              In progress <ref>[https://socialhome.network/content/83203/federation-socialhome-federates-using-the-di/ Federation - ActivityPub support is work in progress] access-date=2018-09-16</ref>
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
Line 275: Line 274:
|-
|-
| Zap
| Zap
| [[Social network]], [[Microblogging]]
| [[Social Network]], [[Microblogging]]
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              No
| <!-- ActivityPub -->              No
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
| <!-- DFRN -->                    No
Line 290: Line 289:
* Number of posts: 201,681,558
* Number of posts: 201,681,558
* Number of comments: 4,764,706
* Number of comments: 4,764,706
==See also==
* [[Comparison of software and protocols for distributed social networking]]


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 15:46, 18 January 2019

Copied from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0) on 2018-12-19: = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fediverse


The Fediverse (a portmanteau of "federation" and "universe") is the ensemble of federated servers that are used for web publishing (i.e. social networking, microblogging, macroblogging, or websites) and file hosting. On different servers (instances), users can create so called identities. These identities are able to communicate over the boundaries of the instances because the softwares running on the servers support one or more Communication protocol|communication protocols which follow the Open Standard.[1] As an identity on the fediverse, you are able to exchange private messages or other data with other identities or to follow posts by other identities. In some cases, you can even show or share data (video, audio, text and other files) publicly or to a selected group of identities and allow other identities to edit your data (i.e. a calendar or an address book).

History

In 2008, the social network identi.ca was founded by Evan Prodromou. He published the software GNU Social under a free license (GNU Affero General Public License, AGPL). Besides the server, identi.ca, there were only few other instances existing, run by persons for their own use. This changed in 2011/2012 when identi.ca switched to another software called pump.io. Several new GNU Social instances were created. At the same time as GNU Social, other projects like Friendica, Hubzilla,[2] Mastodon and Pleroma[3] integrated the OStatus protocol, thus extending the fediverse.

In the meantime, other communication protocols have evolved which are integrated to different degrees into the platforms. In January 2016, the W3C presented the ActivityPub protocol, aiming to improve the interoperability between the platforms. As of 2018-08, this protocol is supported by thirteen platforms (see the table below).

Communication protocols used in the fediverse

These communication protocols which follow the Open Standard are used in the fediverse:

Fediverse software platforms

The software spanning the fediverse are all free. Some of them vaguely resemble Twitter in style (for example, Mastodon and GNU Social, which are similar in their microblogging function), while others include more communication and transaction options that are instead comparable to Google+ or Facebook (such as is the case with Friendica and Hubzilla).

The following software platforms span the fediverse by using the listed communication protocols:

Platform Name Type ActivityPub DFRN Diaspora
Network 		OStatus Zot
Zot/6
Aardwolf Social network Yes No No No No
Anfora Image hosting In progress [7] No No No No
CloutStream Professional Social network Yes No No No No
diaspora* software Social Network, Microblogging Proposed [8] [9] No Yes No No
distbin Pastebin Yes No No No No
Friendica
(f. Friendika; orig. Mistpark) 		Social network, Microblogging Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Funkwhale Audio, sound hosting Yes No No No No
GNU MediaGoblin file, image, audio, video hosting Proposed [10] No No No No
GNUsocial
(f. StatusNet; orig. Laconica) 		Microblogging Proposed [11] [12] No No Yes No
Hubzilla
(f. RedMatrix; orig. Friendica-Red) 		CMS, Social Network, Microblogging, Wiki, Blogging, Image gallery, File hosting Yes No Yes Yes [2] Zot
Littr.me Link-sharing Yes No No No No
Mastodon Microblogging Yes [13] No No Yes No
microblog.pub Microblogging Yes No No No No
Misskey Social Network, Microblogging Yes No No No No
Nextcloud File hosting Yes [14] No No No No
Numaverse Microblogging, ETH blockchain Yes No No No No
Osada Social Network, Microblogging Yes No No No Zot/6
PeerPx Image hosting Yes No No No No
PeerTube Video hosting Yes No No No No
PixelFed Image hosting In progress [15] No No No No
Pleroma Microblogging Yes No No Yes [3] No
Plume Blogging Yes No No No No
postActiv Microblogging Proposed [16] No No Yes No
Prismo Link-sharing Yes No No No No
Pubcast (f. Metapods) Netcasting Yes No No No No
pump.io Microblogging Proposed [17] No No Dropped [18] No
Read.as Feed reader Yes [19] No No No No
Socialhome Website, Social Network, Microblogging In progress [20] No Yes No Proposed [21]
Write.as / Write Freely Blogging Yes No No No No
Zap Social Network, Microblogging No No No Noa Yes Zot/6

Actual spreading

The statistic service the-federation.info states for the 6th of December 2018 following data about the fediverse. The statistics do not reflect the whole fediverse. [22]

  • Number of instances (servers): 3,952
  • Number of identities: 2,382,670
  • Number of posts: 201,681,558
  • Number of comments: 4,764,706

References

  1. ↑ Mastodon User Guide 2017-04-09 dead-url
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 gnusoc · master · hubzilla / addons access-date=2018-07-17
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pleroma access-date=2018-07-17
  4. ↑ DFRN2 author=github.com/friendica/ access-date=2018-08-18
  5. ↑ Zot/6 author=Mike Macgirvin|access-date=2018-09-14
  6. ↑ Zot Protocol author=project.hubzilla.org|access-date=2018-08-18
  7. ↑ Implement mastodon API endpoints#23 author=Anfora|title=|url=|access-date=2018-12-10
  8. ↑ Support ActivityPub #7422 |url=|access-date=2018-08-18
  9. ↑ Let's talk about ActivityPub access-date=2018-08-18
  10. ↑ Move federation code to ActivityPub spec #5503 access-date=2018-08-18
  11. ↑ Support ActivityPub #256 access-date=2018-08-18]
  12. ↑ [https://git.gnu.io/dansup/ActivityPub/ author=GNU social|title=Plugin|url=|access-date=2018-08-18
  13. ↑ ActivityPub support #1557 access-date=2018-08-18
  14. ↑ Nextcloud introduces social features, joins the fediverse access-date=2018-12-10
  15. ↑ We can't wait to join the fediverse. access-date=2018-12-10
  16. ↑ ActivityPub support #97 access-date=2018-08-18
  17. ↑ ActivityPub support #1241 access-date=2018-08-18
  18. ↑ OStatus #8 access-date=2018-08-18
  19. ↑ Long-form ActivityPub-enabled reader access-date=2018-08-29
  20. ↑ Federation - ActivityPub support is work in progress access-date=2018-09-16
  21. ↑ Implementing Zot author=Jason Robinson date=May 19, 2018
  22. ↑ The Federation - Welcome to the new social web access-date=2018-08-18
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