Here's my first Mastodon post!
My mission out here? To understand and promote Mastodon, the only large European social media platform (to my knowledge).
How can we make more Europeans come to the Fediverse?
My mission out here? To understand and promote Mastodon, the only large European social media platform (to my knowledge).
How can we make more Europeans come to the Fediverse?
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-karlos-
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •The EU institutions should have own instances
and „all“ of the Parliament an account.
perry77@tutamail.com likes this.
Hannah Grace
in reply to -karlos- • • •Inspiring comment, and thank you!
Rafa Font 🌻 🇪🇺 🏀
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Phoenix Paulina Schmid
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Hannah Grace
in reply to Phoenix Paulina Schmid • • •René Seindal
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Welcome.
It would be fantastic if the primary online presence of the union could be European.
Hannah Grace
in reply to René Seindal • • •One hopes that based on this we'll see a bigger movement to Mastodon.
The European Commission has been here for quite a few years... But follower numbers have always been limited by limited numbers on Mastodon itself.
René Seindal
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •The EU institutions could be a driver in adaptability.
Post here thirty minutes before everywhere else, and the journalists will come, and the rest follows.
Tiziano :friendica: likes this.
René Seindal
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Tiziano :friendica: likes this.
Tom Stoneham
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Welcome!
Your big challenge is going to be understanding and then explaining why Mastodon and other fediverse services are a much better way for Europe to free itself from American (and Chinese) platforms than the Eurosky project!
Hannah Grace
in reply to Tom Stoneham • • •I'm getting a lot of good tips and resources here 😀
Hoping to be up to speed ASAP and in a position to motivate others to join
midzer
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Hannah Grace
in reply to midzer • • •Imagine I'm preparing a workshop for people who want to understand and join Mastodon.
What could you tell people to make Mastodon look like a fun place to be?
midzer
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •shopkeeper
in reply to midzer • • •@midzer i usually do a small comparison on how different platforms work in normal use case vs. in extreme use case.
ppl "usually" understand how to use mastodon in a normal way (as if it's similar to twitter or whatever)
the extreme use case as being when bad things happen to a walled-garden platform. its users "may" realize they actually don't have the freedom to choose a different instance without losing communication to their connections (followers & following)
Tony Meredith
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •It's much more about values (like Václav Havel) than explaining rules. And some fun!
Hannah Grace
in reply to Tony Meredith • • •@Tony_Meredith I suppose one could say that values can make you join a new platform, but the fun is needed to keep one coming back?
I tend to sign up for all the new platforms (I'm a social media manager, so I want to stay on top of it all) but only the ones that really engage me keep me coming back.
Oh, an active community, that's important. Impressed with reactions here so far!
Geppo
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •I don't read anything about activities like #digitalindependanceday or others.
And that Denmark has an app to avoid or replace US goods is remarkable too. EU should talk about, even DT might get angry
Hektor
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •To promote this alternative, it is helpful to invite colleagues and friends to participate and give them reasons why it is important and better for the European and personal autonomy. This document may help to explain this.
fedi.tips/
Fedi.Tips – An Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse
fedi.tipsHannah Grace
in reply to Hektor • • •Alex P Roe
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Mastodon instance custom emoji list
emojos.inHektor
in reply to Alex P Roe • • •Dry Joanuary 😷
in reply to Hektor • • •@Trojaner Haha, this is amazing. (I was going to jump in with some info about emojis, etc., but I think it's mostly been covered.)
Yes, having custom emojis for your server/community is very important. The admins of @mastodonie - an Irish instance - added icons for a pint of stout, Tayto crisps (the national potato chip), Brennan's bread (an indispensable loaf), and (most important of all) a mug of tea. 🙂
@alex_p_roe @hpod16
Hannah Grace
in reply to Dry Joanuary 😷 • • •Ok but let me understand this:
I can only really see those icons, if I'm on that Irish instance? Or if my instance supports those? Wondering if it's worth going down the rabbit hole of figuring out how to make these / use these for our official EU Commission instance...
Dry Joanuary 😷
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •That's a fair question, and I'm not sure of the answer.
On the one hand, it's a bit technical for me: I know that sometimes, I can't see custom emojis from other instances, but sometimes I can; and I don't know why!
otoh, they're a bit 'fun,' so are they necessary for a 'serious' instance? (If yes, maybe as a lower priority!?)
Possibly @FediTips has some guidance on this topic?
@Trojaner @mastodonie @alex_p_roe
Fedi.Tips
in reply to Dry Joanuary 😷 • • •@clickhere @Trojaner @mastodonie @alex_p_roe
You should be able to see custom emoji no matter which instance you are on.
However, you can only use custom emoji yourself that are on your own instance.
If you can't see custom emoji from another instance, it's probably a temporary glitch.
More info about them at fedi.tips/what-are-custom-emoj…
Hannah Grace
in reply to Fedi.Tips • • •Thanks, I appreciate it! 💜
Fedi.Tips
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •How to add custom emoji to your own Mastodon server | Fedi.Tips – An Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse
fedi.tipsDer Schrank
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •We need more press coverage of the fediverse and stuff like "share on fedi" next to "share on Facebook" and the like. It should be normalized for media and business to be on fedi as well.
So from your standpoint you could fight for public press releases of the EU to include links to official fedi accounts for example.
Thank you for asking!
Tiziano :friendica: likes this.
Hannah Grace
in reply to Der Schrank • • •I can tell you there are people working on this.
Mastodon was recently included under the "share more" option, but I'll admit it could be even more prominent. It's a first step, more steps to come.
Der Schrank
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Awesome! Should probably move right to the top of the sharing options. 😅
Maybe it would make sense to migrate to using the term "fediverse" as well. Away from the product Mastodon, because there are also other products available and competing with their commercial counterparts like Friendica (alternative to Facebook), Pixelfed (alternative to Instagram) and Loops (alternative to TikTok).
(Not to mention various smaller projects and forks or alternatives to Mastodon as well)
Hannah Grace
in reply to Der Schrank • • •you may have to explain to me this difference between Mastodon and fediverse. It's one of these things I don't fully understand yet (be kind, I'm new)
River
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •@der_schrank as you're learning about Mastodon and Fediverse, I *highly* suggest checking out some of the resources that @FediTips has released. They're how I learned most of what I know about fedi.
fedi.tips/
Best of luck!
Fedi.Tips – An Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse
fedi.tipsFedi.Tips
in reply to River • • •@riverpunk @der_schrank
Hi Hannah, welcome!
About your question, Mastodon is part of a much larger social network called the Fediverse.
I've done an easy-to-understand guide about this at fedi.tips/what-is-mastodon-wha…
There are also lots more guides on the front page at fedi.tips and feel free to ask if you want help with anything specific. I am trying to provide unofficial tech support on here 🙂
What is Mastodon? What is the Fediverse? | Fedi.Tips – An Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse
fedi.tipsRocketman
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Welcome!
Good to have you here. If you need anything, just wave 👋😊
🌈 Lascapi ⁂
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Dorian
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Heya and welcome!
How was/is your onbording experience?
A lot tech savvy people I know, simply say it is still too complicated and either don’t sign up, or when signed up struggle to find content and let their accounts go stale.
It took some work but with hashtags and starter packs I found all I need. Some people are even missing algorithms even though mobile clients mimic them 🤷♂️
Hektor
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Sorry – it's me again. I sent you a bit too much text.
Here are two short videos.
fedi.video/w/cbQE3NRw76FayQCSd…
videos.elenarossini.com/w/64Vu…
No YouTube – enjoy them. Have a lovely weekend!
Elena Rossini on PeerTube
2025-06-09 19:16:08
Jan ⦁ Eckernförde
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Fiona Ebner
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Personally, I talk about the Fediverse and why it is important a lot and there are many opportunities, even when just doing small talk. Most people are not happy with being manipulated by big tech, ad-driven social media. For many, I'm the first person to even tell them about the Fediverse. Of course, the vast majority won't join right away, but every impulse helps. I like focusing on positive aspects and advantages, and try to reach the person where they're at right now. And depending on the circumstances it might not be more than namedropping, but I still think it's very important to do. And I do look out for other opportunities to promote it.
I also like pointing people here:
jointhefediverse.net/
Join the fediverse!
jointhefediverse.netHannah Grace
in reply to Fiona Ebner • • •Thanks for the comment, @totientfunction!
I'm enjoying Mastodon so far because it reminds me of a different time on social media.
There was a time I was to taken with social media, I loved it enough to make it my whole career. It's been 10 years since I started working with social media, and I've seen a lot of... change, much of it for the worse. Still believe that social media can be harnessed for good though.
Spar|fin|dig :: Jan
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Gunter
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •iBallesty
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •iBallesty
in reply to iBallesty • • •clew
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Two attractive things IMO:
"channels" of practical information. My city has Fediverse announcements of power and water outages (planned or emergencies), wastewater disease tracking, other stuff it's just handy to see. More time-sensitive than a webpage, less time-sensitive than emergencies or transit outages (I get those over SMS).
Ideally useful info, not just press releases; and really ideally someplace a citizen can report trouble
1/2
@hpod16
clew
in reply to clew • • •"social" is less obviously something for a government to Do, but I bet a government could help translate popular client software into all the national languages, or sponsor "how to host a small instance" the same way there are community classes in gardening or any adult pursuit.
One of my hobbyhorses is that "hosting" is TWO important jobs, the computer side and the human side -- in English it's the same kind of "host" that might run a regular salon, or a friendly bar, etc.
2/2
Hannah Grace
in reply to clew • • •What does it take to host your own server?
clew
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •it's usually called "moderation" online, but IMO it's like parties!
You welcome new people, you have a sense of both the agreed beliefs and the issues that are going to be touchy for your group, you do ongoing organization so people can find the good stuff...
and sometimes you have to throw somebody out though in a good system that's RARE and it always involves some people feeling it was too early and some people feeling it wasn't early enough.
Familiar???
clew
in reply to clew • • •t3sserakt
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Samuel Mumm
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •@BlumeEvolution
Welcome in the world of fediverse!
u_urban
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Welcome!
Hannah Grace
in reply to u_urban • • •Freue mich ueber die vielen Reaktionen!
Computeforloot
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Brutus Bunny
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •sax 🌈
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Hannah Grace
in reply to sax 🌈 • • •JT Leskinen
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Hannah Grace
in reply to JT Leskinen • • •I’m getting good vibes from this side of the internet so far. It’s kind of reminding me of my early days on tumblr in 2010. 💜
Otto Sulin
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Hannah Grace
in reply to Otto Sulin • • •That's a good tip!
Will do that with my old X account!
Veza85UE
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Welcome! By telling them not to overthink it.
1. There ARE plenty of active Europeans on here, in all EU languages, you can really turn it into a nice little anglo-free oasis with the right filters and still have plenty of content.
2. We're not all techies. I still don't know wtf is a Linux, it's fine. If you just want to shitpost and share cat pictures or share stitching patterns or soup recipes, you'll find your people by following hashtags.
3. Show them #FinnCleo
nathan
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •People had to learn what a tweet, a follower or hashtag was when they started using twitter. It has never been a blocker.
Promote good accounts to follow, open up few mastodon instances (1 per EU country or even region) so people starts in an environment speaking their mother tongue and spread the word.
Aaron
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Hannah Grace
in reply to Aaron • • •Got any tips for a Mastodon newbie?
Aaron
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •We're big on alt-text here, so please add it to images you include in your posts.
YOU are the algorithm. If you see something cool or interesting, boosting that post is what gives it legs.
You can follow or share from other Fedi services here on Mastodon.
EVERYONE's posts are an RSS feed, meaning you can literally subscribe to a Mastodon user & see their posts in your RSS reader.
Hannah Grace
in reply to Aaron • • •I appreciate the warm welcome I'm getting here. 💜
Aaron
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •YW. Small steps, ya know?
I forgot to mention in the tips that you can edit your posts after sending them. That's a godsend. Anyhow, it's great to 'meet' you and welcome to the party. Hope the rest of your day is fantastic.
Leander Lindahl
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •this is my suggestion:
mastodon.social/@leanderlindah…
And this
mastodon.social/@_elena/115762…
And you (the commission) should invite researcher @carl to tell you about Masto and the Fediverse. You have the power to make a difference with your presence.
carlheath.se/aboutme/
About me - Carl Heath – Musings on the Internet
Carl Heath – Musings on the InternetLeander Lindahl
2026-01-18 08:01:13
Hannah Grace
in reply to Leander Lindahl • • •well... I'd say keep making the case.
Cecilia | MeraOrd
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Hannah Grace
in reply to Cecilia | MeraOrd • • •Cecilia | MeraOrd
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Peter H. Fröhlich
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Hannah Grace
in reply to Peter H. Fröhlich • • •Also: I say Europeans because I work for the EU - so that's my personal focus. I want our EU institutions to reach EU citizens, be it here or elsewhere. But of course the fediverse is and should be global.
Peperlito
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Hannah Grace
in reply to Peperlito • • •If you had to crystallise it in one sentence, what’s the best thing about posting on Mastodon?
Peperlito
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Hannah Grace
in reply to Peperlito • • •Leander Lindahl
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •did someone already tell you about the starter-packs? They're a great way to get started and find people to follow
fedidevs.com/starter-packs/?q=…
Mastodon Starter Pack Directory | Fedidevs
fedidevs.comHannah Grace
in reply to Leander Lindahl • • •So that sounds like a Monday endeavour to me. 💜
Thanks for the reco!
ekari
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Hannah Grace
in reply to ekari • • •Marcus Rohrmoser 🌻
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •I don't see mastodon being a #platform. Mastodon.social is but one server. As is eupolicy.social. Among many. Among many non-mastodons. There is no such thing as 'one platform'.
No kings. No landlords. One social web.
P.S.: Greetings to #fosdem and #offdem.
Kalle Kniivilä
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •René Seindal
in reply to Kalle Kniivilä • • •Exactly. The EU should lead, not follow.
Neil Brown
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •andrea_ferrero
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Oblomov
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •well, I'm guessing the first step would be coming to the Fediverse ourselves, so at the very least we're off to a good start there 8-D
The next step would be to convince others to join us, I'm still working on that 8-P
Pino Frisoli
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •Alex
in reply to Hannah Grace • • •welcome to Mastodon!
I hope you'll enjoy being here.
As for your mission, It's my belief that explaining exactly what ActivityPub (and not just Mastodon) actually would be a great first step. ActivityPub is the protocol that every Fediverse service uses to dialogue with other services.
I also believe that @_elena and her (I hope this is the right pronoun Elena, if not just make me know and I'll edit) videos explaining the Fediverse would help a lot
Elena Rossini ⁂
in reply to Alex • • •@alex welcome to Mastodon / the fediverse Hannah! It's great to have you here. And thank you for the mention Alex (totally right pronouns, but a reminder I should put them in my bio).
Hannah I made a short video about the Fediverse (the galaxy of social networks that Mastodon is part of) last year and people seemed to really like it: blog.elenarossini.com/fedivers…
I also wrote a Fediverse started guide: blog.elenarossini.com/my-fediv…
I look forward to interacting with you on here. Have a great day!
The Future Is Federated: My Fediverse Starter Guide
Elena RossiniTiziano :friendica:
in reply to Hannah Grace • •(Nice to see quite some new folks here in the last days, actually.)
I'll be glad to share any tips you may need about it!
I'm a cellist BTW 👋 (no lilac cello, just a boring old classical one 😂)
Hannah Grace likes this.