You might be wondering, "What's going on with this new instance (mastodon.thedecentalists.com)?"
Well, I'll tell you. My company, Peer Social, is building a decentralized peer-to-peer social network, both protocol and client. We intend to open source a good portion of it soon. For two years, we've been banging the drums on Twitter.
Well, last August, Twitter banned all our accounts. For what reason? We still don't know. Tried contacting Twitter, they didn't get back. Lesson learned.
Last week, I attented the ActivityPub Conference (#apconf). I learned a lot -- just how deep and boisterous this community is. Truth be told, I'm excited. I've long know that the decentralized web is the future. Now I know it's the present. There's some beautiful projects being done on the Fediverse.
Secondly, the lesson we learned from our Twitter ban is that it's absolutely CRITICAL that everyone should own their own data. If you have the know-how to start a Mastodon instance, you should do so. If you don't but want to, I'm happy to offer advice. If administration is a barrier -- I don't blame you if it is! -- we're more than happy to offer this instance as your home provided you abide by our Terms of Service.
Specifically, if you're running a company and worried about data integrity -- and you should! -- we want to show the world that the #Fediverse can be done. The proof is in the pudding!
So what makes this Mastodon instance different? Great question! First, The Decentralists is about decentralization. We have an established podcast all about it. We explore critical issues about social media, journalism, geo-politics. Have a listen! https://www.buzzsprout.com/995260