A kind observation that exclusively calling this place "Mastodon" has a bit similar energy as saying "I just sent a GMail."
"Fediverse" (or "fedi") is a more inclusive, general term.
Mastodon is just one of many software projects that talk to each other to create this multi-instance social network:
https://axbom.com/fediverse/
(kudos to @axbom for this fantastic infographic!)
There are blogs, Reddit-like communities, video instances and many more, all part of fedi.
I edited this toot, as there were many people pointing out it sounded "annoyed" or "scolding." That was never the intention, and I am sorry it came off that way.
That said, I do believe language matters a great deal: "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world."
I am not trying to convince you to always use one term over the other (I too sometimes use "Mastodon" in that context). Okay, maybe a tiny bit.
But mainly, I am trying to give broader context.
I have also seen a lot of people saying "well the app is called Mastodon" — sure, but there are a lot of other apps you can use. Tusky, Metatext, Fedilab and literally dozens more:
https://www.androidauthority.com/best-mastodon-apps-android-1210889/
https://transponderings.blog/2022/05/21/eight-mastodon-apps-for-iphone/
If you happened to download "Fedilab" first, would you argue the whole network is called "Fedilab"?..
And being aware that there's a broad spectrum of options might help you find a mobile app that maybe even works better than the official one.
In this very thread I have seen responses from people who are using Pleroma or Misskey or Calckey or Friendica as their instance software. This very thread shows exactly how this is a bigger network than just Mastodon.
You can use a Mastodon app and connect to a Mastodon instance and never even know that person you're talking with is using, say, Fedilab with a Pleroma instance.
Recognizing that is, I feel, useful, as it broadens our imagination about what's possible.
And that's not just about some technical capabilities of this or that software, but also about power dynamics (yes, they exist on fedi too, to some extent) and about building a network that can cater to anyone's needs and where everyone can feel safe.
As much as Mastodon-the-software-project is a fantastic piece of software and is by far the most popular instance software on fedi, identifying the whole network with a single project alone means that project gets to decide what is possible.
I do not need to explain that no single entity run by a small group of people can appreciate experiences and needs of every single person out there.
So we need more diversity in projects, to get more diversity in how the whole network evolves to accommodate all the diverse groups of people joining it nowadays as part of #TwitterMigration.
In other words, we could do with recognizing that on a technical level this place is a bit more… #Fediverse.
(see what I did there?)
Oh, and in case you're wondering: yes, I absolutely did just quote Ludwig freaking Wittgenstein at you!
And from "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus", no less. How's that for some language games?
#FollowFriday, Non-Mastodon edition (you can follow and interact with these directly from masto). See parent thread for explanation of #Fediverse.
@technology —
#Lemmy (Reddit-like) community about technology.
@blender — #PeerTube account of the #Blender 3d modelling software. Plenty of beautiful vids.
@SolarpunkPrompts — #OwnCast podcast about #SolarPunk
@heluecht — one of the old-timiest old-timers on here. #Friendica user from before existed.
@technology also kudos to @cmw for coming up with the deliciously punny #ActivityPubCrawl hashtag here:
https://mstdn.social/@cmw@mastodon.social/109550369419424680
@rysiek just gonna pop in here with a poker joke.
@justintstanley it was in the cards, for sure.
#ActivityPubCrawl !!!! That is GENIUS
@PeterBronez @cmw came up with that one, added attribution in a response toot.
@rysiek @technology @blender @SolarpunkPrompts @heluecht
Can I add one?
@acrossthefediverse - Weekly Fediverse News & Info Podcast on #Funkwhale - https://tunes.artemai.art/channels/acrossthefediverse/
Just dropped episode 1 this week; 2 is already mostly written and a special guest booked to interview.