Fediverse: What Are We Talking About?
The Fediverse has existed within the web and social landscape since the late 2010s and identifies a series of open and intercommunicating software and protocols: a decentralized social ecosystem. Decentralization is the focal point of the Fediverse: there is no predominant platform, owner, or company that controls everything; instead, there are various instances managed by many small (or large) groups of people who "talk" to each other through the ActivityPub protocol.
Compared to mainstream social media like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, there is no algorithm; you view and interact with whom you want, how you want, without advertising or unwanted interruptions. The personalization of the feed and interactions between users are the strengths of the Fediverse, where priority is given to connections and discussions. It is much like social media was in the beginning.
For those accustomed to algorithms for years, it can be difficult at first to understand how the Fediverse works, and its system may seem laborious and overwhelming, especially since it requires a bit of time and patience to build lists, work with hashtags, and fully understand its mechanics. However, the end result is a highly personalized feed in chronological order, where you only see what you want and interact only with the people and companies you have chosen. Furthermore, you can follow people on other instances thanks to the ActivityPub protocol: you have millions of possible accounts to browse through to find what you are looking for.
Why should you open yet another social media account?
Social media are exactly that: media, like television and streaming services. Instagram and other platforms have become social spaces where interaction and connections have faded into the background, where appearance matters much more than substance, and where content with something to say is overshadowed by current trends. Ikiya's work is focused on sharing Japanese culture connected to its products, but we often find ourselves spending time and resources on posts and videos that almost none of our followers ever see.
The Fediverse is a social network: people talk, share, and discuss. What we publish actually reaches the people who follow us, without getting lost in the multitude of reels that only fuel infinite scrolling and FOMO (fear of missing out). Real connections are created, without bots or advertisements: people talk, and value is once again placed on communication between individuals (or between companies like Ikiya and its customers, in this case).
Various government entities and many companies are already publishing in the Fediverse, preferring it to mainstream social media, making it a space bustling with real-time news, advice, photos, and videos. Groups, hashtags, and lists allow you to follow what interests you most and organize it as you prefer: every account thus becomes extremely customizable.
Therefore, to the question "why open yet another social media account," we answer: if you value real connections between users (much like the internet of the early 2000s) and want to explore Japan with us through our products and travels, the Fediverse is the place for you.
Ikiya and the Fediverse: Why We Chose Mastodon
Within the Fediverse, there are many platforms: for those looking for an alternative to Instagram, there is Pixelfed; for videos, we have PeerTube (we have an account there too, by the way); for short reel-type videos, they are experimenting with Loops; those looking for an experience similar to Facebook can try Friendica, and so on. Mastodon focuses on microblogging: short posts (usually a maximum of 500 characters), with or without photos, perfect for Ikiya. We can talk about Japanese culture, new arrivals in the shop, or events in Treviso, choosing text-only posts, photos only, or text and photos depending on what we want to communicate.
The instance we have chosen to host us is mstdn.business, a "business-oriented Mastodon server, open to all who wish to contribute with their real name, business, brand, or startup to build a professional community." Our posts are all in English to better cater to an international and European audience. However, Mastodon supports automatic translation, so you can write to us and comment in Italian or any other language: we will be able to communicate without any problems.
If you want to follow us, you do not necessarily have to register on the same instance; you can choose the one you prefer, depending on your interests and what you want to see. You can even register on Pixelfed, for example, and follow us on Mastodon: that is the beauty of the Fediverse—every platform and every server is interconnected.
Resources and articles to learn more
For those approaching the Fediverse for the first time, the amount of information to absorb is significant. We want to help you understand more and determine if this interconnected web universe is right for you.
- The Fediverse, in Italian: article by Devol [ITA]
- Join Mastodon: the starting page to choose your instance
- Feditips: an unofficial guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse [EN]
- Introducing the Fediverse: a New Era of Social Media [EN]
- Discover the Fediverse: a new era for social networks [ITA]
- Fedidevs: starter pack of accounts to follow on the Fediverse