Fediview exists to make the fediverse more accessible and understandable. We provide practical guides, clear explanations, and thoughtful tool recommendations for anyone navigating the decentralized social web.
Our Focus
The fediverse—Mastodon and the broader ecosystem of federated social platforms—represents a different approach to social networking. Instead of centralized platforms controlled by single companies, the fediverse is a network of independent servers running interoperable software.
This architecture offers genuine benefits: user choice, community governance, data portability, and resistance to single points of failure. But it also introduces complexity. Concepts like instances, federation, ActivityPub, and timeline types can be confusing for newcomers.
Fediview bridges that gap. We write documentation that assumes intelligence but not prior knowledge. We explain how things work, compare options fairly, and help people make informed decisions about their fediverse experience.
What We Cover
Timeline Management
Understanding different timeline types (Home, Local, Federated, Lists) and how to use them effectively. This includes filtering, organization, and optimization strategies.
Tool Guidance
The fediverse has many clients, utilities, and applications. We evaluate and recommend tools based on actual utility, not hype. Our tools guide provides categorized recommendations.
Conceptual Foundations
Explanations of how federation works, what ActivityPub does, and why the fediverse is structured the way it is. These foundations help users understand not just what to do, but why.
Technical Details
For developers and technically curious users, we provide deeper explorations of protocols, APIs, and implementation considerations.
Our Approach
Clarity over completeness: We’d rather explain one thing well than cover everything superficially.
Honesty about limitations: When we don’t know something or when options have tradeoffs, we say so.
Practical focus: Guides are written to help you accomplish something, not just understand concepts abstractly.
No hype: The fediverse has genuine strengths. It doesn’t need exaggeration.
Regular updates: The fediverse evolves. We review and update content to keep it accurate.
What We Don’t Do
Fediview is an informational resource. We don’t:
- Operate a Mastodon instance
- Provide client software
- Store user data or require accounts
- Sell products or services
- Accept payment for recommendations
All content is freely accessible. We have no paywalls, no tracking users across sites, and no advertising.
Content Principles
Every page on Fediview follows these guidelines:
- Accurate information: We verify claims and correct errors promptly
- Clear language: Technical concepts explained without unnecessary jargon
- Structured navigation: Consistent layout and helpful internal linking
- Accessibility: Content works with assistive technologies and various devices
- Up-to-date: Last updated dates shown; outdated content marked or removed
Getting Involved
Suggestions and Corrections
Found an error? Have a suggestion? Use our contact page to let us know. We appreciate corrections and consider all feedback.
Questions
The FAQ covers common questions. For anything not addressed there, reach out through the contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Fediview is an independent resource. We're not affiliated with Mastodon gGmbH or any specific instance or organization.
Fediview operates as a documentation project without significant ongoing costs. We don't seek funding or accept sponsorships that would influence content.
We're primarily maintained by a small team, but we welcome suggestions and corrections. Contact us if you have expertise to share or errors to report.
You may cite our content with attribution. Include the page URL and access date. For academic use, note that content may be updated after your access date.
See our privacy page for details. The short version: we collect minimal data and don't track individual users.
Connect
- Contact — Reach out with questions or feedback
- FAQ — Common questions answered
- Changelog — Recent updates to the site
Thank you for using Fediview. We hope it helps you navigate the fediverse with confidence.