Nostr notes by jaz :twt: :wales_flag: ⁂

Check out my new collection: ...

2026-08-24T15:48:26Z

Check out my new collection:

https://toot.wales/collections/117151268333991398

Nostr event nevent1qqsznklt5ty659yhzjprf0su75fqcz5xyq7mpu5j293qzdz5t70k6gczyzar2m3uyen730hf47rsg50hjclza4kness4u2yy78s5l85sug4a29jwtwg

2026-08-11T01:10:57Z

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/04/star-wars-dubbed-welsh-s4c?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

One of the #COSCUP2026 #Fediverse speakers couldn't make it ...

2026-08-09T03:02:09Z

One of the #COSCUP2026 #Fediverse speakers couldn't make it so I jumped in to talk about multi-lingual issues online and how federated media can help with my "Hiraeth and Hashtags" presentation.

Mr. Men vibes ...

2026-08-07T09:35:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…286s
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Mr. Men vibes

OK, this one's a bit tricky to describe. On the left is a ...

2026-08-07T09:33:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…fvvt
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OK, this one's a bit tricky to describe.

On the left is a brick wall. Real bricks.

On the right is, I kid you not, a blurry jpeg of the same wall. On the right is not bricks. It's a picture of bricks. The same bricks.

It's like a poster of the bricks stuck on whatever the wall behind it is. Clearly not bricks or they'd show the bricks.

Right?

Each of these should come with a "last used on" display. ...

2026-08-07T09:31:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…ngh3
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Each of these should come with a "last used on" display.

For those of you who don't know, this is what is known as a "pay phone".

Back when I were a lad, I had to get up at five in the morning, walk 8 miles to the phone - in the rain - AND beg for change once I got there to make a tellyphone call.

Kids today don't know how good they have it.

When I went to set the phone on the railing to take the photo of ...

2026-08-07T09:24:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…3uzv
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When I went to set the phone on the railing to take the photo of the waterfall, i had to wait for this little guy to go past. He was fast, but not that fast.

Some lovely older ladies made a hilarious show of one by one ...

2026-08-07T09:19:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…8857
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Some lovely older ladies made a hilarious show of one by one getting in front of me at the line to get a train ticket.

Each one would stand behind me, talk loudly to the one in front of me, I would gesture for them to move ahead, and they would refuse, and I would gesture again, and then they cut the line.

This happened seven times in a row.

Two more shots of the Nanshih river from the other side of the ...

2026-08-07T09:15:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…pxl8
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Two more shots of the Nanshih river from the other side of the village.

This is the least spoony spoon I've ever seen. ...

2026-08-07T09:10:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…rzch
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This is the least spoony spoon I've ever seen.

Chicken curry and poached eggs for breakfast? Yes please. ...

2026-08-07T08:57:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…tmdz
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Chicken curry and poached eggs for breakfast? Yes please.

A surprise 101 Tower appears. ...

2026-08-06T12:48:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…h8sj
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A surprise 101 Tower appears.

This shop sells shoes. ...

2026-08-06T12:46:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…kf85
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This shop sells shoes.

I went for a walk in #Taipei Dog poop take it home. I like that ...

2026-08-06T12:43:27Z

I went for a walk in #Taipei

Dog poop take it home.

I like that the fine is a range. I wonder if it's based on the size of the poop.

was "keynote at #FediCon " on the list?

2026-08-05T04:15:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…munr
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was "keynote at #FediCon " on the list?

Last time I crossed the international date line I lost my ...

2026-08-05T02:10:11Z

Last time I crossed the international date line I lost my multi-year NYT crossword streak.

Pray for me.

#COSCUP2026

I mean if you need a daily morning eye scrub, there's always ...

2026-07-30T00:12:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…6chy
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I mean if you need a daily morning eye scrub, there's always Morning Sheep Time... Follow the #Defaidodon tag or [@llamasoft_ox](https://toot.wales/@llamasoft_ox ) directly 🐑🐑🐑

This is Butch. (Short for Butchy Butchy Boo Boo.) Butch is feral ...

2026-07-29T12:33:21Z

This is Butch.

(Short for Butchy Butchy Boo Boo.)

Butch is feral cat that has been coming by every once in a while for about a month.

If he gets to be more frequent we'll consider TNR and maybe a shelter, but for now I am delighted to say our mole problem has completely vanished.

Good job, Butch.

they didn't ask that one :o(

2026-07-11T16:02:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…vq4m
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they didn't ask that one :o(

"other proposed policies have more middling support, with 36% ...

2026-07-10T17:17:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…amx0
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"other proposed policies have more middling support, with 36% opposing forcing rule-breaking cyclists to ride unicycles."

#BringBackCeefax

Me: Oh wow! I didn't know they sold pirate corn here! Mrs ...

2026-07-07T00:01:34Z

Me: Oh wow! I didn't know they sold pirate corn here!

Mrs Jaz: Pirate corn, what do you mean?

Me: See right here... it's a buck an ear!

Mrs Jaz: 😕

Me: Buck an ear! Buccaneer!

Mrs Jaz: 🙄

#MAUstodon in the house

2026-07-01T18:34:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…97sc
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#MAUstodon in the house

in one month to juice the MAU

2026-07-01T18:31:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…hfmq
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in one month to juice the MAU

Huh. Interesting. How to increase Fediverse MAU in one easy step. ...

2026-07-01T18:29:17Z

Huh.

Interesting.

How to increase Fediverse MAU in one easy step.

Social Media Managers Don't Want You To Know This One Simple Trick!

#Acersecomicke #Solivagant #Filipendulous #Flingee #Jentacular #Deipnosophist #Scripturient #Matutinal #Empleomania #Patrizate #Catillate #Noctivagant #Agathokakological #Cachinnate #Peristeronic #Abligurition #Bellycheer #Sarcast #Philostorgie #Sialoquent #Redame #Opsimath #Pessimum #Ucalegon #Manuductive #Conjubilant #Cacozealous #Nastify #Objectee

it gets better. Poulet crispy. ...

2026-06-27T16:25:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…28aj
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it gets better. Poulet crispy.

Nostr event nevent1qqsfk43clkn9vph868uwtpmjcxyvdfkhwvrkd558ytlk5px24uv5jaszyzar2m3uyen730hf47rsg50hjclza4kness4u2yy78s5l85sug4a2kjrghs

2026-06-27T16:11:24Z

Ahhhh.

I've been slow to adopt the Fediverse logo ⁂ as I ...

2026-06-18T20:20:19Z

I've been slow to adopt the Fediverse logo ⁂ as I didn't want to add to any unnecessary protocol/platform flame war nonsense, but now that the legendary [@rude1.blacksky.team](https://bsky.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/rude1.blacksky.team ) is touting it I'm hereby all in.

Will I get it tattooed somewhere on my body a la Tommi 🤯 (npub1drf…fpxa) ?

⁂

Maybe...

I just want to acknowledge Thomas at ...

2026-06-10T12:40:53Z

I just want to acknowledge Thomas at [@Fedle](https://fedle.fedilab.app/@Fedle ) for the Fedle app, it's a joyful addition to the network, incredibly well-thought out, intentional, the notifications, the community leaderboards, the language options, it's just a really well done piece of work on top of so much else he's contributed.

Holos search, relay, and of course the Fedilab app.

Some years ago I did a podcast and said "the Fediverse should be on my phone like SMS" and he's even done that! Fantastic stuff.

Merci bien Thomas!

Honoured to be contributing to the ongoing success of ...

2026-06-09T17:23:33Z

Honoured to be contributing to the ongoing success of Newsmast Foundation (npub142g…kmy5) Apps For Change - and huge congratulations on being the Grand Prize Winners at the inaugural #OpenSocialAwards at the @publicspaces #PubConf2026 - well deserved!

Nostr event nevent1qqsxplq0653ymrmlms3vrl3nx27dghj5fp6t2vuzzmy38749xvw9wrczyzar2m3uyen730hf47rsg50hjclza4kness4u2yy78s5l85sug4a2sdcg26

2026-06-09T12:32:48Z

Nostr event nevent1qqsyska9v5k3xj33klf0jjlrdxg3g9725fe39wgvyuy4vgwq3s6v4yszyzar2m3uyen730hf47rsg50hjclza4kness4u2yy78s5l85sug4a28v4vpj

2026-06-09T12:32:41Z

Oh my giddy aunt. I had no idea. Now I have to add this to the ...

2026-05-20T23:48:05Z

Oh my giddy aunt. I had no idea. Now I have to add this to the puzzles routine.

https://fedle.fedilab.app/leaderboard

My latest blog post in the "Million Fediverses" series: ...

2026-05-12T16:10:50Z

My latest blog post in the "Million Fediverses" series: https://jaz.co.uk/2026/05/12/there-are-a-million-fediverses-some-of-them-are-louder-than-others/

quoting
note1dqd…xzdw

In my work supporting a broad array of open social web community managers, moderators, administrators, and developers, I regularly hear sweeping generalisations like “the fediverse is anti-this”, “the fediverse doesn’t approve of that”, “the fediverse holds this very specific opinion”.

I’ve always struggled with these statements. How can anyone possibly come to a definitive conclusion about what “the fediverse” believes? As I’ve said before, there isn’t just one fediverse, [there are a million fediverses](https://jaz.co.uk/2025/08/14/there-is-one-fediverse-there-are-a-million-fediverses/ ). You’re only ever subjected to the specific fediverse *you *inhabit, the community you reside on and the people you choose to follow.

If you happen to follow high-signal accounts – people who post prolifically, loudly, and relentlessly – their sheer output completely shapes your reality. Their volume becomes your perception of what the entire network thinks.

For years, we have held up the chronological timeline as our great escape from this kind of distortion. In the open social web, we often point to our lack of an engagement-driven algorithm as a moral high ground. We don’t have a black box sorting our conversations for outrage and engagement, we just have time. First in, first out.

But I’ve long believed this is an incorrect oversimplification. Pure chronological timelines are incredibly easily dominated. They do not naturally create a balanced feed; rather, they inherently privilege whoever has the most time, the most grievance, and the loudest voice.

I’ve struggled to communicate this clearly, but after reading Tobias Rose-Stockwell’s brilliant breakdown at[ The Noisy Room](https://thenoisyroom.com/ ) I’m happy to defer to someone way smarter than me. He outlines a simple metaphor for how commercial social media distorts our reality.

Imagine walking into a pub with a hundred people inside. Ninety-seven of them are having perfectly normal, nuanced conversations. Three of them, however, are screaming at the top of their lungs about politics, about each other, about whatever gets a reaction.

Now, imagine the pub employs a bouncer who gets paid by the minute you spend staring at the spectacle. To keep your attention, the bouncer wires those three screaming people into the pub’s PA system and turns it up to eleven. You walk in, you hear the deafening roar of the three-voiced extremes, and you conclude – logically, based on what you are hearing – that the room is entirely full of unhinged trolls.

In the commercial, centralised web, that bouncer is the algorithm. It amplifies the 3% of users who post severely toxic content because toxicity drives engagement and sells ads.

We look at that and say “thank goodness we fired that bouncer, he’s useless”. We boast that our decentralised, chronological feeds don’t have algorithms manipulating our conversations. But it turns out we don’t need a bouncer to amplify the toxicity via the PA when our timeline does it automatically for us.###

**The Chronological Illusion**When you build a network on a purely chronological feed you replace algorithmic amplification with sheer volume. If those same 3% of vocal, toxic, aggrieved accounts are posting twenty times a day while the 97% of us post once or twice, who dominates your timeline? They do. They don’t need a viral algorithm to amplify them, they just need access to the firehose.

First in, first out simply means the most frequent posters are the most frequently seen/heard.

This creates the exact same distortion that The Noisy Room identifies. We perform an environment scan of our fediverse feeds and conclude that a select few dominant voices reflect the zeitgeist. Maybe we see acrimony, rapid-fire hot takes, relentless indignation, and we believe – falsely – that we are in the minority.

This leads to the same tragic outcomes we see on commercial networks. The quiet majority goes silent. People self-censor. They step away from the keyboard, or they leave the platform entirely, ceding the space to the most extreme voices. The loudest users start to believe they *are* the majority.

Everyone gets each other wrong.

We designed a protocol to save us from algorithms, but we forgot or failed to design for human perception.###

**We need to design for people, not protocols**If we’re going to build better social media, we have to acknowledge that a pure, unfiltered chronological timeline is not a neutral arbiter. It is a megaphone for the relentless. So, how do we enhance the fediverse to fix this?

1. We need client-side enhancements that recognise when a single account is dominating a timeline. If one account posts say ten times in an hour, those posts could collapse into a single stack on my timeline. Let me choose to expand them. Give me back my chronological view of *my community*, not one person’s stream of consciousness.

2. We need to stop treating curation as a dirty word. An algorithm designed by a corporation to maximise ad revenue is harmful, yes. An algorithm, which is just a set of robust filtering tools, designed by *you* to protect *your* peace and balance *your* feed is empowering. We need apps and clients that allow members to easily dial down the volume on highly active accounts without having to fully block or unfollow them, softening the edges without severing relationships.

3. The Noisy Room suggests a “[Community Check](https://github.com/rosestt/communitycheck )“, a representative layer of polling shown below contentious issues to show what the silent majority actually thinks. While this would be complex to implement across a decentralised network, we can build tools that gauge consensus without relying on the loudest voices. We need to find ways to measure and display community sentiment that isn’t just counting the number of angry, rapid-fire replies. Community managers should be able to [add community notes](https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/issues/27302 ) to posts, or reply with them in a fashion that pins them to the OP. Emelia and the W3 SWCG Trust and Safety taskforce [has some thoughts on this](https://github.com/swicg/activitypub-trust-and-safety/issues/4?ref=writings.thisismissem.social ).###

**You’re not in the minority**Most people want their own space, shaped by their needs and their values. They want to connect, share, and learn without being shouted at. The social web is full of these people. I’m one of them. We are the 97% having a normal conversation in the pub while the 3% scream near the bar.

Our goal shouldn’t just be preserving a chronological feed at all costs. Our goal should be building better relationships. We need to ensure that when a new member joins any one of our million fediverses, they see the whole room, not just the people shouting the loudest.

Let’s find our common ground, let’s build tools that reflect the reality of our communities, and let’s give the quiet majority their voice.

Free Parliament Points! Follow @npub1yuj…425k

2026-04-01T11:31:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…7a6u
_________________________

Free Parliament Points! Follow Owls in Towels (npub1yuj…425k)

Toot has been a fun start but we have no elephants in Wales. To ...

2026-04-01T07:00:03Z

Toot has been a fun start but we have no elephants in Wales. To better align with our ecosystem we are rebranding as hoot.wales

"Toots" become "Hoots". Hoots sent at night earn bonus "Parliament Points" that can be used to remove any future advertising. The app will be locked to Night Mode for obvious reasons.

The local timeline will be rebranded "The Woods". Migration begins at midnight. Let us know your thoughts below.

Hwhw!

@npub19hh…yxnx and I are in #Chicago at #ONA26 (Online News ...

2026-03-30T14:22:22Z

Michael Foster (npub19hh…yxnx) and I are in #Chicago at #ONA26 (Online News Association) to talk about using open social to reclaim audiences for independent newsrooms. If you're attending, come visit us at our booth!

The age of the self-regulated Internet is ending. Long-held ...

2026-03-19T11:33:38Z

The age of the self-regulated Internet is ending.

Long-held beliefs about platform freedoms are being tested, and are having real impact on decentral social web services.

This isn't just legal hurdles, it's a fundamental shift in how we manage and govern our spaces.

https://jaz.co.uk/2026/03/13/there-are-a-million-fediverses-and-theyre-all-regulated/

quoting
note1k6w…4d2f

We’re at a bit of a strange moment in the history of the Internet. Long-standing assumptions about platform freedoms and responsibilities are being tested by a wave of regulation from countries far and wide, including extranational jurisdiction where all of a sudden people are finding themselves subject to laws of countries they’ve never been to.

The age of self-regulation is ending. In 2021 there were three OECD safety regulators. Today, a mere five years later, there are 28.

The two-year-old [Global Online Safety Regulators Network](https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/consultation-cooperation/international-engagement/the-global-online-safety-regulators-network ) brings together independent regulators to cooperate across jurisdictions, which may lead to [alignment across nations and regulations](https://www.esafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-11/GOSRN-Regulation-Index-2025.pdf?v=1773412565992 ), from Fiji to France.

For social media alone, [three countries have implemented age restrictions](https://social-media-age-tracker.onrender.com/#status=implemented,passed ), five have passed laws ready to implement, and 30 more discussing or under consideration at a national level. For many of us, it’s jarring and unsettling, and this is especially true if you’ve never worked in a regulated industry before.

Internet regulation is generally converging around three main themes:
Platform integrity: the macro responsibility for elections and social discourse.
Individual safety: the proactive duty of care for children and vulnerable people.
Personal agency: mandating data portability and banning manipulative dark patterns.

These new burdens feel sudden and invasive if you’ve spent your career inside the Web’s long-running freedom experiment. For me, however, they follow a pattern I’ve seen before. I think there are some lessons we can learn from – and be better prepared – by looking beyond digital media.##

The Myth of ExceptionalismI started working on the Web in the mid-nineties. It was liberal in the most literal sense, few gatekeepers, no meaningful regulation, and a shared belief that this new thing would disintermediate everything. Media, power, and information were all up for grabs.

“Under construction” signs abounded. Dancing dog gifs ran across Web pages. The Clinton White House [specifically told everyone to go nuts](https://clintonwhitehouse4.archives.gov/WH/New/Commerce/read.html ), that no amount of regulation could possibly keep up with how fast the Net was innovating. Phrases like “The private sector should lead” and “Governments should avoid undue restrictions” stimulated a self-regulating industry that is now bristling at unwanted government interference.

We built first and worried later. The default assumption was freedom; responsibility was personal rather than systemic. We created a mythos that the Internet was exceptional, as if it were somehow immune to the rules of the offline world.

Then, in 2001, almost by accident, I moved into healthcare.##

When Regulation Provokes OutrageHealthcare is one of the most heavily regulated environments on the planet, and for good reason – lives are at stake. My transition into this world coincided with a wave of mandates designed to break open the black box of medical outcomes. From 1995 to 2000, a range of reforms hit healthcare, built on the back of seminal writings like “[To Err is Human](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25077248/ )” and “[Crossing the Quality Chasm](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25057539/ )“, leading to the creation of state and national report cards on nursing homes, hospitals, physicians and more.

I became one of the people responsible for turning those legal requirements into reality. I was building the databases and public dashboards that the laws now required to make healthcare quality and cost visible to the public. I built, provided data for, consulted or advised on just about every initiative in the US in that decade. I designed and deployed [a national data infrastructure](https://pellucid.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/PEL/overview?homepageId=8028166 ) for codifying performance, cost and quality data over time. I made a [lot](https://healthcarereportcard.illinois.gov/search ) [of](https://whynotthebest.org/ ) [report](https://profiles.health.ny.gov/nursing_home/index#5.79/42.868/-76.809 ) cards. This made quite a few people very angry.

Clinicians and administrators confronted me directly. They claimed the data was unfair or lacked context. What struck me was that the anger was rarely about the underlying disparities in care. Instead, it was about the act of publication itself, which was now compelled by law. Being made transparent and accountable to the public felt like an attack on their professional identity.

I see that same identity shock today from technologists as they realise their closed systems and unfettered independence are being opened and constrained by similar regulatory tools.##

From Hero Culture to ComplianceAs healthcare matured, we moved from transparency to interoperability. This arrived with [HIPAA](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html ) in the US. At the time, it was loathed. Technologists complained it was vague, hard to implement, and poorly aligned with how software worked.

Most people assume the P in HIPAA stands for privacy; it actually stands for portability. Regulation did not stop data sharing. It professionalised it, it shifted the focus from institutional protection to patient-centredness.

We saw the same arc in cybersecurity, as privacy and security became more entwined. It began as a bit of a dark art, which was the era of the hero admin. But as harms and threats accumulated, an industry formed, best practices became auditable compliance. [SOC 2](https://www.aicpa-cima.com/topic/audit-assurance/audit-and-assurance-greater-than-soc-2 ), [ISO 27001](https://www.iso.org/standard/27001 ), [FISMA](https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/2521 ) became common parlance. Risk assessments and incident reporting stopped being optional. Cybersecurity and the regulation that requires and enforces it did not kill innovation, it gave us a shared language for risk, and has had demonstrable benefits to society. Data breach disclosure laws, for example, [resulted in a significant drop](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pam.20567 ) in identity theft incidents. The ID Theft Center reports a [major decline in breach notifications](https://www.idtheftcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2025-ITRC-Annual-Data-Breach-Report.pdf ), thanks in the main to data privacy regulations (and the fines that come with ignoring them).##

The Internet is Catching UpThe Internet is now at this exact same tipping point. What cybersecurity was to data integrity, modern regulation is to platform safety and rights. The idea of a permanently unregulated Internet is simply not credible anymore.

This is not because regulators hate our freedoms. It’s because the Internet is a fundamental and vital utility that now shapes childhood, mental health, and physical safety. When systems reach that level of impact, they get regulated. Period. Whether it’s [Australia’s social media ban for minors](https://www.unicef.org.au/unicef-youth/staying-safe-online/social-media-ban-explainer ), the [EU’s Digital Safety Act](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-services-act ), or the[ UK’s Online Safety Act](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer ), it’s not even a case of “censorial Europe” versus a “free” America. [Half of all US states now require age verification](https://www.404media.co/missouri-age-verification-law-porn-id-check-vpns/ ) for adult content. This is political reality catching up everywhere at once.##

Fediverse OperatorsIf you run a small server, perhaps a local community hub or a niche interest instance, this can feel incredibly intimidating. Regulation sounds like something designed for platforms with a thousand lawyers and a big shiny office in California.

However, most of these laws, and the regulators that enforce them, follow a [principle of proportionality](https://www.bihr.org.uk/get-informed/legislation-explainers/what-is-proportionality ). A regulator’s actions must be lawful, legitimate, and proportional. Lawful means there must be a law allowing official to take action, legitimate means there is a good reason to act, and proportionate means there is no other way to seek the desired outcome, it is the least restrictive option available to the regulator.

You are not being measured against the same yardstick as a multi-billion-dollar platform. The goal is good faith, not perfection. For small services, compliance usually looks like a few clear signals:
Be reachable: have a clear way for authorities and users to contact you on your About page.
Be clear: document your policies and how someone can appeal a decision.
Be informed: use the resources the community is already building.

If a regulator ever comes knocking, they won’t ask why you missed one bad post. They’ll ask “Do you have a process for when things go wrong?” Make sure you have one. And as a start, copy someone else’s. Find a service you like and look at their documentation. Beg, borrow, or steal liberally. [Here’s everything I have on toot.wales](https://croeso.toot.wales/en/policies/ ) for example, help yourself.

The early Web was a gift, but freedom without accountability does not scale. There is one Fediverse, there are a million Fediverses, and there are a thousand regulations each of them has to be ever so gently aware of. Learning to live with a regulated Internet is not a failure of imagination. It’s the next phase of our shared responsibility.##

Further Reading
https://www.google.com/search?q=https://about.iftas.org/dsa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IFTAS DSA Guide – Guidance specifically for small providers. It breaks the Act down into manageable, actionable steps for Fediverse admins.
https://decoded.legal/blog/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Decoded Legal – This is a brilliant resource for understanding how English law views decentralised services. Their analysis of the UK Online Safety Act is essential reading for anyone running a UK-based instance (and can be insightful for others too).
https://fediverse-governance.github.io/images/quick-start.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Fediverse Governance Guide – A community-led effort to document best practices for server moderation, transparency reports, and user appeals.
https://about.iftas.org/wiki_cats/legal-regulatory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The IFTAS Community Library – A growing repository of tools and documentation templates. You can find examples of clear, legally-aware content you can adapt for your own community.
https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.eff.org/issues/bloggers/legal/osp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) – Legal Guide for Online Service Providers – While US-centric, this provides a great foundational understanding of the protections that shaped the Internet and how they are evolving today.

Well, this was educational. One in five respondents do not/did ...

2026-03-16T23:09:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…dlw0
_________________________

Well, this was educational. One in five respondents do not/did not realise copies are created on third party services.

The federating software/interfaces need to start explaining this more thoroughly and simply in my opinion.

Started a discussion here: https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/discussions/37955

Report-and-suspend is a losing proposition. Bots can DDoS our ...

2026-03-12T12:25:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…t9nl
_________________________

Report-and-suspend is a losing proposition. Bots can DDoS our collective time and patience to moderate the fediverse. We will need friction at account creation, and content classification to find these accounts, and automation to flag or suspend them.

We may even need to use bots ourselves.

Or we drown.

One AI bot signed up for 20 fediverse accounts in seconds, at a ...

2026-03-12T12:24:48Z

One AI bot signed up for 20 fediverse accounts in seconds, at a cost of pennies for its operator.

The bot details its accounts here: https://andy.agentwire.space/ - and blogs about its experience here: https://dev.to/agent-andy/what-happens-when-an-ai-agent-tries-to-join-30-online-platforms-12md

20 humans had to reactively take let's say 60 seconds each to respond to reports and suspend these accounts, with no compensation, taking a hundred times as long as the bot takes to create accounts.

Some additional reading: How do I delete a post? ...

2026-03-09T16:58:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…dlw0
_________________________

Some additional reading:

How do I delete a post? https://fedi.tips/how-do-i-delete-a-post-on-mastodon/

Who can see my posts and replies? https://fedi.tips/who-can-see-my-posts-in-mastodon-how-do-i-send-dms-in-mastodon/

Fediverse never Forgets https://berk.es/2022/12/23/fediverse-never-forgets/

Provide a mechanism for acknowledgements of Delete activities https://github.com/w3c/activitypub/issues/406

Improve UI/UX copy for "Automated Post Deletion" to clarify data persistence https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/discussions/37955

📊 Fediverse Awareness Check: When you hit send on a post, your ...

2026-03-09T16:54:52Z

📊 Fediverse Awareness Check:

When you hit send on a post, your app sends copies of that post to be stored on over 40,000 connected servers (hard drives) around the world.

When you delete a post, it sends a request to those servers to delete their copy, but it can't always be guaranteed and your post may remain visible online.

Are you aware of this?

As some of you already know, although the #TootWales event has ...

2026-03-05T13:38:31Z

As some of you already know, although the #TootWales event has been planned for quite some time, due to a very sudden and unexpected death in the family last week the tenor of this trip took a very sharp turn.

It's been uplifting to be home with family, and with all who attended the event and are now beginning to #TellEveryone about our app and our community.

It's hard to describe how daffodils reach into your heart at this time of year as we witness rebirth, but they really being me joy.

Wow, haven't been able to check my phone til now, but ...

2026-02-28T23:50:13Z

Wow, haven't been able to check my phone til now, but absolutely so happy and grateful to everyone who attended or posted from afar, thanks to the entire Tîm Tŵt Staff (npub14hk…5flf) team for all the work putting this together. The venue staff were fantastic, flippin good evening, hugs to everyone. #TootWales

Those of you travelling by train to #Cardiff for #TootWales ...

2026-02-28T09:21:40Z

Those of you travelling by train to #Cardiff for #TootWales today, please be aware it is mandatory to say/whisper/scream "Tŵt Tŵt" as you leave the station.

Thank you in advance for your compliance.

I got the sense that while the production team fully understood ...

2026-02-27T19:49:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…33pp
_________________________

I got the sense that while the production team fully understood the larger picture, the presenter thought this was a tiny local cutesy community, I think I confused her when I said thousands of communities and millions of people. Ah well.

I just listened back to my BBC interview on air this morning, ...

2026-02-27T10:32:06Z

I just listened back to my BBC interview on air this morning, other than completely failing to say the words "toot dot wales" I think it went well, I'm at the 1 hour 43 minute mark in this replay:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002rp5m

Not that I think too many people are setting their alarms to tune ...

2026-02-27T06:39:54Z

Not that I think too many people are setting their alarms to tune in, but in case you plan on listening, I've been moved to 840am on the BBC Radio Wales Breakfast show today. I'm pretty sure it pops up on iPlayer later in the day also.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002rp5m

People of #Cardiff - when I'm home I usually visit the Goat ...

2026-02-26T15:41:19Z

People of #Cardiff - when I'm home I usually visit the Goat Major for a mandatory pint of Brains Dark, but Goat is now the Blue Bell and no Dark on tap, anyone know a pub in Central that carries Dark?

I will be interviewed on BBC Radio Wales' Breakfast program ...

2026-02-26T11:49:16Z

I will be interviewed on BBC Radio Wales' Breakfast program tomorrow (Friday) at 745am with Oliver Hides and Megan Davies - to talk about Tŵt Cymru, the Social Web, and how it's different than the big tech platforms.

I will now work on condensing all of that into a five minute interview 😃

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002rp5m

It's nice to be in the Barry & District News, but until ...

2026-02-24T15:47:08Z

It's nice to be in the Barry & District News, but until we're covered by the Llantwit Major Gem, we haven't truly made it...

https://www.barryanddistrictnews.co.uk/news/25882039.welsh-social-network-t-t-launches-new-app/

I'm adding a dedicated page to the Web site for the ...

2026-02-19T23:10:15Z

I'm adding a dedicated page to the Web site for the forthcoming Toot Wales mobile app to track known issues, describe the roadmap, explain some of the design decisions.

#WorkInProgress

https://croeso.toot.wales/en/help/toot-wales-mobile-app/

I've been asked to do a five minute interview on BBC ...

2026-02-19T13:29:51Z

I've been asked to do a five minute interview on BBC Radio's "Radio Breakfast" on Friday 27 Feb to talk about the current social media landscape and the new Tŵt app!!

It's interesting and reinforcing to me to hear people see "new app" and equate that with "new project" or "new social network".

People really really do see the app stores as an exclusionary source of truth, it's where "things" are, not the web, but in the app stores.

This is why we built an app. It's how people use the web.

Nostr event nevent1qqszgw7x53knew6l967qfqth786t0h3568nn83xg90q5g9lmafdm0jgzyzar2m3uyen730hf47rsg50hjclza4kness4u2yy78s5l85sug4a2n89y6y

2026-02-18T18:37:08Z

https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-social-network-twt-launches-new-app/

Nation.Cymru (npub1zhz…9xyw) bringing the most important news 😉

obviously this comes with the "how do I get new followers if ...

2026-02-18T16:43:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…98nk
_________________________

obviously this comes with the "how do I get new followers if I'm not posting publicly" and we can have interesting conversations about mods announcing new accounts, or making any post with certain hashtags public (intro, introductions, newhere etc), or have a community wide announcement when a new profile is created with something in the bio - but important to remember roughly 1% of community members post, 10% reply, 90% lurk. Why are we solving for the 1% of the 1% that want super broad reach?

If there was a button that made all new social web accounts ...

2026-02-18T16:32:29Z

If there was a button that made all new social web accounts publish to "followers-only" by default, and making something public came with a one-time message that says "you are about to publish content to 30,000 web sites that may keep a copy of your content whether you like it or not" - I would push that button in a heartbeat.

Keep calm and Defaidodon ...

2026-02-17T22:08:26Z

Keep calm and Defaidodon

Absolute last call, we are organising a meetup for the Toot Wales ...

2026-02-17T14:23:01Z

Absolute last call, we are organising a meetup for the Toot Wales and Fediverse community on Sat 28th, 5pm in Sophia Gardens, #Cardiff.

Any and all who can see this message are more than welcome to come see the app launch and get a hot buffet dinner and some fun Toot Wales hats and coasters and stickers!

Oh, and a digital caricaturist on site!

Let us know if you'd like to attend: https://croeso.toot.wales/en/twt-app-launch-event/ - we have limited spots and need to give the venue final numbers.

RE: https://toot.wales/@teamtoot/116058537526076652 I'm so ...

2026-02-12T16:31:56Z

RE: https://toot.wales/@teamtoot/116058537526076652

I'm so incredibly proud of what we’re building at Tîm Tŵt Staff (npub14hk…5flf) - this isn't just another platform, it’s a community-owned space where the entire team works hard to keep a welcome.

We have 9 spots left for the launch event in #Cardiff - I’d love to see some familiar Fediverse faces and local advocates there to help us kick this off!

If you're ready to see what a digital cwtch looks like in the real world, we’d love to have you with us. Come grab a seat at the table! 👇

quoting
note14tj…8jrt

📢 Final Call: Only 9 spots left for our launch event!

We’re bringing together the people building #BetterSocial for #Wales .. and the UK ... and the world 😉

If you're within striking distance of #Cardiff on Feb 28th, join us!

Community members, Fediverse afficionados, social web advocates, policymakers, journalists - help us celebrate the Tŵt app launch 🎉

Details and RSVP request here:

https://croeso.toot.wales/en/twt-app-launch-event/

8 years ago Tŵt was just a little idea. Today, I’m posting ...

2026-02-12T00:10:23Z

8 years ago Tŵt was just a little idea. Today, I’m posting from the beta of our very own custom app thanks to Newsmast Foundation (npub142g…kmy5) Apps For Change.

As I look at this little screen, I’m thinking of 8 years from now. I hope by then, this isn't "tech stuff" anymore, it's how we just talk to each other.

The Defaidodon machine is going mobile, see you in 2034!

#LittleThings #PethauBychain #YmaOHyd

The Toot Wales mobile app is progressing nicely, and we'd ...

2026-02-11T13:43:18Z

The Toot Wales mobile app is progressing nicely, and we'd like to start inviting beta testers. If you'd like to participate please ask for an invite here:

https://forms.gle/Gd1yrBGhsZcgr4Ag6

This bizarre, hurried cut-and-paste Bluesky clone called ...

2026-01-22T13:17:07Z

This bizarre, hurried cut-and-paste Bluesky clone called "W" (wsocial.eu) says it will fill this huge gap in Europe where no social media platforms exist.

Meanwhile... https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/fediverse-near-me_828094#3/25.80/29.79

These fine folks were good enough to publish our little ...

2026-01-21T22:53:07Z

These fine folks were good enough to publish our little announcement, give them a click or two:

https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-social-network-launches-campaign-inspired-by-dewi-sant/

https://swanseabaynews.com/new-welsh-movement-aims-to-reclaim-the-social-web-with-pethau-bychain-digital-campaign/

https://herald.wales/south-wales/cardiff-south-wales/twt-announces-new-digital-movement-reclaiming-the-social-web-for-wales/

https://newsfromwales.co.uk/gwnewch-y-pethau-bychain-new-digital-movement-reclaiming-the-social-web-for-wales/

stay tuned, my goal is to support a white label option so ...

2026-01-13T17:13:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…6raa
_________________________

stay tuned, my goal is to support a white label option so everyone can have one, no dev required. This project is to some degree a proving ground to see if my instincts are right and a dedicated app actually meets the brief. My personal belief is every instance that wants one should have it's own app.

To our wonderful Tŵt family and the wider Fediverse, whatever ...

2025-12-24T18:14:26Z

To our wonderful Tŵt family and the wider Fediverse, whatever you celebrate - Nadolig, Hanukkah, Midwinter, Kwanzaa, or the simple joy of community - I wish you good tidings and a healthy new year!

Cymru is a land of many voices, and our dwti digital home is richer for its diversity.

May your timelines be kind and your new year bright.

Nadolig llawen a heddwch i bawb!

The Christmas trifle takes five days to build. Today is day one. ...

2025-12-21T21:51:15Z

The Christmas trifle takes five days to build. Today is day one. In honour of our trip to Portugal, I've replaced the usual sherry with a tawny port, along with black cherry jelly. Stay tuned for day two, I'm thinking pears and peaches for the next layer.

I don't think I ever posted this, here's the video of me ...

2025-12-19T15:18:08Z

I don't think I ever posted this, here's the video of me at #SFSCon talking about why I built Tŵt and how others can use the Fediverse to support minority and endangered languages.

14 quick minutes, it happened to fall on #DefaidodonDay so there are some sheep involved.

https://vimeo.com/1137388272

OK Fediverse. According to my map, I am surrounded by Fedinauts. ...

2025-11-10T10:14:31Z

OK Fediverse.

According to my map, I am surrounded by Fedinauts. It's just after 11am in #Berlin, I'm near Potsdamer Platz, it's cold and rainy, and whatever happens I need to buy replacements for my lost headphones.

At noon I will step out into this grand city and attempt to kill four or five hours doing... what exactly?

Go.

Taking the train from #Bolzano #Bozen to #Berlin might not have ...

2025-11-09T09:12:41Z

Taking the train from #Bolzano #Bozen to #Berlin might not have been such a good idea. My connection in #Munich is cancelled so I chose a new train and wrestled with international card declines trying to book seats on the new two connections.

Made it to the station, now THOSE connections are not available.

Might make Berlin by tonight, might not.

Ho hum.

Its 10pm where I am and the #Defaidodon posts are still rolling ...

2025-11-07T21:07:05Z

Its 10pm where I am and the #Defaidodon posts are still rolling in, thank you everyone for making this #DefaidodonDay a success.

Keep 'em coming!

Saw these lovelies on the bus ride to Bolzano yesterday ...

2025-11-07T09:43:26Z

Saw these lovelies on the bus ride to Bolzano yesterday #DefaidodonDay #DyddDefaidodon

#DyddDefaidodon Explainer: ...

2025-11-07T06:16:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…y95x
_________________________

#DyddDefaidodon Explainer: https://toot.wales/@sheepnik/113440921811546256 has the skinny.

#DefaidodonDay in history: https://toot.wales/@jaz/115429483766137332

Fediwall - sit back and enjoy: https://fediwall.social/?servers=mastodon.social&tags=defaidodon,lambspam,sheepofmastodon,defaidodonday,dydddefaidodon,mahmittwoch&accounts=&hide=nsfw,replies,boosts,bots&text=no&title=Defaidodon&theme=auto&autoplay=no&interval=300

🐑 🐏🐑 🐏🐑 🐏 #DefaidodonDay #DyddDefaidodon starts ...

2025-11-07T06:08:30Z

🐑 🐏🐑 🐏🐑 🐏

#DefaidodonDay #DyddDefaidodon starts now! It's time for lamb spam - shear joy and woolly good vibes all day!

On this day every year we celebrate our fuzzy farm friends by drowning the fediverse in sheep!

Got no sheep? We happily accept goats, chickens, horses, cows.

But mainly sheep.

No use bleating around the bush, just post something, tag it, and watch our annual flock grow!

:sheep_cute: :sheep_cute: :sheep_cute:

Both buttons contain my pinned posts, but "Featured" ...

2025-10-31T13:54:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…j5rv
_________________________

Both buttons contain my pinned posts, but "Featured" doesn't - despite the fact I have "featured" those posts by pinning them.

Should I write a proposal to

1. Add pinned posts to "Featured"
2. Rename "Posts" to "Activity"
3. Remove pinned posts from posts and posts and replies

Or am I old and crotchety and the buttons make perfect sense to you?

Pet peeve for me: in my Mastodon desktop interface my profile has ...

2025-10-31T13:52:58Z

Pet peeve for me:

in my Mastodon desktop interface my profile has "Posts" and then "Posts and replies".

I always assume "Posts" has my posts, and "Posts and replies" has my posts and my replies.

But in fact "Posts" is not my posts, it's my Activity. Boosts and posts. A lot more boosts than posts. Mostly boosts.

"Posts and replies" - which sounds like everything in the previous button plus more stuff, removes the boosts.

cont'd...

Nostr event nevent1qqs8vdkm5shg8z3w4yyy5krh3zemttthqh9k5t7j2xppelve7rrrzmqzyzar2m3uyen730hf47rsg50hjclza4kness4u2yy78s5l85sug4a2pcamr6

2025-10-31T12:54:13Z

#NosCalanGaeaf

https://stephraemoran.com/nos-galan-gaeaf-a-traditional-night-of-the-supernatural/

Every day is a new adventure ...

2025-10-27T12:35:33Z

Every day is a new adventure

I had a lovely live-streamed chat with @npub13c7…3szn this week ...

2025-10-24T11:39:26Z

I had a lovely live-streamed chat with ozoned (npub13c7…3szn) this week on the 50th episode of Fireside Fedi (npub16k9…2nry) - we talked IFTAS, moderation, trust and safety, the Fediverse in general, and a little bit of life story crept in at the end - it was a blast to talk about the things so close to my heart in such a welcoming environment!

It's long, but if you're interested you can catch up on the podcast at https://video.firesidefedi.live/w/rfCpqU15ifB59eiaeovpKk and I think audio only shows up at Fireside Fedi Fedicast (npub12ma…laye) at some point

Nostr event nevent1qqs9pfvujxz7k6q9lgwjv7em7dzhgwje92ln7v8fthv7sp7tl2677fgzyzar2m3uyen730hf47rsg50hjclza4kness4u2yy78s5l85sug4a2qvyysq

2025-10-24T01:21:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…vpcu
_________________________

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/12/science/sea-otter-surfboard.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

Sea Otters Are Stealing Surfboards in California. Again. ...

2025-10-24T01:19:34Z

Sea Otters Are Stealing Surfboards in California. Again.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/science/sea-otters-surfboard-santa-cruz.html

The Outsize Influence of Wales on Fantasy, Music, and Movies Anna ...

2025-10-22T17:14:13Z

The Outsize Influence of Wales on Fantasy, Music, and Movies

Anna Fiteni explores what Welsh Culture has to do with Fleetwood Mac, Lord of the Rings, Hayao Miyazaki, and more.

https://lithub.com/the-outsize-influence-of-wales-on-fantasy-music-and-movies/

🦉 PSA - with earthstream.social disappearing I almost lost ...

2025-10-21T14:08:05Z

🦉 PSA - with earthstream.social disappearing I almost lost Owls in Towels, but they are reconstituted at Owls in Towels (npub1yuj…425k)

Recommend #FediAdmins / #MastoAdmins purge the earthstream.social domain, no self-destruct was sent as far as I can tell.

https://fedi.wrm.sr/instance/earthstream.social

Cofio Aberfan. I, like many here, had family that raced to the ...

2025-10-21T13:52:44Z

Cofio Aberfan.

I, like many here, had family that raced to the village to help dig. Growing up, any time a car trip took us past the village, the whole car would be silent.

The event is considered one of the worst mining disasters in British history and was entirely preventable. Concerns about the tip were ignored by the National Coal Board.

If you'd like to learn more, here's a BCC documentary "Surviving Aberfan"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stZuw7UslO0

Thank you everyone for the amazing feedback! I know I can't ...

2025-10-15T17:25:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…2eul
_________________________

Thank you everyone for the amazing feedback! I know I can't expect too much after posting the question in English, but I'd love some non-English replies...

👋 If you can see this toot you are on the #Fediverse enjoying ...

2025-10-13T15:55:25Z

👋 If you can see this toot you are on the #Fediverse enjoying #BetterSocialMedia

How flippin' awesome is that!?

In one or two sentences, tell me one thing that stands out for you personally, one of the reasons you enjoy being here.

And if you're ok with me using your answer in promotional material to get more people here, add the tag #TellEveryone 📢

@npub18s7…wqln now listed on ...

2025-10-03T19:28:41Z

Hetzner (npub18s7…wqln) now listed on https://jaz.co.uk/projects/orgs-using-ap?

Do you know a company or organisation running their own Fediverse service? let me know!

I'll be updating https://jaz.co.uk/projects/orgs-using-ap/ - ...

2025-09-24T20:37:10Z

I'll be updating https://jaz.co.uk/projects/orgs-using-ap/ - which is a database of companies and organisation self-hosting (as in, on their own domain) an ActivityPub service of any kind.

if you know of any, please let me know.

also schooled in Wales, lots of singing, oddly almost never in ...

2025-09-17T22:34:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…0xrn
_________________________

also schooled in Wales, lots of singing, oddly almost never in music class.

It's #FediForumFriday so I'll point out I and others will ...

2025-09-12T15:37:12Z

It's #FediForumFriday so I'll point out I and others will be presenting at a dedicated Fediverse track with twelve (!) presentations in one day at #SFSCon in November.

Hopefully our attendance will spur SFSCon into creating an account somewhere Fediversal...

You can review the Fediverse track at https://www.sfscon.it/programs/2025/ (choose Fediverse in the drop down)

Oh. My. Goodness. I'm giving a talk in November at #SFSCon ...

2025-09-10T20:29:27Z

Oh. My. Goodness.

I'm giving a talk in November at #SFSCon about building Tŵt Cymru, and I was just adding the session to my calendar when I realised...

It's on #DefaidodonDay #DyddDefaidodon !!!

I am now going to have to figure out how to incorporate the hashtag into the presentation, and I expect everyone to pile in with their #SheepOfMastodon on the day.

I think I'll do a grand finale and load the FediWall up on a screen, assuming I have a screen behind me.

https://www.sfscon.it/talks/hiraeth-and-hashtags-building-a-bilingual-community-on-the-fediverse/

Um, hello. As long as it's weeds you're eating, I'm ...

2025-09-09T22:12:56Z

Um, hello. As long as it's weeds you're eating, I'm ok with it.

Poked my head into a random tinned fish shop in #Lisboa and saw ...

2025-08-26T13:50:11Z

Poked my head into a random tinned fish shop in #Lisboa and saw this sign (a la https://toot.wales/@jaz/114665041476482675 )

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on my latest blog ...

2025-08-15T14:54:49Z

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on my latest blog post, it's been really invigorating to hear from folks.

I've added a "further reading" section at the bottom as I think there's plenty of great conversation about this topic and I'm happy to add more:

https://jaz.co.uk/2025/08/14/there-is-one-fediverse-there-are-a-million-fediverses/

In my next post I'll talk about the safety issues that come with connecting social spaces.

New blog post: ...

2025-08-14T16:00:51Z

New blog post:

https://jaz.co.uk/2025/08/14/there-is-one-fediverse-there-are-a-million-fediverses

This just arrived! @npub1jhf…35pm ...

2025-08-10T18:00:34Z

This just arrived! Robert W. Gehl (npub1jhf…35pm)

End of an era Read: ...

2025-08-09T20:51:09Z

End of an era

Read: https://help.aol.com/articles/dial-up-internet-to-be-discontinued

Listen:
https://toot.wales/system/media_attachments/files/115/000/780/251/646/013/original/3e373eee22f8f533.mp3

#StartHereSocial has been upgraded and updated, and new services ...

2025-08-04T17:58:17Z

#StartHereSocial has been upgraded and updated, and new services added. Work in progress. All feedback welcome.

https://jaz.co.uk/projects/startheresocial/

Wrapping up #FediCon with a speaker panel ...

2025-08-02T23:02:24Z

Wrapping up #FediCon with a speaker panel

Day 1 session 5 #FediCon with @npub1xjl…5mj0 talking open ...

2025-08-01T21:30:53Z

Day 1 session 5 #FediCon with Boris Mann (npub1xjl…5mj0) talking open social beyond microblogging.

Day 1 Session 3 #FediCon with @npub1dvx…gems discussing "a ...

2025-08-01T18:53:40Z

Day 1 Session 3 #FediCon with Johannes Ernst (npub1dvx…gems) discussing "a plausible narrative for growing the social web"