Mastodon is a decentralized social network built on open protocols, allowing users to join different servers while remaining part of a larger interconnected network.
The Fediverse is a collection of interconnected servers that use the ActivityPub protocol to enable seamless communication and content sharing across different platforms.
Content moderation on Mastodon is handled at the individual server level, empowering server administrators and users to create and choose communities that align with their values.
As a German non-profit organization, Mastodon is funded through sponsorships and grants rather than advertising or data monetization, ensuring its focus remains on user privacy.
The official Mastodon app aims to simplify the onboarding process for new users by providing a polished and accessible entry point into the decentralized network.
Mastodon experienced a massive influx of users following changes at other social media platforms, leading to significant scaling challenges for both the main server and the wider network.
Mastodon is built on a technology stack featuring Ruby on Rails for the backend, React.js for the frontend, PostgreSQL for the database, and Redis with Sidekiq for background processing.
The Mastodon project thrives on open source contributions, with a core team managing the roadmap and reviewing pull requests from a global community of developers.
Mastodon's future roadmap includes significant features like end-to-end encrypted direct messages and a carefully considered implementation of quote posts to enhance user interaction.
Through the ActivityPub protocol, Mastodon users can seamlessly interact with content from other specialized Fediverse platforms like PixelFed for photos and PeerTube for videos.
Mastodon provides users with control over their digital identity by allowing them to migrate their account, including followers, from one server to another within the network.
Content discovery on Mastodon is a user-driven process that relies on following accounts, tracking hashtags, and exploring federated timelines rather than a centralized algorithm.
Mastodon positions itself not as a direct replacement for big tech platforms but as a viable, ethical alternative focused on user control, privacy, and open standards.
New users can get started by choosing a server on joinmastodon.org, while developers can contribute to the open-source project directly on GitHub.
Bitpanda
Vienna, Austria
1:12:26David Heinemeier Hansson
34:27Thomas Pamminger & David Heinemeier Hansson
33:19
40:57Eric Bailey
57:03Monty Munford
1:01:44Dan Cranney, Chris Heilmann & Brian Rountree
54:45Christian Heilmann, Ana Gospodinova & Benjamin Perlzweig
34:48Maria Apazoglou
Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.
Discord Inc.
Oakland, United States of America
Patreon, Inc.
New York, United States of America
Coinbase, Inc.
Harrisburg, United States of America
Coinbase, Inc.
Montpelier, United States of America
