Privacy and social networks
Welcome stranger, let me start by saying this blog is just meant to be a space to share my thoughts and because I find it therapeutic, don’t expect the next best novel 🙂
Now, let’s get right to it: I had always known that big tech companies such as Facebook or Google don’t let you have free accounts out of the goodness of their CEO’s hearts, I also knew that their revenue comes mostly from ads, targeted ads. So far so good, what’s the problem? It doesn’t stop there.
I will not go through all the references and details but let’s just say that most people have an idea of what is going on by now (or at least that’s what I hope). After the Snowden and Cambridge Analytica scandals I started to dig a bit more into privacy and that is when shit really hit the fan…. trackers, cookies, ads, sensitive data breaches and mass profiling are terms that popped up very often. Let’s just say that at this point I was wary but didn’t take any measures.
It wasn’t until recently (2 weeks ago) that I decided to take some steps to protect my data, easy things like replacing Whatsapp by Signal, using OsmAnd instead of Google maps while trying to use Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) as much as I could.
The discovery
When I was searching for privacy oriented FOSS alternatives for the apps and services I normally use I came across the term Federated Social Networks, and the term Fediverse, that describes all the social networks that work in this way, I got interested.
Turns out it gets even better:
1. No ads
2. Anyone can host their own instance and still interact with other instances
3. Instances can be dedicated to your topics of interest and (in my experience so far) the people that host them are not in it for money, they just want to create a community in which they can meet other like-minded people
4. There is a set of rules to follow and moderators
5. As someone used to YouTube like interactions on the internet I was surprised to see that everyone is very polite (at least on my instance)
6. Did I mention no ads?
For now
It was until I was thinking of removing the Twitter and Facebook apps that I found a problem: while I can uninstall Twitter because I don’t use it that much, or Instagram because I mostly do it to have a nice gallery of my favorite pictures, Facebook is mostly how my friends organize events so I ended up deciding to keep the app while limiting the usage to just events and messaging if there is no other alternative, a necessary evil.
I think I’m going to eventually replace all my social networks for Fediverse alternatives…
Some alternatives:
Twitter -> Mastodon
Facebook -> Diaspora, Friendica
Instagram -> Pixelfed
More on Fediverse Party
Welcome to indieweb!
Hello @lopeztel,Why have you decided to switch from #writefreely? For the #indieweb possibilities?
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@hs0ucy Maybe more interaction, I liked #writefreely for the federation component and decided to test the ActivityPub plugin for #wordpress , then one thing led to another and I discovered #indieweb and corresponding plugins as well
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@lopeztel Cool!Otherwise there’s #known (https://withknown.com/) as an #indieweb alternative to wordpress.Just saying 😉
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Known: social publishing for groups and individuals
@hs0ucy always cool to have other alternatives, thanks
@lopeztelReplied to you from my Known blog yesterday but I can’t see your website displaying my webmention to you..
@rmdes I see it now: https://lopeztel.xyz/2020/03/02/into-the-fediverse/
Into the Fediverse – Lopeztel’s Blog
@lopeztelOhhh yes, me too now, wasn’t the case yesterday when I tested but anyhow, good news!You can test your #Indieweb implementation at https://indiewebify.meFor the #ActivityPub part and WP, I’m still learning all that part since I’ve been using Known for years now.. But your author on your WP site? This is your secondary fediverse identity https://lopeztel.xyz/author/lopeztel/If you decompose this URL intolopeztel@lopeztel.xyz you – 1/3
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IndieWebify.Me – a guide to getting you on the IndieWeb
should be able to follow yourself from your Mastodon account or any ActivityPub enabled piece of code.You’ll see that the profile display the number of articles this author published on the WP side.. only future post your write, after having followed your WP user are going to come as toots.. (that may change in the future of the ActivityPub plug-in I read somewhere) but for now it’s a good way to test if your new posts are visible for followers on the @lopeztel – 2/3
fediverse.Also, check out the Indigenous Android app, you’ll login using indieauth and use #micropub & #microsub to publish to your blog on the go and subscribe to other blogs on the go.. It’s like the combination of a feed reader and indieweb publishing app in one spot! @lopeztel – 3/3
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@rmdes I set every comment/mention to be queued for approval
@rmdes yep, working: @lopeztel
@lopeztelHmmm can’t follow your WP user from here.. Getting error 500 https://lopeztel.xyz/author/lopeztel/
lopeztel – Lopeztel’s Blog
@lopeztelOh that’s why, forgot this was default WP behavior!
@rmdes Still haven’t gotten that far
@lopeztelManaged to follow you with your entire URL author pasted in the search box https://lopeztel.xyz/author/lopeztel/It’s working! @lopeztel
@lopeztelYou should now see in your WP backend that you have 2 followers for your WP user 🙂 @lopeztel