If you’re totally new to Mastodon and the Fediverse, the safest and easiest way to join is to pick a server from the lists at JoinMastodon.org ⧉ or Fedi.Garden ⧉.
The servers listed on those two sites have all committed to specific standards of technical reliability and responsible content moderation ⧉. (There are also other server lists but they don’t have these requirements, so other lists are not as safe to choose from.)
After you’ve signed up on a server, you can use your account on any Mastodon app, and you can also use your account on the server’s website or web app.
I can’t make up my mind which server to choose!
Many of the servers are themed or intended for particular kinds of people, but many of them are just general. If you can’t make up your mind, just pick one of the general servers listed on those two sites.
I just want you to recommend one good server
Okay, mas.to ⧉ is a pretty good general server and it’s been online since 2019.
What is the problem with mastodon.social?
Joining mastodon.social is a really bad idea for many different reasons. The more people who sign up there, the more the entire network is put in danger.
Is there a more direct, in-depth way to find out about a server?
If you know the server you want info about, go to its website and click on its “About” link. If you’re using a phone click ☰ in the bottom right corner and then “About”. If you’re using a computer click on the “About” link in the bottom left corner which is next to the name of the server.
A server’s “About” page will contain general information about the server, as well as a list of the server’s rules and a link to the server administrator’s page (along with their public email address). It may also show a list of other servers that the server has blocked, which can be a useful indicator of the server’s priorities and how responsibly it is run.
How do I find out a server’s website address?
A server’s website address is usually the same as its name, so for example the server ohai.social is at the web address ohai.social ⧉
What are the differences between servers?
Each server is totally independent: it is owned by the person or group who maintains it, it makes its own rules of acceptable behaviour and is responsible for moderation, it chooses which other servers it blocks, and all these things together give it a general vibe or atmosphere. The sense of community is usually much stronger and friendlier on medium and smaller servers.
Because Mastodon and the rest of the Fediverse is built on open technical standards, servers are free to offer features that aren’t available on standard Mastodon. For example, some servers allow you to write longer posts or offer custom emojis or rich text formatting.
What’s to stop a server shutting down?
Any kind of internet site can disappear ⧉, but the Fediverse reduces this risk by letting you move your account to another server if the one you’re on is closing.
All of the servers listed on Fedi.Garden and the JoinMastodon.org sites have promised to give three months warning if they intend to shut down, so that users have time to move their accounts to a different server without losing their followers or follows.
Another way of mitigating the risks of shutdowns is to join a server that has been around for a long time. The Fedi.Garden website has a section which lists recommended servers sorted by the year they were founded ⧉. You can also check a server’s age by clicking on the administrator’s profile link on its About page. Because the admin is usually the one who founded the server, their joining date on their profile page usually tells you the server’s age too.
Do I need to join more than one server?
No. You don’t need to join more than one server, because the servers talk to each other seamlessly. If your friend is on another server you can still follow each other, and being on different servers doesn’t affect that at all. (It’s similar to friends being on different phone providers, they can still call each other.)
Should I join the biggest server?
No. Joining the largest server is a really bad idea. Medium-sized and small servers are much better both for you and for the safety of the network as a whole. There are really important reasons why being spread out on lots of medium and small servers is the best option.
Medium and small servers also tend to have much better moderation. Their ratio of staff to users is much higher than on large servers, so if there are any problems it’s much easier to reach someone who can help.
Can I move my account if I change my mind about which server to join?
Yes! You can always transfer your account to a different server if you want to be somewhere else instead. The transfer process lets you keep your followers and follows, plus bookmarks, blocks, mutes and lists. Posts from the old account remain on your old server, but when people click on the profile name above old posts they will be redirected to your new account’s profile page.
How do I find out how long a server has been going?
Finding out how long a server has been going can be useful, because long-running servers tend to be more stable as they have a proven track record.
You can browse recommended servers by year of foundation over on Fedi.Garden ⧉.
If you want to know about a specific server not listed on Fedi.Garden, visit the server’s About page and there will be a section marked “Administered by”. This is above a link to the admin’s account profile, and the admin’s profile shows when they joined. The admin’s joining date is usually the same as the time the server was created.
Can I create my own server?
Yes, you can! You don’t need to be rich or into computers, it’s much cheaper and easier than most people think, and it gives you total control over your account and its relationship to other servers.