Does anyone else feel like the Fediverse could potentially use a centralized, clear, and engaging way to introduce itself and its platforms to new users?
I’ve noticed a recurring trend: on Reddit, YouTube, and other platforms, there are constant questions like “What is the Fediverse?” or “How does Mastodon/Lemmy/Pixelfed work?”
While it’s great to see so much interest, these questions can become repetitive, and they highlight the need for a more accessible and official introduction to the Fediverse.
What I’m proposing is The FediGuide—a centralized, interactive, and approachable platform or website designed to explain what the Fediverse is, how ActivityPub works, and what its platforms (like Mastodon, Lemmy, Pixelfed, etc.) are all about. Here’s how The FediGuide could look and function:
Key Features of The FediGuide
1. Interactive, Child-Friendly Design
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The FediGuide should be so simple and visually appealing that even a five-year-old could grasp the concepts. Think:
- Bright visuals
- Interactive animations
- Step-by-step explanations
- Simple, jargon-free language
It should feel as welcoming as picking up a colorful amusement park brochure or summer camp guide.
2. Centralized Hub for Information
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The FediGuide could serve as a one-stop resource for anyone curious about:
- What the Fediverse is
- The differences between Fediverse platforms (Mastodon, Lemmy, Pixelfed, etc.)
- How to join and use these platforms
- The concept of ActivityPub and why it matters
- Comparisons to centralized platforms like Facebook/Reddit/Instagram
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It could also include video tutorials, either normal Youtube/PeerTube videos, or ones similar to interactive training videos you see at workplaces for employees, infographics, and even community-generated FAQs to clarify common concerns.
3. Interactive Tutorial Platform
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The FediGuide could take inspiration from onboarding tools like:
- Guided tutorials that mimic real-world actions (e.g., “Here’s how you create your first post on Mastodon!”)
- Engaging quizzes like “Which Fediverse platform is right for you?”
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For a truly immersive experience, it could be built as a fediverse-based platform itself, where users could “try out” ActivityPub principles in action.
4. A Fediverse-Based Clippy
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Imagine a friendly, helpful virtual assistant (think Clippy from Microsoft Word) that pops up on different platforms to explain features and answer user questions. For example:
- Someone joins Mastodon for the first time → the assistant helps them learn the interface and suggests accounts to follow.
- The assistant could live on The FediGuide website but also integrate with Fediverse apps.
This assistant could provide context-sensitive help and guide users toward relevant parts of the Fediverse.
Maybe name it Fred if it’s a boy, and Fredi if it’s a girl, or something similar.
5. Easy to Share and Reference
- The FediGuide should be easy to reference and share, with:
- A memorable name and URL (e.g., “www.TheFediGuide.org”)
- Compatibility with multiple languages, ensuring accessibility for a global audience.
- Integration within Fediverse platforms, where users can easily point others toward the resource.
Why This is Needed:
- The Learning Curve: While the Fediverse is an exciting decentralized alternative, its concepts can be intimidating or confusing for new users.
- Constant Repetition: People across various platforms keep asking the same questions, which suggests the need for an official, consistent source of answers.
- Community Growth: Making the Fediverse easier to understand will lower barriers to entry, helping it grow and thrive.
Potential Obstacles and Solutions
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Obstacle: Many Fediverse projects are run by volunteers with limited resources.
- Solution: The community could work together to crowdsource the content and development of The FediGuide. Alternatively, organizations backing the Fediverse (e.g., Mastodon gGmbH, Pixelfed, etc.) could potentially allocate resources to this idea.
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Obstacle: Ensuring the information remains up-to-date as platforms evolve.
- Solution: Treat The FediGuide as an open-source project, with regular contributions and updates from the community.
Potential Next Steps’
If this idea resonates, here’s how something like this might potentially move forward:
- Gather Feedback: Discuss what features or content would be most helpful. Would a website, platform, or both work best? How simple/interactive should it be?
- Identify Developers & Contributors: Call for volunteers or organizations in the Fediverse ecosystem to support this idea.
- Choose a Platform: Decide whether The FediGuide will be a standalone website, an ActivityPub-based app, or both.
- Launch in Phases: Start with a basic explainer website, then add interactive features like tutorials, a Clippy-style assistant, or even gamified learning modules.
What do you all think?
Does The FediGuide feel like a useful addition to the Fediverse?
I would consider doing something like this, but, unfortunately, I do not have the time, energy, or knowledge.
Hm… I think telling people to invest a bunch of time and effort in reading the guide before they’ve even figured out if it’s something that’s worth investing themselves into is maybe not the way to go. Most of the people who are up for reading a bunch already have stuff they can read.
I think if I were trying to make it more friendly for people, I would go the opposite direction: Open up an instance, and provide access to all the nifty stuff, but reduce the front part of the learning curve. The site is called Apples. The app on your phone is called Apples. The icon is an apple. The domain is Apples. The software you interact with says “About Apples” instead of “About Lemmy.” Once people see for themselves that, on Apples, they can interact with people @beehaw.org and @fedia.io in addition to @apples.social, they’ll be primed to decide that yes, this is worth learning more about. They’ll probably think that it’s cool that Apples is plugged into this whole little world. It’s not complicated to understand, after all, it’s like email. But as a UX thing, the attention you make people invest before you’re earned their trust or demonstrated that it’s worth their time to do so, the more they’re going to tune out.
On that regard, Beehaw have probably the most solid experience. Too bad that they kind of don’t want to update Lemmy anymore.
Thanks for the great concept! It would be really important to develop something like this.
“The differences between Fediverse platforms (Mastodon, Lemmy, Pixelfed, etc.)”
It would make things a lot easier if you were supported in advance in deciding which platform / software is best suited. At the moment, many people don’t even realise that they have a choice and they often start with Mastodon because that’s all they know. For some, it does fit, but many are not actually looking for a Twitter clone and not just microblogging and are then disappointed or confused.
I had once made drafts for a kind of “FediChooser” (alluding to Distrochooser), which, after answering a few questions about needs, expectations, experiences, gives one or more recommendations which platform would subjectively fit best for you.
