this post was submitted on 26 Apr 2025
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Ask Lemmy

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[โ€“] Kissaki@feddit.org 3 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (3 children)

The fediverse is a diverse social network that is distributed across multiple platforms.


Going from the basis to the specific services:

  • The ActivityPub protocol defines a protocol - data structures and forms of data transfers
  • The Fediverse is a collection of different social networks and services hosting these social networks that can and do connect and communicate with each other
  • Various social platform software like Lemmy, Pixelfed, Mastodon implement ("speak") ActivityPub and are part of the Fediverse
  • Anyone willing can run (host) their own instance of these, by downloading and running them
  • The platforms have difference interfaces and capabilities, but in one form or another, users can connect and use other platforms despite them being "different"

For example:

Lemmy is a social platform like Reddit, but anyone can host their own instance. Users can make accounts and create communities on different instances. Users can then follow and interact with communities from other instances.

For example, my account is on feddit.org, but I am posting this comment to !asklemmy@lemmy.world. Because I follow the community, feddit.org fetches and copies the data from that community, and any activity from either side gets communicated to the other. As a result, you on lemmy.world and me on feddit.org can both see and interact with the same community.

Mastodon is a social platform like Twitter. Someone may have their account on mastodon.social, which is one such instance running Mastodon. Despite being a different use-case and interface, they can follow, read, and post to Lemmy communities.

I tried replying to this comment from mastodon.social. I was able to view this post and this comment. I don't know if the comment will show up or not; maybe lemmy.world blocks mastodon.social comments.


The Fediverse is the collection of compatible services and networks that can speak and connect to each other.

[โ€“] Docker@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

Great ๐Ÿค“๐Ÿค“ So you replied to me from mastodon.social ?

[โ€“] Kissaki@feddit.org 1 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

On Mastodon it looks like this:

My reply (second screenshot) did not show up here on Lemmy. I assume because lemmy.world blocks replies from mastodon.social.

[โ€“] Kissaki@feddit.org 1 points 6 hours ago

No, I replied from feddit.org.

On lemmy you can see where the account is from

and you should be able to see Kissaki@feddit.org.

I tried to reply to my long comment from mastodon.social, but it didn't show up. I assume lemmy.world blocks replies from mastodon.social.

Given the diverse nature, instances can control to what degree they connect to other instances within the Fediverse.

One instance may block another because of spam or extremist or illegal accounts or content. Or they may allow interaction but only for those explicitly seeking it out instead of showing it within their own interface. etc