Mastodon

Mastodon is an open-source, self-hosted decentralized social networking server that allows users to publish text, links, images, and videos while following other users to build a social graph. Unlike centralized platforms, it operates as a collection of independent servers that communicate with one another.

Deployment occurs on a server, with the software providing a web interface for users. Because it is based on the ActivityPub protocol, Mastodon servers are interoperable. This means users on different server instances can communicate and interact with each other across a federated network, including users on other software that implements the same open standard.

Key features

• Federation via ActivityPub for communication across different servers
• Real-time chronological timeline updates
• Support for image and video media attachments
• Moderation tools including phrase filtering, muting, and blocking
• Private posts and locked account options
• OAuth2 provider capabilities for third party applications
• REST and Streaming APIs for external integration

The technical architecture relies on a Ruby on Rails backend with a PostgreSQL database and Redis for caching and queueing. The user interface is built with React.js and Redux, while Node.js handles the streaming API. To support media processing, the system requires FFmpeg. It is designed for administrators who wish to host their own social instance, offering deployment configurations for Docker, docker-compose, Heroku, and Scalingo, as well as standalone installation guides.

This software is intended for communities and individuals who want to maintain control over their data and connections. By removing vendor lock-in, it allows for a diverse ecosystem of servers and third party apps to coexist within the broader Fediverse.

Mastodon serves as a decentralized microblogging platform.