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Re: Decentralized software alternatives
jakob wrote #312846:
One ‘problem’ (at the moment) with this tool and some of the others posted in this thread is that they more flexible web hosting, e.g. Gitea requires Go, and some of the above require node.js or Ruby which are not (as) common on shared hosting platforms (at the moment).
I moved from shared hosting to VPS in about 2006, and paid through the nose for ‘good’ managed hosting on Media Temple until about 2012 or so. I slimmed down on domains, hosting and other online service bills from 2012 to about 2014 and purchased my first Raspberry Pi.
The difference that made to me was night and day. I learned how to set up and administer Linux servers, my confidence grew and I vastly reduced my reliance on the managed hosting I’d been paying for. From there, I went over to DigitalOcean, signed up for a $5 server (droplet) and iterated server builds over and over and over and over until I was happy. All the setup steps are documented, and the process of writing a document was also incredibly useful. The document lives in a git repo, so I can iterate the setup scripts and always have a backup copy.
I say this because a DO droplet would be perfect for a Gitea or GitLab instance (Gitea is a bit less hungry on resources than GitLab), and if you have the time & inclination to learn to do this, the benefits from learning and doing are amazing.
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Re: Decentralized software alternatives
The ethical Instagram alternative @pixelfed is launching soon, but did you know that there’s another federated photo sharing site in development?
It’s called #Anfora (previously known as Zinat) and it’s been developed in co-operation with #PixelFed so that they will be as compatible as possible (and they both use #ActivityPub).
Anfora is asking for help and feedback, links below:
Official account:
https://mastodon.social/@anforaGitHub:
https://github.com/anforaProject/anforaDev’s account:
https://mstdn.io/@yabirgb
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Re: Decentralized software alternatives
i like the looks of @pixelfed … keep us updated. I want to kill my instagram id soonish, if that will be possible. Also wish to reclaim all my images if at all possible
i have no interest in joining mastodon … nothing against them but i don’t want to have another “social thing” to bother with.
…. texted postive
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Re: Decentralized software alternatives
bici wrote #312959:
i like the looks of @pixelfed … keep us updated.
i don’t want to have another “social thing” to bother with.
Heh. Well, if you quit more than you sign up for, you’re at least going the right way.
But I agree with you. Most people have too many (centralized) social media accounts they don’t need. Open/federated alternatives have their place for ethical needs (especially in business contexts), but if you don’t need to be in socmed at all, regardless what type, don’t create the accounts. It’s always better not to.
This thread is for you folks, in case you want an ethical alternative.
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Re: Decentralized software alternatives
In reply to michaelkpate #312958:
Yep, switching.social is a good account to follow there.
Ring, the excellent open source decentralised alternative to Skype, has been recently updated. You can get it for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux
(NOTE: Make sure you have the right “Ring”, there’s also another company’s similarly-named but totally unconnected home security app.)
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Re: Decentralized software alternatives
A nice starter guide to Mastodon
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Re: Decentralized software alternatives
Pixelfed is a decentralized alternative to Flickr, etc.
Funkwhale is a decentralized alternative to music streaming, so I guess SoundCloud and the like.
I’ve seen people say they much prefer these to PeerTube (the decentralized YouTube alternative mentioned earlier in this thread), and for music that would make sense anyway. Putting music on YT with a static image seems like using a hammer on a screw.
Edit: oh, I overlooked, Pixelfed was mentioned already by Michael.
Last edited by Destry (2018-08-09 14:28:05)
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Re: Decentralized software alternatives
i have really decentralized.
i meet folks at the local coffee bar and we gabfest for an hour or so.
no special hardware needed
…. texted postive
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Re: Decentralized software alternatives
Decentralized certificate authority and naming protocol in the works. The idea is to make the root zone file ‘uncensorable, permissionless, and free of gatekeepers.’
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Re: Decentralized software alternatives
Might be worth pointing out there’s been a growing interest in ’decentralized’ in Silly Con Vally and venture capitalism. It’s making a big enough splash now, and getting enough press that the tech capitalists are looking how to get in on it and profit. It’s kind of a contradiction in terms, but they will certainly try.
There are a few signs of this so far, and we’ll see more, I’m sure, but the latest example is the recent Decentralized Web Summit that happened in San Fran (lol, SAN FRANCISCO, of all places), and reports in masto are that it was just this SV startup culture vibe; half the talks being a promotion of some project in the works; solutions to problems that didn’t exist. Typical Valley shit.
Anyway, co-opting by the usual a-holes of the decentralizing movement has begun and you should be aware of that. If it’s not about being free and self-manageable (data and software), it’s not a true resistance effort.
Just a personal observation, but I’ve been feeling Europeans get the true spirit of decentralization far better than Americans do, and I’m much more inclined to follow/monitor a EU project first as a result. That’s not to say all US-sourced efforts are untrustworthy, but it’s a factor to keep in mind until you see how projects play out.
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Re: Decentralized software alternatives
Destry wrote #313439:
Just a personal observation, but I’ve been feeling Europeans get the true spirit of decentralization far better than Americans do, and I’m much more inclined to follow/monitor a EU project first as a result.
Not counting the EU, of course.
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