Mastodon was created by German developer Eugen Rochko in 2016. Its core concept is decentralization. Unlike traditional social software such as Twitter or Weibo, Mastodon is not controlled by a single entity, but consists of independent networks distributed on different servers. Each user belongs to a specific instance, and these instances can be connected to each other to form a huge federated network.

Decentralized Architecture

Independence: Anyone can set up their own Mastodon instance, which can be open for registration or for private use only. This structure allows each server to remain independent and without a centralized management agency.

Interconnectivity: Although each Mastodon instance is independent, they can fully interact with each other. Users can follow, tweet, and interact between different instances to form a large social network.

Open Source and Freedom

Transparency: As open source software, Mastodon's code is open to all users, which means that anyone can review, modify, and distribute its source code. This improves the transparency and security of the software.

Freedom: Users can not only view and modify the code, but also deploy Mastodon on their own servers without worrying about the data being controlled by a single company. This provides users with greater freedom and control.

Data Sovereignty and Privacy

Data Control: Mastodon allows users to import and export their data, which means that users can migrate to other instances at any time without losing friends and content. This design ensures users' sovereignty over their own data.

No ads and analysis: Unlike commercial social platforms, Mastodon does not have ads and user behavior analysis. Examples such as EU Voice place special emphasis on protecting user privacy and personal data.

User Experience and Interface

Intuitive Design: Mastodon has a good user interface and a simple REST API, which facilitates users to perform various operations, including posting content, following other users, and interacting.

Multi-platform support: Mastodon can run on multiple operating systems, including Linux systems such as Debian and Ubuntu. Users can deploy their own instances using open source guides and manage and maintain them through the web interface.