I saw that you are on Instagram and I’d like to follow you!
But did you know that because I am not a user on Instagram, I cannot follow you from elsewhere?
There is no technical reason for this, the restriction is purely Instagram's choice because they want more users on their platform.
However, I believe you don't need to be on Instagram because there is an alternative on the open web!
The alternative is called Pixelfed and it is part of the Fediverse, which is not controlled by a central entity and thus doesn't impose such restrictions.
Interested? Join us and discover a better way to socialize online!
What makes these platforms more open?
They are based on the ActivityPub protocol, an open standard that allows all these services to be interoperable with each other.
What makes them a little harder to use?
Because they are not centralized, you need to choose a server (sometimes called instance). Often financed through donations or membership fees, they are rarely run by companies. Choice can be a bit overwhelming, but you'll be helped on the respective info sites:
| Micro Blogging | ||
|---|---|---|
|
X Tumblr |
→ |
Mastodon
Misskey Pleroma |
| Image Sharing | ||
|
Instagram |
→ |
Pixelfed
|
| Video Sharing | ||
|
YouTube TikTok Vimeo |
→ |
PeerTube
|
| Audio Sharing / Podcasting | ||
|
Soundcloud Bandcamp |
→ |
Castopod
Funkwhale |
| Forums and Discussions | ||
|
Reddit |
→ |
Lemmy
|
| Social Networks | ||
|
Facebook |
→ |
Friendica
|
| Events | ||
|
Facebook |
→ |
Mobilizon
|