ActivityPub or Mastodon?

Question

I am thinking about joining the Fediverse.I don't really understand the difference between ActivityPub and Mastodon yet.If I write my own ActivityPub software (server code with web frontend), can I interact with Mastodon users just as if I also were a Mastodon user? Or would I have to implement some Mastodon specific protocols?

watchdogtimer · Accepted Answer

Before you go to the trouble of writing your own software, consider using one that's already been written. There are many[0] out there already besides Mastodon.[0]- https://delightful.club/delightful-fediverse-apps/

anthropodie · Answer

While everyone is talking about Mastodon because of Twitter, I want people to know that there is https://pixelfed.social which is alternative to Instagram.Theoretically you should be able to follow anyone from pixelfed on Mastodon and vice versa because both support ActivityPub. I haven't tried doing that myself.

piva00 · Answer

AFAIK: ActivityPub is the protocol used by Mastodon and other platforms (like PeerTube) and so you'd be able to interact with other users using the protocol.If I'm wrong I believe someone will correct me pretty fast but that's my current understanding.

emaro · Answer

The difference between ActivityPub and Mastodon was already explained by others.If the popular solutions are too complex, maybe you want to take a look at https://microblog.pub, a relatively small and simple AP implementation designed for single-user instances.

JackC · Answer

For anyone looking to mess around with making a single file ActivityPub server, this looks like a good intro to the spec: https://socialhub.activitypub.rocks/t/guide-for-new-activity...That page also links to https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2018/06/how-to-implement-a-bas..., which is a demo of hardcoding one part of the spec from scratch.

chx · Answer

Mastodon won't survive this, the Fediverse will. Much as Twitter when it was a Rails app buckled under the load already we see things like https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/issues/19505 and users of other instances also complain. It's an old crusty complex codebase.
So yes you can certainly interact with Mastodon users and you will need to.
https://www.r-bloggers.com/2022/10/getting-acquainted-with-m... the largest Mastodon instance has less than a million users. Twitter has, what, 450 million?

2Gkashmiri · Answer

no. activitypub is the protocol which all apps in the fediverse use and can talk to each other. you can create a pixelfed instance account and follow someone on mastodon.social and vice versa. same for interaction between them

xena · Answer

ActivityPub : Mastodon :: SMTP : postfix

andrewstuart · Answer

Meanwhile&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;. Twitter is just a text field (basically).

smcn · Answer

Yes, it'll federate with Mastodon, with no extra effort or code.

ydf · Answer

Best not to waste your time on any of this microblogging rubbish. It only leads to misery.

ActivityPub or Mastodon?

Before you go to the trouble of writing your own software, consider using one that's already been written. There are many[0] out there already besides Mastodon.
[0]- https://delightful.club/delightful-fediverse-apps/

AFAIK: ActivityPub is the protocol used by Mastodon and other platforms (like PeerTube) and so you'd be able to interact with other users using the protocol.
If I'm wrong I believe someone will correct me pretty fast but that's my current understanding.

The difference between ActivityPub and Mastodon was already explained by others.
If the popular solutions are too complex, maybe you want to take a look at https://microblog.pub, a relatively small and simple AP implementation designed for single-user instances.

no. activitypub is the protocol which all apps in the fediverse use and can talk to each other. you can create a pixelfed instance account and follow someone on mastodon.social and vice versa. same for interaction between them

ActivityPub : Mastodon :: SMTP : postfix

Meanwhile………. Twitter is just a text field (basically).

Yes, it'll federate with Mastodon, with no extra effort or code.

Best not to waste your time on any of this microblogging rubbish. It only leads to misery.