How Mastodon and federated services put social networks in the people’s hands

The Internet is getting weird again. Twitter’s recent stumbles under new ownership have surprisingly shined a quick light on the world of federated and decentralized social networking services, like Mastodon. These services are peer-to-peer or community-run networks, depending on the particulars. Federated services are services that are managed by individual organizations or “offices,” such as the Post Office, email, or self-hosted forums. If you were on the Internet “back in the day,” you might remember when everyone connected through a variety of different forums or IM client accounts while having their own personal pages on Geocities or Blogspot. The rise of federated services is reminiscent of that. If you’re used to “modern” social media from 2012 or so onward, all of this can be really confusing at first glance—which is understandable! A lot of jargon is being thrown around, and much of the established norms are being abandoned.  Have no fear! This is your guide to the federated universe (coined the “Fediverse”), and what it all means for you and for the future of social media/networking. Since the biggest crowd of Twitter refugees seems to be heading towards Mastodon, let’s look at what you need to get started there, first. From there, we’ll dive deeper into the underlying concepts and systems that make federated services work, as well as highlight some other specialized networks you can try—like PixelFed and PeerTube—which take that idea beyond mere... Continue reading at 'PC World'

[ PC World | 2022-11-30 11:45:00 UTC ]

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If you miss visiting the library, try the Internet Archive’s new virtual browsing tool.

It’s been a bad year for libraries and those who love them. Despite some interesting tech innovations (we could have been cleaning our books with UV rays this whole time!), many temporarily reopened libraries are closing again due to surging COVID numbers and COVID exposures, and many other... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-01-11 18:26:49 UTC ]
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Boats, Bread, and Biblioburros: Unusual Libraries Around the World

Explore libraries that have unusual collections, exist in strange places, or use novel modes of transportation to deliver books to readers. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-01-11 11:30:00 UTC ]
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2020 was a great year for at least one thing: digital book loans from public libraries.

If you, like me, could really use some nice library-oriented news right about now, you’re in luck. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the impossibility of going to physical libraries for much of the year, readers borrowed record numbers of ebooks, audiobooks, and digital magazines from public... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-01-07 15:34:02 UTC ]
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New Report Offers Post-Pandemic Outlook for Book Business

In a free 50-page report released this week, three veteran publishing and digital media consultants offer a postmortem on 2020 and a glimpse at what the future holds for publishers, booksellers, libraries and readers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-07 05:00:00 UTC ]
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OverDrive Reports Surge in Digital Library Lending in 2020

Readers worldwide borrowed some 430 million e-books, audiobooks and digital magazines in the past 12 months, a hefty 33% increase over 2019, OverDrive officials reported, based on data drawn from some 65,000 libraries and schools worldwide. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-07 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Little Free Libraries Across All 7 Continents

Take a book, give a book. Learn more about Little Free Libraries and how they're making appearances across all seven continents. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-01-04 11:37:00 UTC ]
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Italy’s Fifth ‘Why I Read’ Campaign Generates Broad-Based Response

The results of the AIE's fifth annual #IoLeggoPerché book donation program for schools and libraries surprised organizers with 300,000 books. The post Italy’s Fifth ‘Why I Read’ Campaign Generates Broad-Based Response appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-01-04 09:46:32 UTC ]
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Majority of borrowed books across Ontario libraries in 2020 weren't published this year

In a year dominated by a global pandemic and American politics, some might find it fitting that the library book most likely to be checked out across Ontario was a hopeful memoir written by the former first lady of the United States. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2020-12-31 09:00:00 UTC ]
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Searching for Little Free Libraries As a Way to Say Goodbye

A reader on saying goodbye not only to the books she can't bring on the next phase of her journey, but to her roomie, her sister. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-12-30 11:31:00 UTC ]
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The Other Mr. Met

WHEN I WAS growing up in San Francisco in the 1960s and ’70s, I read every baseball book on the shelves of the libraries of my grammar school, junior high, and high school and the local branches of the public library. I absorbed them the way a nine-year-old immigrant might take in a new... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books

[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-12-27 13:30:28 UTC ]
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17 Little Free Libraries to Buy

Want a Little Free Library or lending library for your home? Here are 17 awesome Little Free Libraries to buy right now. - Kelly Jensen Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-12-23 11:32:00 UTC ]
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6 Famous Libraries That Were Tragically Destroyed

Six libraries through history which have been destroyed and the history behind them. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-12-21 11:33:00 UTC ]
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The Skillset Podcast #9: Ilona Kisch on Public Library 2030

It’s largely accepted as a truism that libraries connect and work together—interlibrary loan, consortia, union catalogs. However, working together and connecting is not a simple task. Add in different histories, cultures, languages, political systems and you begin to get a sense of what... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-12-11 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Jeremy O. Harris is donating a collection of plays by Black writers to libraries across the country.

On Late Night with Seth Meyers this week, Slave Play and Daddy playwright Jeremy O. Harris announced he is donating a collection of 15 plays by Black playwrights to 53 libraries and community centers across the United States—and is donating one such collection to Northwestern University in Seth... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-12-09 17:29:54 UTC ]
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What a History of Book-Burning Can Tell Us About Preserving Knowledge Today

Lack of funding for libraries is as dangerous as any conquering army in this chronicle of information destroyed throughout the ages. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2020-12-08 21:32:42 UTC ]
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Okayama City libraries let patrons sterilize their books with the power of UV light.

Another win for technology! Library users in Okayama City are able to check out library books without fear of illness, thanks to a high-tech ultraviolet light sterilizer that cleans books thoroughly. The sterilizer also blows air on the books to clear off potential dust. Said one library-goer,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-12-08 16:44:03 UTC ]
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Low infection rate shows safety measures work, Libraries Connected says

A survey of library services shows 1.4% of staff have tested positive for Covid-19 since reopening in July, suggesting safety measures have worked, according to Libraries Connected. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-07 11:43:42 UTC ]
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P.E.I. announces 4 new COVID-19 cases; restrictions on schools, restaurants, shopping

Prince Edward Island has decided that restaurants will be shut to indoor dining, organized sports will be suspended and libraries and gyms will close for at least the next two weeks in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2020-12-06 22:51:28 UTC ]
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Library spending fell by £20m in 2019/20 amid warnings of further cuts

New figures show total spending on Great Britain's libraries fell by £20m in the last financial year, as Libraries Connected warned more budget reductions are on the way. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-04 10:12:19 UTC ]
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