Create an account on the Fediverse
Create an account for yourself. Or for your band, your distro, your label, your fest, your show booking collective, your zine, your show photography... whatever you are currently sharing on social media. Bring it to the open Fediverse so other punks don't need to sell out and sign up for corporate social media to see it!
Choose a server
We host a Mastodon server that accompanies our Guide to Mastodon and The Fediverse. If you are looking for somewhere to sign up for #FPM, you are welcome on counterforce.social !
New accounts on our server require manual approval, so provide a little intro about yourself and mention that you are doing #FPM - we'll approve your account as soon as we can. Many Mastodon servers similarly require approval for new accounts.
But there might be other servers suited to you based on your interests or geography. You're welcome to sign up on our server, but ultimately we want the Fediverse to stay decentralized! Here's some other servers we know about that you could sign up on (but there are thousands more):
- https://438punk.house - If you are in Montreal, ask someone for an invite link!
- https://desposseits.com - Run by a Counterforce Contributor and based in Barcelona. Users post in Spanish, Catalan and English. New accounts require approval.
- https://kolektiva.social - The largest international anarchist server. If you like politics and want a busy feed, this might be the place for you! New accounts require approval.
- https://autonomous.zone - A small server of European anarchists. Friends!
- https://radikal.social - Denmark server for radical leftists that has open registration.
To find out more info about a specific Mastodon server, like where it is based and who it's for, you should check out the server's About page. The About page for counterforce.social is at /about
If you have a friend who is already on the Fediverse, ask what server they are using and consider signing up there!
Signing up
Our Guide has detailed instructions for signing up. In brief, we recommend you create your account in a web browser, directly on the website of the server you've chosen, rather than trying to use a mobile app installed from an app store. Here is the sign up page for counterforce.social
Apps
Once you've signed up and your account has been approved, you can use an app if you prefer. But it isn't really necessary – most people we've asked prefer just using Mastodon in the browser on their phone. Just log in to your account on the website of your Mastodon server with Safari or FireFox or Chrome or whatever, and click "Add to Home Screen". It's as good as an app.
If you do want an app, here are some we recommend:
- Android apps: Tusky, Pachli or Moshidon
- iOS apps: Ice Cubes, Tusker, Metatext
- Phanpy is another Mastodon app that you log in to in your web browser, so you can use it on any device, and it has a lot of nice features.
There is also the Official Mastodon app (if you search Mastodon in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store if should turn up), and it's fine.
If you don't like the look or features of these apps, there are many more (scroll down) out there to choose from.
