[SFS] Fwd: Thousands of Spaniards leave Twitter for GNU social
Davide Del Vento
davide.del.vento@gmail.com
Sat, 4 Apr 2015 08:43:49 -0600
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Yes interesting story, however 167,000 vs 6,000+5,000 =3D 11,000 is not tha=
t
"great" number.
I don't use and don't care about social networks at all, so I am not
interested in trying it (I wonder why people are so excited about social
networks in the first place, but that's another story)
On Sat, Apr 4, 2015 at 8:17 AM, David L. Willson <DLWillson@thegeek.nu>
wrote:
> Good story. Free software for free speech.
>
> Have any of you tried GNU social? If so, how was it? If not, do you want
> to?
>
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
>
>
> -------- Original message --------
> From: Free Software Foundation <info@fsf.org>
> Date: 04/03/2015 11:57 PM (GMT-07:00)
> To: dlwillson@thegeek.nu
> Subject: Thousands of Spaniards leave Twitter for GNU social
>
> [image: Free Software Foundation]
>
> *This guest post was submitted by Daniel Dianes, a Spanish free software
> activist. A Spanish language version of the post is coming soon.*
>
> The cancellation or temporary suspension of various Spanish Twitter
> accounts has led to a huge migration of Spaniards to GNU social, a
> microblogging service designed to foster user freedom and control. This i=
s
> an exciting win for federated online services.
>
> Unlike Twitter, which is controlled by a centralized authority, GNU socia=
l
> <https://www.gnu.org/software/social> is a network of independent servers
> called nodes. Federation technology allows users to communicate between
> nodes, preserving the unified experience of traditional social media
> systems, and the free GNU social software allows anybody with an Internet
> connection to start their own public or private node and join the network=
.
> These administrators can even customize their nodes to suit the unique
> needs of their users.
>
> Since GNU social is decentralized, it's harder for a company or governmen=
t
> to censor content or shut down the network when they feel threatened by i=
t.
> This is more than a hypothetical threat=E2=80=94it has been attempted mul=
tiple
> times by oppressive governments. Spreading out user data also makes bulk
> surveillance considerably more difficult, as there is no single database =
to
> crack into and copy.
>
> Twitter user @Barbijaputa is popular in Spain, with more than 167,000
> followers. She's known for criticizing the government or any other
> political parties or groups of power.
>
> On January 14th, Twitter suspended @Barbijaputa's account after she
> participated in a conversation about sexually transmitted diseases. The
> next day, she created a profile on GNU social node Quitter.se
> <https://quitter.se/> and started posting. Her Twitter followers proved
> willing to follow her all the way to GNU social, and began joining existi=
ng
> nodes en masse and starting their own.
>
> The growth was so explosive that the some of the existing GNU social node=
s
> were unable to handle the traffic. On January 15th, a Quitter administrat=
or
> posted this note:
>
> "Due to high traffic, I need to stop the registrations for some time to
> get back in control. Has been a crazy day (15.01.15) on quitter.no and
> .is - -regards @knuthollund"
>
> The node Quitter.es <https://quitter.es/> (Quitter Spain) was created to
> handle some of the extra people that overloaded existing GNU social
> instances like Quitter.no <https://quitter.no/> and Quitter.is
> <https://quitter.is/>. Quitter Spain now has 6,667 users and counting and
> Quitter.se reports 4,982 users, due in part to the incoming Spanish users=
.
>
> GNU social is not the only federated social network challenging the
> centralized status quo. GNU MediaGoblin <http://mediagoblin.org/> lets
> users publish images, videos, 3D models, and other files, Diaspora*
> <https://diasporafoundation.org/> provides a Facebook-like experience and
> pump.io is another option for microblogging. The Free Software Foundation
> runs a GNU social node at https://status.fsf.org.
>
> Get started with GNU social today by picking from this list of nodes
> <https://gnu.io/social/try>, and follow the Free Software Foundation at
> @fsf <https://status.fsf.org/fsf>. Or try pump.io
> <http://pump.io/tryit.html>, and follow the FSF account @fsf
> <https://microca.st/fsf> there. Even if you don't have as many followers
> as @Barbijaputa, encourage them to follow you!
>
> Daniel Dianes, FSF member #9171
>
> *Read online:
> https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/thousands-of-spaniards-leave-twitter-=
for-gnu-social
> <https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/thousands-of-spaniards-leave-twitter=
-for-gnu-social>*
>
> Follow us on GNU social <https://status.fsf.org/fsf> | Subscribe to our
> blogs via RSS <https://fsf.org/blogs/RSS> | Join us as an associate membe=
r
> <https://www.fsf.org/jf>
>
> Sent from the Free Software Foundation,
> 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor
> Boston, Massachusetts 02110-1335
> United States
>
> Unsubscribe
> <https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/mailing/unsubscribe?reset=3D1&jid=3D133050&qi=
d=3D12666537&h=3Dc6aad140b34a2dba>
> from this mailing list.
>
> Stop all email
> <https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=3D1&jid=3D133050&qid=3D1=
2666537&h=3Dc6aad140b34a2dba>
> from the Free Software Foundation, including Defective by Design, and the
> Free Software Supporter newsletter.
>
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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Yes interesting story, however 167,000 vs 6,000+5,000=
=3D 11,000 is not that "great" number.<br></div>I don't use =
and don't care about social networks at all, so I am not interested in =
trying it (I wonder why people are so excited about social networks in the =
first place, but that's another story)<br></div><div class=3D"gmail_ext=
ra"><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Sat, Apr 4, 2015 at 8:17 AM, David L.=
Willson <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:DLWillson@thegeek.nu" targ=
et=3D"_blank">DLWillson@thegeek.nu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote cla=
ss=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;pa=
dding-left:1ex"><div><div>Good story. Free software for=C2=A0free speech.</=
div><div><br></div><div>Have any of you tried GNU social? If so, how was it=
? If not, do you want to?</div><div><br></div><div><div style=3D"font-size:=
9px;color:#575757">Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone</div></d=
iv><div></div><br><br>-------- Original message --------<br>From: Free Soft=
ware Foundation <<a href=3D"mailto:info@fsf.org" target=3D"_blank">info@=
fsf.org</a>> <br>Date: 04/03/2015 11:57 PM (GMT-07:00) <br>To: <a href=
=3D"mailto:dlwillson@thegeek.nu" target=3D"_blank">dlwillson@thegeek.nu</a>=
<br>Subject: Thousands of Spaniards leave Twitter for GNU social <br><br><=
table align=3D"center" border=3D"0" height=3D"100%" width=3D"100%" cellpadd=
ing=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0">
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align=3D"top"><img alt=3D"Free Software Foundation" src=3D"https://static.f=
sf.org/common/img/logo-new.png"></td>
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<table bgcolor=3D"#ffffff" width=3D"100%" cellpadding=3D"0" cellsp=
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gn=3D"top">
<p><em>This guest post was submitted by Daniel Dianes, a Spanis=
h free software activist. A Spanish language version of the post is coming =
soon.</em></p>
<p>The cancellation or temporary suspension of various Spanish =
Twitter accounts has led to a huge migration of Spaniards to GNU social, a =
microblogging service designed to foster user freedom and control. This is =
an exciting win for federated online services.</p>
<p>Unlike Twitter, which is controlled by a centralized authori=
ty, <a href=3D"https://www.gnu.org/software/social" target=3D"_blank">GNU s=
ocial</a> is a network of independent servers called nodes. Federation tech=
nology allows users to communicate between nodes, preserving the unified ex=
perience of traditional social media systems, and the free GNU social softw=
are allows anybody with an Internet connection to start their own public or=
private node and join the network. These administrators can even customize=
their nodes to suit the unique needs of their users.</p>
<p>Since GNU social is decentralized, it's harder for a com=
pany or government to censor content or shut down the network when they fee=
l threatened by it. This is more than a hypothetical threat=E2=80=94it has =
been attempted multiple times by oppressive governments. Spreading out user=
data also makes bulk surveillance considerably more difficult, as there is=
no single database to crack into and copy.</p>
<p>Twitter user @Barbijaputa is popular in Spain, with more tha=
n 167,000 followers. She's known for criticizing the government or any =
other political parties or groups of power.</p>
<p>On January 14th, Twitter suspended @Barbijaputa's accoun=
t after she participated in a conversation about sexually transmitted disea=
ses. The next day, she created a profile on GNU social node <a href=3D"http=
s://quitter.se/" target=3D"_blank">Quitter.se</a> and started posting. Her =
Twitter followers proved willing to follow her all the way to GNU social, a=
nd began joining existing nodes en masse and starting their own.</p>
<p>The growth was so explosive that the some of the existing GN=
U social nodes were unable to handle the traffic. On January 15th, a Quitte=
r administrator posted this note:</p>
<blockquote>"Due to high traffic, I need to stop the regis=
trations for some time to get back in control. Has been a crazy day (15.01.=
15) on <a href=3D"http://quitter.no" target=3D"_blank">quitter.no</a> and .=
is - -regards @knuthollund"</blockquote>
<p>The node <a href=3D"https://quitter.es/" target=3D"_blank">Q=
uitter.es</a> (Quitter Spain) was created to handle some of the extra peopl=
e that overloaded existing GNU social instances like <a href=3D"https://qui=
tter.no/" target=3D"_blank">Quitter.no</a> and <a href=3D"https://quitter.i=
s/" target=3D"_blank">Quitter.is</a>. Quitter Spain now has 6,667 users and=
counting and Quitter.se reports 4,982 users, due in part to the incoming S=
panish users.</p>
<p>GNU social is not the only federated social network challeng=
ing the centralized status quo. <a href=3D"http://mediagoblin.org/" target=
=3D"_blank">GNU MediaGoblin</a> lets users publish images, videos, 3D model=
s, and other files, <a href=3D"https://diasporafoundation.org/" target=3D"_=
blank">Diaspora*</a> provides a Facebook-like experience and <a href=3D"htt=
p://pump.io/" target=3D"_blank">pump.io</a> is another option for microblog=
ging. The Free Software Foundation runs a GNU social node at <a href=3D"htt=
ps://status.fsf.org" target=3D"_blank">https://status.fsf.org</a>.</p>
<p>Get started with GNU social today by picking from this <a hr=
ef=3D"https://gnu.io/social/try" target=3D"_blank">list of nodes</a>, and f=
ollow the Free Software Foundation at <a href=3D"https://status.fsf.org/fsf=
" target=3D"_blank">@fsf</a>. Or try <a href=3D"http://pump.io/tryit.html" =
target=3D"_blank">pump.io</a>, and follow the FSF account <a href=3D"https:=
//microca.st/fsf" target=3D"_blank">@fsf</a> there. Even if you don't h=
ave as many followers as @Barbijaputa, encourage them to follow you!</p>
<p>Daniel Dianes, FSF member #9171</p>
<p><em>Read online: <a href=3D"https://www.fsf.org/blogs/commun=
ity/thousands-of-spaniards-leave-twitter-for-gnu-social" target=3D"_blank">=
https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/thousands-of-spaniards-leave-twitter-fo=
r-gnu-social</a></em></p>
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<td valign=3D"top">
<p><a href=3D"https://status.fsf.org/fsf" target=3D"_blank">Follow=
us on GNU social</a> | <a href=3D"https://fsf.org/blogs/RSS" target=3D"_bl=
ank">Subscribe to our blogs via RSS</a> | <a href=3D"https://www.fsf.org/jf=
" target=3D"_blank">Join us as an associate member</a></p>
<p>Sent from the Free Software Foundation,</p>
<div><span><span>51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor</span><br><span>Bosto=
n</span>, <span>Massachusetts</span> <span>02110-1335</span><br><span>Unite=
d States</span></span></div>
<p><a href=3D"https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/mailing/unsubscribe?reset=
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