Pleroma is an open source and federated microblogging platform. It is part of Fediverse and uses the ActivityPub protocol to communicate with other federated platforms. Pleroma is similar to other microblogging platforms like Twitter, but its standout feature is its decentralized structure.
Pleroma users can host their own instance, which is a standalone server on the Pleroma network, allowing them to maintain full control over their own microblogging experience. Users can interact with each other through different instances, thanks to federation.
History and evolution of Pleroma
Pleroma began its journey as a project in 2017. Since then, its evolution has been marked by constant growth and the implementation of new functionalities. Here are some of the highlights in its development:
- 2017: Initial release of Pleroma by "lain". It is proposed as a lightweight alternative to GNU Social.
- 2018: Pleroma becomes compatible with Mastodon, one of the most popular federated microblogging platforms.
- 2019: Improvements are introduced in the user interface and functionality of the platform, allowing greater customization by users.
- 2020: Pleroma adds support for all Mastodon APIs, allowing Pleroma users to use Mastodon clients and access additional features.
- 2021-2022: The implementation of improvements continues and the security of the platform is reinforced.
Today, Pleroma is a popular choice within Fediverso, boasting an active development community and a growing number of users.
Functionalities and features
The main functionalities and features of Pleroma are:
- Federation: Like other Fediverso platforms, Pleroma can federate with other Pleroma instances, as well as Mastodon, PeerTube and other platforms that support ActivityPub.
- Customizable interface: Pleroma offers a customizable user interface that can be tailored to individual preferences.
- Reduced resources: Pleroma has been designed to be lightweight and consumes fewer resources than other federated microblogging platforms, making it easy to host an instance on modest hardware.
- OStatus and ActivityPub support: Pleroma supports both the older OStatus federation protocol and the newer ActivityPub.
- Support for all Mastodon APIs: This allows Pleroma users to use Mastodon clients and access features such as end-to-end encrypted direct messages.
Advantages and disadvantages of Pleroma
The advantages of Pleroma include:
- Greater control over the microblogging experience: By allowing users to host their own instance, Pleroma gives them greater control over their microblogging experience, including their instance rules and the data they share.
- Less demand on resources: As Pleroma is lightweight, it is easier to host on modest hardware than other federated microblogging platforms.
- Interoperability: Being compatible with OStatus and ActivityPub, Pleroma can federate with a wide range of other Fediverso platforms.
Some disadvantages of Pleroma can be:
- Technical complexity: Hosting your own instance of Pleroma can be a technical challenge for users with no server management experience.
- Moderation: As with other federated platforms, moderation in Pleroma can be challenging due to decentralization and diversity of instances.
Pleroma Instances
Pleroma instances are standalone servers that host the platform. Each instance can have its own rules and moderation, and users can choose to join the instance that best suits their needs and preferences. Here are some popular instances of Pleroma:
- pleroma.soykaf.com: This is the personal instance of the creator of Pleroma, "lain".
- freespeechextremist.com: As the name suggests, this body is touted as a bastion of free speech.
- rage.love: An instance dedicated to social justice and providing a safe space for marginalized groups.
It is important to mention that being a decentralized and federated system, there is no "best" instance of Pleroma. The choice of instance depends largely on the user's personal needs and preferences. In addition, the ability to federate with other instances allows users to interact with people across the Pleroma network, regardless of which instance they join.
