2024-01-11
word count: 373
approx reading time: 2 mins
every time i introduce someone to fedi i end up explaining why there are so many post types and what each of them does, so i've decided to have a small post i can link to instead of having to re-explain
fedi is a collection of different software, including mastodon, pleroma, misskey, etc. they all implement different things, but they most of them have 4 (or 5) types of post visibility:
usually denoted with an envelope
the only people who will be able to read the post are the ones @mentioned in it.
anyone who is tagged can read the post, so if you want to talk about a third party who's not supposed to read the post, do not tag them!
usually denoted with a locked lock
as the name implies, only the people who follow you can see the post. it will show up on your followers' timelines, but not on the local or federated timelines. people who don't follow you won't be able to see the post, even if they go on your profile
additionally, only you can boost (retweet/reblog) the post
please note: followers means anyone who follows you, not just your mutuals!
usually denoted with an unlocked lock
the post will show up on your followers' timeline, but not on the local or federated timelines. anyone can see the post, be it by going to your profile, or because someone else has boosted it onto their timelines
this is the visibility i usually use for my posts, and it's most similar to how posts work on other services
usually denoted with a globe
same as unlisted, except it does show up on the local and federated timelines. this usually leads to random unknown people replying to your posts, so be prepared to argue with strangers
denoted in different ways, tho in my instance it shows up as a group of three people. the post will not be federated (it does not leave your instance), so only users of your own instance will be able to read it. post does still show up on your followers' timeline (from the same instance), and in your instance's local timeline
