* Write.freely blog - a guide for new users *

@angedestenebres made a nice and illustrated guide for new users of Write.freely blogs, but it's all in French.

Goal is to help people interested in using the write.freely instance at TeDomum.net — which has been my blog's home. This morning I took some time and translated her guide to English.

Now the page is on my blog: write.tedomum.net/rgx/write-fr

[ Repost of Release announcement, December 2019. ]

worthy

I think some people already Know about the very useful OCR Scanning bot that we have here in Fediverse.

IO have used it, many times, and it's so handy -- all you need is :

* to have an image with text you wanted scanned.
* to send a message -- BEST of ALL , a Direct Message so you keep it private.
* to the neat @OCRbot

Wait a minute or so, and your Notifications will Show a Reply from it. With the scanned text.

Output is quite good, usually only needs to remove extraneous Line Breaks -- so text flows naturally as intended.

Watch this topic for the response coming directly to it.

REMINDER -- much more Civil to use it via DM, unlike someone at another instance (not naming) who abused this, daily, on the Local Feed line.

Reason to create a Filter in my account there, actually. Get rid of the noise.

Thanks to the creators of OCRBot at fedi.lynnesbian.space

Image text is a screen cap of : snap.as/matt/iceland/teBUqQ2

materials

** To all the nice people who follow my account at Qoto.org : **

I have started building up and using a new account at Muensterland.social, a new instance for me, which is the home for all my Blog Publishing from now on.

Details ? here : write.tedomum.net/rgx/muenster

If you are interested in what I post here -- be i the photos, the Fediverse reporting, my opinions, news and commentary, etc, I would suggest you consider following this, my sister account : @rgx

I am a Staff member here at Qoto, and don't plan to change that - but for my personal Writing content, I see this diversion as a needed move.

And it's already working as I expected, thankfully. Soon I will write a new page detailing and explaining my reasoning - and I look forward to publishing it.

Thank you for your attention and support in my personal journey.

** Or even find me also on Twitter -- twitter.com/design_RG
[ a growing account and part of the Feline Lovers crowd so powerful there. ]

for reference

** Thread Hijacking, it's a Thing.. **

> Thread hijacking is when a user is replying to a thread on the forums asking a different question to the original question or suggestion on the first post of that thread.

urbandictionary.com/define.php

michellebrauer.wordpress.com/2

...And I just had the pleasure of Approving 6 new incoming user applications.

People who saw our Questionnaire at the Front Door, and provided Proper Responses! What a Thrill.

Honest, not trying to be Ironic -- most of the new applications are Reject outright since :

* there's zero input from their side.
* there's irrelevant small talk
* worse there's a sample of their intended Viagra advert stub, URLs and all.

Not kidding, so finding Human responses, with appropriate answers makes my day.

Welcome to you - and I hope you enjoy our instance and the Fediverse.

I would love to post a screenshot, as it's a special view, but not doing for privacy reasons. You are all in, new Friends.

mat.

@freemo Well done, very good.

And excellent work on implementing that feature, new in non-Japanese instances (in Nippon they created that for Misskey).

I was honoured that you pursued this feature to serve my own nomad lifestyle, lol, but I need the real thing, to join and post as a Local in any instance I am interested it is my modus-operandi.

Thanks to the power and flexibility of the great Pinafore client for Fediverse instances, each of my current 11 or so are ONE click away; I do keep various tabs of Pinafore open, with the most frequently used instances loaded in each.

As I have stated and explained before, this is a personal choice, for a inquiring mind and mid to advanced level users. Not for the average user, who is better served by locating one good instance and staying with it.

Qoto.org has Many good things, and that is the reason I volunteer and put many hours and thousands of posts here.

But that's only one side of me; and I have interests that make having various accounts desirable; and I act on them, as you know.

This morning I am connected and actively communicating from 3 instances atm; each with a focus and local feature set that makes it interesting and useful.

But the feature you are referring to, and which got endorsed by a well created poll, is not an important one for me (reasons stated above).

Getting a better software instance is Number one -- I am moving to Glitch-Social as much as possible. Pleroma awaits a thorough evaluation, which I plan to publish in my Blog.

Enhanced text formatting is so satisfying that I dread anytime I post something significant -- like this very post, which I will use as part of a Blog, real soon -- in an instance which doesn't off me that.

I remain a user here, but Nomad is my heart.

Muensterland.Social – a new Instance joined. -- write.tedomum.net/rgx/muenster

in response to : qoto.org/@freemo/1043089546768

And if you know me, you know I am a free thinker and a curious Traveller in this of ours.

Just joined a new community -- the Mastodon instance for the Write.as company, who are the developers of my beloved Write.Freely blog platform.

I wanted to be close to them (already been a member on their Forums for months), so I can see new ideas, comment and suggest my own, be an active contributor to what for me is a GREAT project.

write.as/

and the free open source site at writefreely.org/

Big thank you to Matt, @matt , the project leader - great work, friend.

I will be signing in as @rgx there.

My personal Tech oriented Blog :

write.tedomum.net/rgx/

Subscribe to it? @rgx

Why we are always open to new aspiring leadership -- staff volunteers here at Qoto.org ...

...'cause, lots to do.

Talent always wanted and volunteers appreciated.

Desired Features for new staff?

* ACTIVE participants in our community.
* Well polished in written communications.
* Foreign languages are a nice Bonus, so we could serve more people in their native tongue(s).
* Knowledgeable, yet humble in interactions with others.

Which in my personal view are all great qualities in a human being.

See my personal views in great detail on my November reflections, before I was nominated for a staff position here.

-->> bonus cheque ? 💼 😜

discourse.qoto.org/t/qoto-mode

That could possible complement my usual New User welcome message with important Guides links -- for someone who wants to understand what this new place is.

I loved the Guide on the first link, and it's still current and awesome 3 years after publishing.

Hello, and welcome to Qoto.

Enjoy the network and all it has to offer. If you are new to using Mastodon, there's a good guide here: lifehacker.com/a-beginner-s-gu

We also have another new users guide, posted here : write.tedomum.net/rgx/suggesti

Casey Rollins made a video to explain the Fediverse, here :

"I made this video awhile back to help explain how the works."

bitchute.com/video/XOtRcgIdqih

or : invidio.us/yBRrqbRQ3tM or : youtu.be/yBRrqbRQ3tM

Video credit to @realcaseyrollins -- a good friend.

Show thread

Mobile users who would like to consider a new fediverse client now have a new option.

I have seen, used and mentioned here the Husky client, a fork of the popular Tusky mastodon client, which is being developed by a1batross, the admin at Expired.Mentality.RIP.

Husky extends the Tusky features and was intended to offer support to controls you have on a Pleroma instance - - quite interesting, including optional Subject lines, Reactions (like on FB), and fancy text formatting.

NO other mobile client supported that yet, which is why he started this. Now I just found out that another fellow instance admin has taken Husky and created her own fork.

Meet Koyu.Space client, ready and on the Google Play store for your Android devices.

Here : play.google.com/store/apps/det

Congratulations to both @a1batross and @koyu@koyu.space

Great work. Thumbs up, thank you both.

-Social

@gawrsh We all started at some point, and are in the journey, there's always more to be learned if we are open to it, so you are on the good path!

I hope you found a good guide to get you started, as I did (via a Bing search) - I only joined the Fediverse on November 9 last Year or so.

You might not need it anymore, but I just recently laid down at did a careful read of the Guide I always recommend here. My conclusion is, that it's still a great one, I haven't found a better guide, and I used to search for them. To complement my knowledge and to have references to recommend to others.

This is the one :

"If you are new to using Mastodon, there's a good guide here: lifehacker.com/a-beginner-s-gu "

I am thrilled that you are taking these recent Blog posts and discovering the wonder of finding new and unknown, unexplored places to see -- as I do love that as well.

Before that, I had been in many other places over time, and even wrote some blog pages telling the stories (I love story telling, and have a good amount of memories to use).

For reference, when you have a quiet time and want to relax, those are informative and related to Fediverse and what came before it.

* The Fediverse Reminds me So much of Fidonet! : write.tedomum.net/rgx/the-fedi

* Joining the Internet in the Mid 90's : write.tedomum.net/rgx/joining-

* Storytime - How I got Started in Computer Networking : write.tedomum.net/rgx/story-ti

If you enjoy these, there are other pages with topics that are more recent, like instances being blocked, which instance to choose. I can refer those when you are ready. Well - just one more! 😃

* Is it Important, which Instance you are In? : write.tedomum.net/rgx/is-it-im

[ in response to a Status here : qoto.org/@gawrsh/1042871349975 ... but posted at the top level for exposure ]

* Crossposting, and Surprises Happened... *

Very recently I started thinking hard about moving - from a Mastodon instance to an alternative platform with more features. I have enjoyed this process, and wrote about it yesterday :

Muensterland.Social – a new Instance joined -- write.tedomum.net/rgx/muenster.

After staying up late one night, I had found a good instance, created and configured my account. Then on to bed, it was late.

Next day, as part of making it a productive account, I went on to configure a **Crossposter** for it.

That is the Topic of today's Blog : write.tedomum.net/rgx/crosspos

... and it had some surprising results.

@Sphinx Here's a snapshot of how the new Toot Editor appears when I click in the Pencil icon.

There is a Bug -- which I noticed and mentioned to @freemo, in that if there's an image in the area, it will Overlay the Editor - which is not supposed to happen.

* Screenshot # 1 is when all is working well.

* Screenshot # 2 is showing the same toot editor, the one I am writing this on, I just slid the Slider on the Left Panel down.

And a freaking big photo hid my editor. Arghh.

This has happened, and the Client layout is SO Functional otherwise that I have been putting up with it for months -- there's NO better way to use my screen for me, for posts that I do.

I like Long Form text, and the defaults are sub-standard, to be polite.

I have posted and will try to get someone from the , dev teams to look at this idea and consider supporting it.

My belief is that it is a Very Functional and elegant use of a wide screen display. And, for a Boom to productivity.

2 screenshots attached.

[Full Size Screenshot at another topic for general idea](muensterland.social/system/med)

The Funniest part of this -- for me anyways, was HOW did this end up here, OMG ??

Not intentional, at all. But for good in the end; I am REALLY committed to leaving behind and moving to better platforms.

is one, is another, I have account in BOTH and love their added features, design improvements, many, many new things.

is bit unusual for a mastodon user - but it HAS a second choice of Client; many pleroma instances have the GlitchSocial Web client as an option, sometimes as a link in their Front pages even.

These notes soon to appear in a polished Web Magazine at my blog site. I developed various pages there as extensions of toots and conversations had in various instances; one of the reasons I love having various accounts and always looking for interesting ones to try. I am...

# Heading 1 : So How did this post end up here, unexpectedly ?

The real screenshot snippet in OP above is jsut part of the Tabs Overload in my current browser ( Current always).

And I HAD been intensively searching for a list (non-existant, afaik) of GlitchSocial instances. They tendo to be blended in with generic mastodon ones (no thanks), so it was quite a chore.

[ parenthesis : I WILL provide that as soon as possible, there is a need ]

------
## Heading 2 : And then, what happened ?

My search went into late last night.

* By that time I had found a nice one, created an account and started trying things out.
* Looking good, the basics taken care or, some notes and screenshots saved.
* off to bed, near 3 am.
* Hello again, coffee and we get into it. Configuring a crossposter for the new account, next...

------
## Heading 2 : Crossposting ?

Yep. As in, moving posts and content from one network to another. I do enjoy that, there's no denying that there's GOOD stuff in every one. Some are plagued by bad actors, arses and other undesirables.

But, there's The Economist, BBC News, Scientific American, THe Guardian and NY Times --- full feeds with quality content I love. Plus, Cats. Lots. 😺

All of those I can chose to share with friends; easy, with a crossposter.

* for this, my Qoto.org account, I use Moa Bridge, as it is agnostic and doesn't mind my instance name. Recommended for people. Simple and barebones, functional, a little less explained than the other options --- moa.party/

* if your instance is NOT objected by the hosting iinstance, a BETTER and EASIER to configure tool is available - the awesome Crossposter created by Renato Lond at his Brazilian instance.

Rightfully seen as a top notch tool, it has all the controls, works magnificently, fast and has PRETTIER output. Yep. I love it, and use it if the account is acceptable. See it at : crossposter.masto.donte.com.br

There are possibly others, and I welcome suggestions and reports from their users, if desired.

------
## Heading 2 : And HOW did it get here, that OP above ?

Yeah, you see, you can configure your crossposter of Choice to use a Keyword.

* Moa defaults to '' and ''. The shorter one is easy peasy to remember and only takes 3 chars on the freaking limited Twitter char count. So, I of course use it.

* Renato's tool allows your choice of keywords (yeay for user friendliness!). Sicne I am always busy, ''is a nice one. Ooops.

...that explains, the surprise appearance of this OP above, here at Qoto. Woot ? was my first response on gettign a reply notification to it -- I hadn't posted here, or intended to.

* but the original post at muensterland.social/ , had the xp tag. Intended to bring it into Twitter, which I intended to.
* regardless of my forgetting, Moa is watching for that tag too, and bam! wham! off to Qoto it goes, when it shows in my Twitter stream.

...Moral of the Story - be careful with your keywords, as unexpected results do occur.

A revision is in order, after I copy and make this into Today's Web Magazine post.

At your friendly home at -- write.tedomum.net/rgx/

: 718 words, 4,044 characters used. Thank you qoto.org for a HIGH limit allowance.

Show thread

Cory Doctorow, not only a great sci-fi writer but an important commentator.

Short quote only -- see link below :

"In XKCD comic 1357, “Free Speech”, Randall Munroe offers a characteristically concise and snappy summary of one of the canonical arguments about free expression: “The right to free speech means the government can’t arrest you for what you say. It doesn’t mean anyone else has to listen to your bullshit, or host you while you share it…. If you’re yelled at… or get banned from an internet community your free speech rights aren’t being violated.”

I have a lot of sympathy for this argument! After all, what’s the alternative? That the government should order other people to host your objectionable speech? Surely there’s a free speech interest in not being compelled to publish things you disagree with. “Free expression” includes the right not to speak, and the right not to listen."

---
Must-read by @doctorow about politics, the internet and action/inaction
locusmag.com/2020/01/cory-doct

* 13 Quebecois Swear Words that Confuse the French *

Sacre Bleu! Tabernac!

Quebecois French is a colourful language that is very distinct from the French spoken in Europe – including its swear words. Many profanities in Quebecois are known as sacres, referring to words and phrases that are related to the Catholic Church.

For people from France, most of these expressions would have no particular profanity associated with them, but in Quebec French, they are considered to be vulgar. Here are some Quebecois swear words and expressions that might confuse people from France or other French-speaking countries.

theculturetrip.com/north-ameri

* On Why we need Rich Text formatting in Mastodon *

Short post, as an image can be quite expressive.

One image, two links. Same content. Take your pick, what's best?

1. OP in mastodon : qoto.org/@design_RG/1042520204

2. Forum post : discourse.qoto.org/t/qoto-mast

(which would look identical at a GlitchSoc or Pleroma instance too, if desired)

A better Formatted and Illustrated version of a very recent Toot -- a passionate issue for me, the proper usage of the Wide screen displays we have in most PC class, laptops and desktops today.

Mastodon default web client doesn't make me fully happy - and I love Pinafore client, it's top level tool. But it falls short on this aspect, sadly.

Space, proper use of my Pixels is Absolutely Crucial for my content creation projects. Which is, most all the time, everyday.

Find my thoughts -- And a Full Detailed Guide to setting up the Advanced Web Interface that Mastodon provides, right out of the box, to all users.

discourse.qoto.org/t/setting-u

"The World Made by Hand" - by James JHoward Kunstler,

From Amazon page :

"In The Long Emergency celebrated social commentator James Howard Kunstler explored how the terminal decline of oil production, combined with climate change, had the potential to put industrial civilization out of business. In World Made by Hand, an astonishing work of speculative fiction, Kunstler brings to life what America might be, a few decades hence, after these catastrophes converge.

For the townspeople of Union Grove, New York, the future is nothing like they thought it would be. Transportation is slow and dangerous, so food is grown locally at great expense of time and energy, and the outside world is largely unknown. There may be a president, and he may be in Minneapolis now, but people aren’t sure.

Their challenges play out in a dazzling, fully realized world of abandoned highways and empty houses, horses working the fields and rivers, no longer polluted, and replenished with fish. With the cost of oil skyrocketing—and with it the price of food—Kunstler’s extraordinary book, full of love and loss, violence and power, sex and drugs, depression and desperation, but also plenty of hope, is more relevant than ever."

amazon.com/gp/product/08021440

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Ma

4 books in this novel series, I waited for the next volume as it was being written over the years. JHK is great.

High on the Suggestions & Requests list, at least for me.

Adding Rich Text, support would :

* make post much nicer on the eyes (for those who care to use it, an optional feature)
* Make text EASIER to read, for everyone (assuming active posters used it)
* and make another degree BETTER than the corporate networks.

Could it be done?

* YES, it is already supported in some cases -- in GlitchSocial and Pleroma instances.
* The GlitchSoc source code is available, and this could be back-ported to mastodon saving much effort.

And -- What about the CLIENT side to support this?

* Some clients already DO support this; the snapshot below shows a pretty Test post, made via and displayed in Pinafore -- pinafore.social
* Husky Android client has Rich Text support built in too.
* GlitchSoc and Pleroma FE also support it natively.

See the image in this post -- a Test with various Rich Text features applied, all done via a GlitchSocial instance where a friend has an account.

What is MarkDown ? How could I use it?

Markdown is a simplified and easy to learn text formatting system that is widely used in the Net.

It replaces clumsy HTML MarkUp tags with simpler to use ones.

Wiki : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markdown

Official site : daringfireball.net/projects/ma

Show more
Qoto Mastodon

QOTO: Question Others to Teach Ourselves
An inclusive, Academic Freedom, instance
All cultures welcome.
Hate speech and harassment strictly forbidden.