This guide to {instance-name} is for new users in particular. It concentrates on how to get along, without going too much into details. For specific technical questions (e.g., how to set up a GNU social-instance) please ask in the groups !gnusocial and !sn, or on {instance-name}'s Public Timeline. You may also find technical information at http://federation.skilledtests.com/

The sequence of points follows roughly the frequency of the questions that have been asked by new users.

Other GNU social-/StatusNet-FAQs & -wikis:
https://wiki.loadaverage.org/gnusocial/begin_to_be_social
http://wiki.gnusocial.de (in German)

## Table of contents

- What is {instance-name}?
- What is GNU social/StatusNet and the Federation?
- How to create an avatar image
- Why can't I find any "{instance-name} app" in Google Play Store or Apple's AppStore?
- What clients are there for GNU social/StatusNet/{instance-name}?
- Where is the URL-shortener?
- How to set email preferences
- New {instance-name} and Classic {instance-name}
- What are those three Timelines on New {instance-name}?
- How to manage follower requests
- Can I delete my {instance-name} account?
- How to connect your {instance-name} account to your Twitter account
- How to write Direct Messages
- Favorites and Repeats/Requeets
- What does the "My colleagues at {instance-name}" option do?
- Groups
- Lists
- How to block
- How to follow someone on a remote instance
- How to manage the visibility of your notices
- How to cite conversations or parts of them
- How to follow keywords and hashtags
- Why doesn't my Repeat/Requeet show up on other instances?

## What is {instance-name}? Top

{instance-name} is one of many GNU social-/StatusNet-instances.

{instance-name} is a project using the GNU social-/StatusNet-system, combined with a familiar user interface (UI).

The original GNU social-/StatusNet-web UI is available as "Classic {instance-name}", selectable from your header avatar (upper right).

## What is GNU social/StatusNet and the Federation? Top

GNU social/StatusNet is a decentralised microblogging platform.

Users of one instance (or: service) can follow, be followed by, and communicate with users of any other instance.

Other instances are, e.g., loadaverage.org, status.vinilox.eu, micro.fragdev.com, gnusocial.de, indy.im, quitter.no, rainbowdash.net, etc. The current number of microblogging instances using the GNU social/StatusNet software is probably about 50, {instance-name} is one of them. As they all use the same software (GNU social/StatusNet) and transmission protocol (OStatus), they can talk to each other just like e-mail servers can talk to each other, even though they are independent and run by different companies.

Connections between instances are established by users following each other. Via such followings all these instances can (at least in principle) be joined into one compound structure or network of self-contained instances. This is called the Federation. GNU social/StatusNet is structured in such a way that there needs to be only one following of a user a from instance A to a user b from instance to B to make b visible to everybody in instance A via The Whole Known Network. (See below on the Three Timelines.) The Whole Known Network is the wider network of instances as seen by {instance-name}. It looks different on, say, loadaverage, because on loadaverage there are different followings to remote instances than on {instance-name}.

There is no central "unit" the breakdown of which could bring down the whole network. If one instance goes down or the admins start doing things you don't like, you can create your account on another instance. You will still be on the GNU social-network and still be able to communicate with your GNU social-friends. You just need to tell your contacts your new address.

Addresses on GNU social look like this:

@user@instance.org

Your address is:

@{nickname}@{instance-url}

If you follow another user, or if the user is on the same instance, you may omit the ...@instance.org part and just use the short address

@user

## How to create an avatar image Top

In New {instance-name}, go to

Your header avatar (upper right) → Edit profile → Camera icon on top of your avatar

Use the + and - buttons to zoom in and out. Crop the image by dragging it with the mouse.

## Why can't I find any "{instance-name} app" in Google Play Store or Apple's AppStore? Top

The network's name is "GNU social" or "StatusNet", so what you want is a GNU social/StatusNet app.

(Remember, {instance-name} is just one instance of the GNU social- or StatusNet-federation.)

## What clients are there for GNU social/StatusNet/{instance-name}? Top

You can find information on clients and links to downloads here:
http://federation.skilledtests.com/Statusnet_clients.html
http://wiki.gnusocial.de/gnusocial:clients (in German)

### Android clients

— Andstatus (currently in active development by @andstatus@loadaverage.org)
has great conversation view as hierarchical tree
Image upload and display of image attachments
oversized notices can be opened via web browser

— Mustard 0.3.5c (Android 2.x - current) (many prefer this one, worth trying: GreyBubble theme)
— Mustard 0.4.1 (Android 3.x - current) (a rather experimental new approach with newer look)
— Mustard{MOD} (Android 3.x - current)
All Mustards support geolocation, upload and display of image attachments, display of oversized notices from instances with larger character limit (open as attachment)

— Twidere 2.9.12 (use only this version!)
— Seesmic 1.7.6 (use only this version!) (closed source)
— Zwitscher
— Twydroid (closed source)
A few suitable Android Twitter clients (features like sending Direct Messages or image upload may not work).

### iPhone clients

— Neustatus
— Mayo aka Mayonnaise
— Meteoric (payware, buggy)

### Windows clients

— Tweetdeck 0.38.2 (closed source) (last version before Twitter took over TweetDeck) is suitable for basic functions.
Download: http://www.oldversion.com/windows/download/tweetdeck-0-38-2
Instructions: http://qttr.at/dmm http://qttr.at/dmn
— Qwit (Download: https://code.google.com/p/qwit/)
Twitter clients (features like sending Direct Messages or image upload don't work)

### Mac OSX clients

— Tweetdeck 0.38.2 (closed source) Download: http://www.oldversion.com/mac/tweetdeck/ Instructions: see above.
— Adium (Download: https://adium.im/)

### GNU/Linux clients

— Choqok
— Hotot (use 0.9.7.32, that's the version that comes with Debian Wheezy)
— Heybuddy
— more: http://federation.skilledtests.com/Statusnet_clients.html

## Where is the URL-shortener? Top

In New {instance-name}:

Links needs to be shortened manually before posting the notice. The "URL ><"-button will shorten any URLs pasted or written into the notice field.

In Classic {instance-name}:

Links are shortened automatically after the notice is posted. The settings depend on user choices.
Settings → URL
Best use the following settings:
- qttr.at
- URL longer than 30
- Text longer than 139
Screenshot: http://quitter.se/attachment/710078

## How to set email preferences Top

In New {instance-name} go to

Your header avatar (upper right) → Settings → Email

check accordingly:
— Send me notifications of new subscriptions through email.
— Send me email when someone adds my notice as a favorite.
— Send me email when someone sends me a private message.
— Send me email when someone sends me an "@-reply".
— Allow friends to nudge me and send me an email.

## New {instance-name} and Classic {instance-name} Top

New {instance-name} uses the default user interface. It is visually very similiar to other well known commercial microblogging services. Its technical name is "Qvitter". In discussions "Qvitter" and "New {instance-name}" can mean the same thing, but "Qvitter" mostly refers to the software and "New {instance-name}" refers to the installation of the Qvitter-software on {instance-name}.

Classic {instance-name} is the canonical GNU social-/StatusNet-interface. At the moment some settings and features (e.g., creating a group) have to be done in Classic {instance-name} as they are not yet fully implemented in New {instance-name}.

To switch to Classic {instance-name} go to

Your header avatar (upper right) → Classic {instance-name}

## What are those three Timelines on New {instance-name}? Top

There are three timelines that show differerent notices (depending on the sources):

Timeline ("Home"):
all notices from the people you follow (not just the ones they send to people you happen to follow as well).

Public Timeline:
all notices posted by {instance-name} accounts.

The Whole Known Network:
not only all notices of the Public Timeline but also those of all people on other ("remote") instances of the GNU social-/StatusNet-federation followed by at least one {instance-name} user (i.e., accounts known to {instance-name}, see above What is the Federation?).

## How to manage follower requests Top

In general, you will want to stick with the default settings:

yes to "let anyone follow me" (1)

no to "Make updates visible only to my followers"

If you really want to change these settings in New {instance-name} go to:

Your header avatar (upper right) → Settings → Profile

(1): Change to "Ask me first" and you will receive e-mail notifications when someone wants to follow you. It leaves the subscription request pending until you either confirm or reject it. (But this does not work in New {instance-name} yet, so be careful with this setting.)

## Can I delete my {instance-name} account? Top

You can delete your account, but all your notices will be deleted on {instance-name} as well – and this will break conversation threads. If you restore your account on another instance, it's better to rename your {instance-name} account to something like MyNickhasmovedtoFragdev instead of deleting it.

To delete your account go to:

Your header avatar (upper right) → Settings → Profile → Delete account (right column)

## How to connect your {instance-name} account to your Twitter account Top

You can forward your notices to Twitter.

In New {instance-name}:

Your header avatar (upper right) → Settings → Twitter

You are forwarded to Twitter and have to authorise {instance-name} to use your Twitter account.

According to user reports this doesn't always work on the first or second attempt. If it doesn't, try again later. The cause of the problem may be on Twitter's side. Your browser must not block Javascript or Cookies.

## How to write Direct Messages Top

Direct Messages are only supported in Classic {instance-name} at the time of writing (Messages in the left menu).

Your header avatar (upper right) → Classic {instance-name} → Messages (left column)

You can use apps like Mustard and Mayo to send DMs.

Note:
- Direct Messaging only works within the same instance ({instance-name} in this case)
- to send DMs you need to mutually follow each other

## Favorites and Repeats/Requeets Top

In all the three timelines you can click on a notice to expand it and see who has favored or repeated it.

(You can setup Email Notifications to notify you when your notices have been fav'ed.)

Favs and Repeats/Requeets look like this in New {instance-name}: http://qttr.at/du6 and like this in Classic {instance-name}: http://qttr.at/du5

## What does the "My colleagues at {instance-name}" option do? Top

In Classic {instance-name}, there is an option to post to "My colleagues at {instance-name}". This will stop the notice from "federating". It will only be visible to your followers on {instance-name}.

## Groups Top

### Public Groups

On {instance-name} you can create a group for nearly any topic, like Feminism, Football, FreeBSD. ("Nearly" because the laws in the country hosting the website may prohibit such things as slander and hate speech.)

You can be a member of as many groups as you like. As group-member you can post to the whole group by attaching ! to the group name, e.g., !feminism, in the notice. All group members, whether or not they follow you, will get the notice in their Home Timelines. You follow and unfollow a group like you follow and unfollow a person.

A list of groups hosted on {instance-name} can be found here:
{instance-url-with-protocol}groups

A list of groups hosted also on remote instances can be found here:
http://www.skilledtests.com/wiki/List_of_federated_Statusnet_groups

To create a group go to:

{instance-url-with-protocol}groups → Create new group

### Private Groups

An admin of a group has the option to declare it private. This means:

1) new members must be approved by the admin(s), and

2) all notices are forced to be private.
That is, notices in the group are only visible to group members (they don't appear in the Public Timeline), and it is not possible for users of other instances to be members of a private group on {instance-name}.

## Lists Top

Lists are available only in Classic {instance-name}. Due to feature merges in GNU social they do work but are a bit messy to manage and delete.

### Creating lists

The main hurdle with lists on {instance-name} is to create a new one. After its creation, you can manage it and add people from {instance-name} as well as from remote instances on its newly created page (see below).

To start a list in Classic {instance-name} you best proceed by browsing through the subscription lists of someone who has an account on {instance-name}, not on a remote instance. In the latter case you will not be able to add people from their subscription lists to your list, i.e, create a list at all.

In both subscription lists you'll find beneath each person listed a tiny box with an edit-symbol. As they show up in these lists, it's no longer problematic whether they have their account on {instance-name} or on a remote instance. Click on that symbol and type in the name of your list. You'll receive an error message, but don't mind, just click "ok" and refresh the page. The list has been successfully created and is now shown in the left hand side column.

### Managing lists

To manage your list, go to your page in Classic {instance-name} and open the list by clicking on its name in the left column. On its page, click "Edit" and a menu opens.

In the section "Add or remove people" below you can now search every person known to {instance-name} from the whole known network (see above What is the Federation?) by name and add her to your list. (Which isn't possible prior to the creation of the list when the person appears only in subscription lists of people on remote instances. See above.) Likewise you can remove the person from the list here.

In the upper section you can reword the list's name and give it a description that is displayed on the list's page. With the option "private" you can make the list invisible to other people on {instance-name}.

### Deleting lists

To delete your lists, go to their directory, choose one, click "Edit", tick the box "Private", then click "Save". You'll get the option:

"Setting a public tag as private will permanently remove all the existing subscriptions to it. Do you still want to continue?" Yes / No

Click "Yes". You return to the Edit-page of the list. Now click "Delete". You'll get the option:

"Deleting this tag will permanantly remove all its subscription and membership records. Do you still want to continue?" Yes / No

Click "Yes" and you're forwarded to your Home timeline. Click your Profile, and the list is gone and neither to be found in your directory of lists.

## How to block Top

To block a {instance-name} user, go to their profile in Classic {instance-name}

{instance-url-with-protocol}<username>

and click "block" below their profile desription

We don't recommend blocking people from remote instances as there are still issues with this feature.

## How to follow someone on a remote instance Top

In New {instance-name}:

When you click a remote nickname in New {instance-name} you are brought to a small profile window showing the full remote address, e.g., @blabla@status.vinilox.eu. Click the button "Follow". That should be all.

In Classic {instance-name}:

In Classic {instance-name} you're forwarded to the remote instance's user profile (which may differ in layout and theme from Classic {instance-name}). Look for the Subscribe-button (usually in the upper right). A subscription box opens and you are prompted to enter your own "webfinger address", i.e., {nickname}@{instance-url} Subscribe and you are redirected to your Classic {instance-name} page where you have to confirm the subscription.

Manually:

If you know the nickname and the name of the remote instance, you can initiate remote following by visisting {instance-url-with-protocol}/main/ostatussub.

## How to manage the visibility of your notices Top

There are several ways to make notices visible only to selected people, not to the public. None of them work in New {instance-name} yet.

All four methods only work within the same instance. Users outside {instance-name} won't be able to see the notice.

a. Direct Messages → The notice will be visible only to its recipient in his DM inbox (there are no Direct Messages to more than one person).

b. Set your account to "Make updates visible only to my followers" and "Ask me first if someone wants to follow me" in

Settings → Profile → Subscription policy (below)

c. Post to a private group of which you are a member → The post will only be visible to the group members (see above under Groups).

(Note to c: You can use any client to post to a private group by using the !group-tag.)

d. Post to a public group and close the lock on the right of the drop-down menu beneath the message field. The post will then only be visible to the group members. (Although at the time of writing, this does not work. The post will be visible to everyone.)

(Note to d: Make sure you don't leave "Everyone" or "My Colleagues at {instance-name}" selected, otherwise your post will go to the timelines of every {instance-name} user, which is not what you want if you close the lock)

(Note to d: The lock method is only available in Classic {instance-name}. There is no lock feature in New {instance-name} or any other known client at the time of writing.)

## How to cite conversations or parts of them Top

Sometimes in a blog-post or email, you don't want to cite just one notice but a whole conversation. Each notice, each reply, and each conversation has its own URL, and the ways to find them differ slightly in Classic {instance-name} and in New {instance-name}.

New {instance-name}:

In New {instance-name} click on the time stamp of a notice (or "details" if you have expanded it). This will show the notice page with the conversation expanded.

Classic {instance-name}:

Click on the the time stamp of any notice. The notice will reappear on a separate page. Click "in context". The whole conversation that this notice is involved in will be displayed on a new page, with the selected notice either on the top or further down.

## How to follow keywords and hashtags Top

Similar to following persons or groups you can subscribe to (or follow) hashtags and search words. Notices containing them will then appear in your Home timeline.

Following search words and hashtags is not limited to notices from accounts on {instance-name} but covers notices from remote instances as well.

To follow hashtags (# + ...) put the word with the hashtag-symbol # prefixed into the search box of Classic {instance-name} and press Enter. You'll arrive at the search result page. Similiar, to subscribe to search words, put them without hashtag-symbol into the search box. You'll get a much larger list because the search not only covers individual words but also looks for occurrences of the phrase inside larger phrases. To follow (or: subscribe to) both hashtags and search words, click on the tiny "Subscribe"-button in the upper right corner of the lists. You'll then receive the notices containing them in your Home Timeline.

Following one word often yields too many results, so it is expedient to combine words and follow them as complete phrases.

You can unfollow those notices by unfollowing the hashtags and search phrases.

For an overview which phrases you follow, enter the URLs for
hashtags: {instance-url-with-protocol}{nickname}/tag-subscriptions
search words and phrases: {instance-url-with-protocol}{nickname}/search-subscriptions

On those pages you can manage your subscriptions, that is, add more phrases and hashtags or unfollow them.

## Why doesn't my Repeat/Requeet show up on other instances? Top

In the latest versions of GNU social, repeats/requeets do not get sent to your followers on other instances. This was possible some time ago in StatusNet, but this feature has been removed due to a security issue. GNU social developers are working on a solution. In the meantime, if you really want your Repeat/Requeet to federate, you can always do a "manual repeat", i.e., write RQ @username, and then copy-paste the notice.

Thanks to @simsa0 and @mcscx for their work on this FAQ. Any errors are due to bad editing by @hannes2peer.