What is the fediverse?
It is a social network made up of thousands of independent servers that communicate with the same protocol, ActivityPub. It works like email: someone with a Gmail address writes to someone on another provider; similarly, someone with an account on mastodon.social follows someone on another server and sees their posts.
Mastodon is the most widespread software, but not the only one: there are also GoToSocial, Misskey, Pixelfed, and others, and they all belong to the same network. That is why a fediverse address has two “@” signs: the name and the server, just like an email.
Why the fediverse?
Because it is where many sysadmins and security professionals gather: there are entire servers dedicated to them, such as infosec.exchange. There is no algorithm deciding what you see: you see the posts of the people you follow, in chronological order, and the hashtags you choose. Even MikroTik has its own server, mikrotik.social, and I follow it from there.
How do I follow you?
If you already have an account on Mastodon (or on another fediverse server):
- open the search in your app;
- type
@gianni@mikrotikdojo.com; - open the profile and press Follow.
If you do not have an account yet, choose a server and sign up: for those working in networking and security, infosec.exchange is a good home; otherwise, there is mastodon.social. Then install an app: on your phone, Ice Cubes or Ivory (iPhone) and Tusky (Android) work well; from your computer, use Phanpy or Elk.
If you prefer not to sign up for anything, you can still use the site’s RSS feed, or the newsletter.
What do I post on the fediverse?
The site’s articles, in English, as soon as the translation is ready: at most three per day, and security comes first. Each post has the title, a summary, the link, and the right hashtags to be found: #MikroTik and #RouterOS always, then #infosec and #CVE for vulnerabilities, #Networking, #HomeLab, and #SysAdmin for how-tos. Product sheets, for now, are not included.
Lab tests remain private for 30 days for those in the dojo there as well: the post announces them, and the full report is on the site.
Who owns the server?
It is mine: social.mikrotikdojo.com runs on GoToSocial, on the same server as this site, and it is single-user, so registrations are closed. There are no ads or tracking; the rules and terms are on the About page.
The same applies there as here: MikroTik Dojo is an independent and educational project, not affiliated with, sponsored by, or approved by MikroTik, and my account is not an official company account.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to install Mastodon to follow you?
No, you only need an account on any fediverse server and an app (or a browser). Mastodon is the software running on the servers: you sign up for one of them, just like you do with an email provider.
Can I reply to you in Italian?
Yes. The posts are published in English because the fediverse audience is international, but I read and write the replies, in Italian or English.
Is this an official MikroTik account?
No. It is my personal account, linked to MikroTik Dojo, which is an independent project. The company’s official account is @mikrotik@mikrotik.social.
What is the difference with the newsletter?
The newsletter is sent once a week by email, in Italian, including the postcard and the letter. On the fediverse, individual articles are published in English as they are released. Vulnerability alerts for dojo students remain on email and Telegram.
