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Happy Friday, everyone!

I want to take a moment to talk about Pixelfed and the incredible vibe it has right now. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you absolutely should. Pixelfed just launched this week on both the Apple App Store and Google Play, and it’s been an amazing experience.

What do I mean by “vibe”? Well, let me explain. This week, I resurrected my Pixelfed.social account. I originally ran my own Pixelfed server, but eventually discontinued it to consolidate my Fediverse presence on atomicpoet.org. I don’t regret that decision—it made sense at the time. But rejoining Pixelfed.social and kickstarting my account again has been nothing short of amazing.

Let me tell you what I’ve been seeing:

• Young women crocheting sweaters
• Cats yawning
• Stunning sunsets
• Heavy metal bands striking dramatic poses
• Breathtaking black-and-white photography

And honestly, this is very different from the rest of the Fediverse. I’m not saying the rest of the Fediverse is bad, or that people should stop talking about politics or tech debates. It’s just that the Fediverse has its own vibe, and Pixelfed—specifically Pixelfed.social, though I haven’t explored other servers—has a vibe that’s uniquely joyful and hopeful.

I’ve seen people celebrating new beginnings, leaving platforms like Instagram and TikTok. One of my favorite things about Pixelfed right now is that people just don’t care about the usual Fediverse debates. They’re not talking about protocols, stacks, or politics (though there’s a bit of that, but it’s minimal).

For example, if someone’s crocheting a sweater? That’s fine. They deserve a space to share that sweater, and I’m here to admire it.

This vibe made me think: what if the Fediverse at large leaned into this kind of approach? Instead of reinventing the Twitter wheel, we could take a page from Dan’s book. Dan, the creator of Pixelfed, has tailored this platform to offer a novel, focused experience.

Here’s what makes Pixelfed unique:

1. Photos are front and center. Pixelfed doesn’t show text-only posts. Every post must have a picture, so images take priority, with text as a secondary element. It’s reminiscent of how Instagram started, and it works beautifully.
2. Mastodon integration. You can view people’s Mastodon accounts on Pixelfed, but when you do, their photo posts are displayed in an Instagram-like way.
3. Focus on the local feed. Right now, Pixelfed emphasizes the local feed over the global one, creating a strong sense of community. It’s not about debates or concepts; it’s about sharing aesthetics and celebrating creativity.
4. Minimalism as a design principle. Dan seems to deeply understand the idea of a minimum viable product (MVP). Some users are complaining about the lack of features like dark mode, filters, or borders. But simplicity is the point. The app is intentionally simple, and that minimalism enhances the overall experience.

At its core, Pixelfed is about the feeling you get when you scroll through the feed. It’s about people sharing genuine pieces of themselves—and that’s what makes it stand out.

So, if you’re thinking about building a Fediverse app, take notes from Dan: build a unique experience.

And with that, I’ll leave you to enjoy your Friday. Cheers!