Authors: Mario Birkholz and Gina Gunaratnam
Mastodon is a decentralised, open-source social network that operates through independent servers (instances) interconnected with one another, allowing users to control their experience, privacy, and community rules.
Here are its core features:
– Open to everyone: You don’t have to be registered to see the posts published on Mastodon
– Federated network: Users join a specific instance but can follow and be followed by accounts on any other Mastodon server, giving them a global reach while keeping control in their own hands
– No central control: Each instance sets its own rules and moderation policies, enforced locally rather than by a single corporate entity
– Privacy-first: Posts can be set to public, unlisted, private, or direct, and content warnings can hide the main body until clicked
– Rich media support: Text, images, audio, video, polls, animated avatars, custom emojis, and more are all possible within a single post
– User-friendly timeline: Posts appear in chronological order without algorithms or ads, letting users curate what they see
The European Physical Society created its own account in 2020. Since then, this network has slowly been adopted by universities and scientific institutes.
In 2025, the German Physical Society was approached by its members to establish European digital sovereignty in the area of social media.
You can create your own account to:
- spread news
- follow the EPS and DPG
- publish your own news and info
If you don’t wish to have an account, you can still follow our publications as the network is open.
The EPS would like to encourage members of its community to join this social media.
More info about Mastodon:
Sources:
- joinmastodon.org
- en.wikipedia.org
