Quick breakdown: What is an Island network?

An island network model is an opt-in (allowlist or "limited federation") network; contrasted to the current fediverse, which is overwhelmingly an opt-out (denylist) model.

In an island network model, no one controls "the network" because an island network (or "archipelago") is simply a conceptual term for a collaborative block of servers who mutually allowlist each other, rather than relying on blocklists, and agree to abide by at least a core set of common standards.

You can learn more about island networks here which explains things in more detail: That page also links to how to create an island and/or a network. It also explains how you can host your own island for ~$8 or less per month (depending on your hosting provider).

What's an Island?

Islands are fedi servers with a smaller population (recommended 50 or less per island), democratized by being cheap to host ($8/mo or less, depending on hosting provider, easily covered by donations), and configured in allowlist mode (or "limited federation"), with open signups disabled (reviewed signups are fine, or invite-only links), creating a much less porous network. By contrast, mastodon.social is a Continent, and uses denylists, not allowlists, like most fedi servers.

Continents makes it very hard to enforce norms or expectations of behavior due to their style of federation. I don't have to really explain this very much, as this is the water you're swimming in now. It's how you're reading this post.

Island networks themselves have rules, and the rules are "whatever that island network says they are" and by asking to join the network, you agree to follow those rules and help enforce them, along with allowlisting the islands in the network, as they will be allowlisting you back in return.

The best part of all of this is that we don't have to write new code for this. We don't have to wait for any particular dev timetable, this is available now.

This uses all the same existing fediverse software. Your apps will still work (and most support the ability to toggle between multiple accounts.) There can be Mastodon islands, GoToSocial islands (my preference), Akkoma, Catodon, Pixelfed islands, all strung together into a larger archipelago! The only requirements for an island is that the server software has to support allowlist mode, rather than denylist (this is also known by Mastodon as "Limited Federation").

Are there any existing island networks or archipelagos?

Yes, the Island One Network or ION.

Currently, there are now three GoToSocial servers forming the basis of the new ION closed federation network, although the allowlist will only grow over time:

https://uno.1sland.social (Island One)
https://dos.1sland.social (Isla Dos)
https://tres.1sland.social (Isla Tres)

Note about "closed federation": A closed federation island network is unreachable via the wider fediverse, and only federates with other islands on its allowlist. (Open federation networks that allowlist continents can exist, but someone else will have to build that one.)

Signups are open for all three above servers, though space is limited. I'm looking for a couple admins, too, to basically "take over" Isla Dos and Isla Tres as admins and help govern the network. Note that every admin and every moderator have a governing role (and a vote) in a network.

The population needs to expand across servers, rather than creating new monoliths. So, rather than joining one of those servers, for those looking to add their island server to the network, the current server allowlist will always be found here, along with documentation and some (very basic, but important) rules for the network itself:

I'm on the 'Uno' server (@oliphant@uno.1sland.social) as an admin as a means of testing the network via ION.

I would like to prioritize slots for BIPOC willing to join, and invite friends, including those who might have been run off of Mastodon in the past. This is a closed network, meaning it only federates with other islands and does not connect to the rest of the fediverse.

There is no account migration, you create a new account to join an island network. Your island user, as part of your associated island server, may encompass multiple networks.

I encourage you to create your own island, your own networks, and/or join mine.

#IslandNetwork#IslandOneNetwork#ION #fedi #fediverse #Mastodon#MastoAdmin