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Diaspora
Decentralized, privacy‑focused social network for independent communities
Diaspora* lets you join a federated social platform where you control your data, connect across independent servers, and enjoy a privacy‑aware experience without central authority.
Overview
Overview
Diaspora* is a federated social networking platform that empowers users to own their data while interacting across a distributed network of independently operated servers (pods). It targets individuals, community groups, and organizations that value privacy, data sovereignty, and freedom from centralized control.
Capabilities & Deployment
Users can simply sign up on any public pod or spin up their own instance using the provided installation guides. Built on Ruby on Rails with a rich JavaScript front‑end, the platform supports posts, comments, contacts, and custom privacy settings. Developers and pod administrators can contribute via the open‑source codebase, translate the interface, or extend functionality through plugins. Whether you want a personal social hub or a community‑wide communication layer, Diaspora* offers a flexible, self‑hosted alternative to mainstream networks.
Community & Support
A vibrant community maintains documentation, FAQs, and discussion channels, ensuring newcomers receive help and contributors find clear pathways to improve the project.
Highlights
Federated architecture allowing seamless interaction across independent pods
User‑centric data ownership with granular privacy controls
Open‑source Ruby on Rails stack encouraging community contributions
Extensible design supporting plugins, translations, and custom themes
Pros
- Strong focus on privacy and data sovereignty
- Decentralized network reduces single points of failure
- Active community provides support and continuous improvements
- Free to use and modify under AGPL‑3.0
Considerations
- Self‑hosting requires technical knowledge of Ruby/Rails and server management
- User interface may feel dated compared to modern commercial platforms
- Scaling a pod for large audiences can be complex
- Limited native mobile apps compared to mainstream services
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Diaspora, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Privacy‑conscious individuals seeking control over their social data
- Community groups or NGOs wanting a self‑hosted communication platform
- Developers interested in contributing to a federated social network
- Organizations that prefer open‑source software over proprietary SaaS
Not ideal when
- Users who need an out‑of‑the‑box mobile‑first experience
- Enterprises requiring dedicated commercial support contracts
- Small teams looking for a turnkey, hosted solution without maintenance
- Environments where a modern, slick UI is the primary priority
How teams use it
Personal social networking across pods
Maintain full ownership of posts and contacts while connecting with friends on any Diaspora* server.
Community forum for activist groups
Host a private pod that enables secure, privacy‑aware discussions without reliance on corporate platforms.
Educational institution’s internal network
Provide students and staff a collaborative space that respects data protection policies.
Developer contribution platform
Allow programmers to fork, improve, and extend the codebase, fostering innovation in decentralized social media.
Tech snapshot
Ruby65%
JavaScript21%
Haml5%
Gherkin4%
SCSS3%
Handlebars1%
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install Diaspora* to use it?
No. You can create an account on any public pod. Installation is only required if you want to run your own server.
How is my data protected?
Data is stored on the pod you choose, and you control visibility through granular privacy settings.
Can I run a pod on my own hardware?
Yes. The project provides step‑by‑step installation guides for self‑hosting on typical Linux servers.
Is there a mobile app?
Official mobile apps are limited; however, the web interface is responsive and can be accessed from mobile browsers.
How does moderation work across pods?
Each pod sets its own moderation policies, but federated content can be reported and filtered according to local rules.
Project at a glance
Stable- Stars
- 13,872
- Watchers
- 13,872
- Forks
- 2,904
LicenseAGPL-3.0
Repo age15 years old
Last commit7 months ago
Primary languageRuby
Last synced 3 hours ago