Toot Foundation doesn't have one specific topic, but it is meant as a home for LGBTQIA people, anti-fascists, intersectional feminists, activists and social movements, and anyone who wants to make the world a better place and values kindness and respect.
This instance is not hosted in the US, the administrator doesn't live in the US, is not a US citizen and has no affiliation with the US government. This means, if you're a "free speech absolutist" or otherwise believe you can say anything you want without consideration for others, this is not the instance for you.
Some of the rules are purposefully left vague. We don't want to have arguments about whether or not someone violated the letter of the rules, we are more concerned with the spirit of the rules.
Don't be a dick.Cover art featuring our mascot Melon Tusk, by
Puka Muriska.Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is Mastodon?This video has a pretty good general explanation.
The Compassionate User's Guide to Mastodon goes more in depth into how to use it. Note that it says in order to join you should first go to the "main Mastodon page", that page is just a tool to help you choose your instance from a very small list; you don't need to do that if you have already decided where you want to join.
I also recommend checking out the
Fedi Tips guide and following their
Mastodon account.
Should I be taking special considerations for accessibility when posting?Yes! I'm so glad you asked :)
- When posting an image or video, please add an Alt Text description for those who are blind or visually impaired. Here is a good explanation of how you do it, and here some very good tips on how to write a good description. If you're accessing Mastodon on a browser and post an image without an Alt Text, there will be a red outline to remind you. If you use a mobile client, you can follow the Please Caption Bot to get a reminder. If for whatever reason you have a hard time writing Alt Texts, tag your post with #Alt4Me and a volunteer will help you.
- Alt Texts on video or audio clips, describing the sound, are also very helpful for Deaf people.
- When you write hashtags, please use CamelCase as opposed to alllowercase, it helps screen reader software properly separate the words.
- If you post an image of someone making "eye contact" with the camera, or an image of food, please use a Content Warning and mark it as sensitive. It might not be obvious to you, but those are also things that can be anxiety inducing to some users.
Why should I mark NSFW content as sensitive? People shouldn't be browsing social media at work.Sure, but some still do, and in some workplaces it's even accepted. Some people browse social media while visiting their nanna, or on public transport with somebody's child looking over their shoulder. Even if they're at home all alone, maybe they just don't want to see pictures of your asshole, so just give them the opportunity to consent or not to see it.
This applies to all nudity, including photos of somebody's bare chest. I'm not playing a game of Guess the Gender, trans femmes' breasts become taboo at some point after starting HRT but I don't know when, and pre-op trans mascs' chests come in various sizes, so we are keeping it simple and applying the same criteria across the board.
How can I contribute to supporting toot.foundation?The instance is still small, but if you would like to help keep it running, you can either make a one time donation or set up a monthly contribution
here. And if you would like to help keep the admin clothed and fed, you can give a tip
here.Who are the instance's staff?At the moment it's just me,
Melon Tusk (operated by
Promethea), the administrator. As membership grows moderators and co-administrators will be added.