Social Media has transcended beyond being a mere platform and has become an indispensable part of our lives, helping us to not only connect with and learn about the people and causes that matter to us, but also to impact the world we live in.
Regrettably, mainstream social media has devolved into a toxic breeding ground for hatred and false, narcissistic, and vacuous content. This deleterious phenomenon is perpetuated by mega corporations, who are handsomely paid to propagate such content, often at the behest of third parties with nefarious and self-serving interests. Consequently, a growing number of individuals are increasingly disillusioned with social media and its pernicious impact on society.
At the core of our conviction lies the belief that social media should prioritize the protection and advancement of its users’ interests. It is high time that we shift away from the prevailing model, which inundates our home feeds with content that mega corporations deem suitable, rather than what we truly care about.
Our collective yearning is for a social networking platform that is unequivocally NOT for sale, one that fundamentally reimagines the notion of social media, placing the power back into the hands of those who constitute it – its users.
Social Media that’s NOT for sale
Say goodbye to social media being all about corporate meddling and profit, and hello to a truly people-powered platform where you have the power and where your voice matters most. Today we’re introducing a new social media that is a game-changer, designed to empower you with control over your data and home feed.
With that exciting intro, ladies, gentlemen, and binary people, we give you Friends! – a refreshing approach to social networking that’s not for sale. Friends! is the new microblogging social network platform that is part of the decentralized and open source Mastodon network in the Fediverse.
Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, tens of thousands of users have flocked to Mastodon based Social Networks for their decentralized and federated microblogging capabilities.
The meteoric rise of the decentralized and federated networks means Friends! is now part of the fastest growing social platform, in the world, boasting over 1.3 Million active users.
Federated Networks and their advantages
What is a federated network, you ask? Well, imagine an empowering microblogging platform like Twitter except that it is not centralised nor controlled by a single entity. Instead it is federated with many other community based, decentralised and independent social media networks in what we call the “Fediverse“.
All communities and social media networks in this Fediverse can talk to one another just like different Email platforms do – allowing their users to interact with anyone regardless of which social networks they’re on.
To be in the Fediverse, you can sign up with any social network server that you prefer, like Friends!, Mastodon Social and others.
Just like you have an email address that allows you to send messages to anyone on many other platforms like Gmail, Outlook, Space Email etc., Friends! allows you to microblog and interact with users on any decentralised and federated social networks in the Fediverse anywhere on the planet.
Here’s what sets federated networks, like Friends!, apart – no overpowering mega corporations, no central control, no enforced censorship, no hoarding or exploitation of users’ data for commercial profit and spying, no hold on your data, and certainly no unwanted targeted advertising – making them ideal for vibrant communities of people sharing their thoughts, ideas and content with one another.
What’s more you can also move your data from one social network to another. This means if you have already signed up elsewhere, you can port all of your data over to Friends! easily.
The Friends! Approach
Friends! is the brainchild of civil rights figure, barrister and tech entrepreneur Fraz Wahlah, CEO at Rocket Domains. It is the focused on fostering genuine connections among like-minded individuals, minus the noise and distractions of mainstream social media platforms.
At Friends! you have a voice, no algorithms dictate your feed, no consent is manufactured, and your data remains yours. With Friends! you can rest assured NO ONE can track you, distract you, buy your data or use it to bombard your feed with targeted advertisements.
“Over the past few years, we have witnessed major social networks becoming progressively centralized, toxic, and inhospitable to civilized discourse,” said Fraz Wahlah, CEO Rocket Domains.
Fraz Wahlah. @Fraz@friends.link
“With Friends!, we aim to disrupt this trend by offering a secure space for individuals to microblog, interact, and share online, without any targeted ads, privacy violations, or surreptitious data collection that threatens ownership of one’s personal data.”
Your Friends! Handles and URL
If William Herschel was alive today, his personal Fediverse page handle on Friends! would look like this:
@William@friends.link
His Friends! page handle would simply be:
@William
And, his Friend! page URL would be:
Friends.link/@William
Friends! Rules
The rules at Friends! are simple:
- No hate speech
- No vaccous content
- No hacking.
- No stalking.
- No violence.
- No fascism.
- No religious extremism.
- No colonialism.
- No white supremacy.
- No nationalism.
- No racism.
- No homophobia.
- No transphobia.
- Safe Space: LGTBQIA+
- Safe Space: neurodivergent (ADHD, Autism, etc.)
- No pornography.
- No abuse.
Join Friends! – where friendships are cherished and diversity is celebrated.
You can request an account invitation to get access to Friends! Once you’re signed up, you’ll be able to log in to set-up your Friends page and invite like minded people from your “Preference” menu, to link up with you in the Fediverse. Join the social revolution today and experience the difference of a community that’s truly in your hands. Hit the button below to request your exclusive Friends! account!
Press Contact
Jess Parker – Director Alliances
Rocket Domains
UK: 01212 850 222
USA: 2122 030 500
hello(at)friends.link