Diaspora* came out last year in alpha, in september 2010. It’s a decentralized open-source social network. Diaspora* is still in alpha and beta should be around november so there are some missing features like photo albums. It should launch in december. It’s sad to see Google has stolen many features from Diaspora* to create Google+.
Diaspora* is a decentralised open-source social network that makes you the owner of your content. I mean that unlike Facebook and Google(+) who gather, use and sell your informations and own the content you post on their social networks (yes, you give them the copyrights of everything you put there from infos to photos), on Diaspora* there is no big corporation using your infos and the content you post are fully yours. Diaspora* cares as well about privacy and do not demand that users give their real names anywhere. You can keep your anonymity and privacy on Diaspora*. For anyone who thinks people asking for anonymity are fools, here is an article that shows why anonymity is a must on the internet and that it should stay that way: http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Who_is_harmed_by_a_%22Real_Names%22_policy%3F
You can create aspects and put your contacts in them and post only for certain aspects or just make your posts public if you want. When Diaspora*’s alpha launched in september 2010 it already had all these features, so if you’ve seen them more recently on Google+ from their “circles” as well as their look, it’s because Google stole them from Diaspora*.
You can associate your Diaspora* with Facebook, Twitter, Cubbi.es and Tumblr so like that when you post on Diaspora* you can decide to post too on Facebook and/or Twitter/Tumblr . More integrations should come with time.
When I talk about invitation to the main pod/server, the software being open-source, that means that anyone who has a website and has the knowledge necessary can use the code to start their own pod/server, so other people out there have done so and some of those pods do not require an invitation to register.
The main pod/server is here, it’s the one I’m on and can give invitation for: https://joindiaspora.com/
This Twitter gives invitations as well for the main pod/server: https://twitter.com/#!/DiasporaInvites
The main website is here: http://diasporafoundation.org/
http://blog.diasporafoundation.org/
http://getsatisfaction.com/diaspora
http://www.whatisdiaspora.com/
Guides and tutorials
http://differentcomputers.com/diaspora-user-tutorial
https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/wiki/FAQ-for-Users
https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/wiki
http://www.diasporatest.com/index.php/Main_Page
http://fr.wikibooks.org/wiki/Diaspora_:_Le_guide_du_parfait_débutant
https://twitter.com/#!/joindiaspora
https://twitter.com/#!/DiasporaInvites
https://twitter.com/#!/DiasporaChat
https://twitter.com/#!/DiasporaReplies
News in French – Nouvelles en français
http://www.spicqiim.fr/actu/diaspora-ca-avance/
http://www.stephanebataillon.com/diaspora-le-nouveau-reseau-social-libre-un-choix-politique/
News in English – Nouvelles en anglais
http://www.srcnix.com/2010/05/27/is-diaspora-the-future-of-social-networking/
http://rich.kavanagh.it/2011/07/diaspora-share-what-you-want-with-whom.html
http://hayesandgrey.co.uk/14.html
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/diaspora_project_building_the_anti-facebook.php
http://news.techeye.net/internet/diaspora-still-trying-to-reinvent-social-networks-with-open-source
http://onsoftware.en.softonic.com/diaspora-facebook-for-smart-people
http://www.shoutmeloud.com/diaspora-is-live-did-google-steal-ideas-from-it.html
http://brajeshwar.com/2011/diaspora-an-open-source-social-network/
http://hayesandgrey.co.uk/16.html
http://thecopypasteblog.com/diaspora-cool-impressive-social-network-town
http://www.itworld.com/it-managementstrategy/197329/will-real-anti-facebook-please-stand
http://cityofnidus.blogspot.com/2011/07/diaspora.html
http://ryanbrockey.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/diaspora-germinating-a-new-social-web/
http://thooghun.hubpages.com/hub/Overview-Diaspora-Social-Network
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/columms/why_you_should_join_diaspora_now_your_freedom_depends_it
http://thechrisvossshow.com/review-of-diaspora-social-network-facebook-competitor/
http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=1478&doc_id=232901
http://wir-sprechen-online.com/2011/09/18/diasporas-first-year/
http://www.launch.is/blog/remember-these-guys-diaspora-eyes-potential-october-launch.html
http://technorati.com/blogging/article/diaspora-not-just-another-social-network/
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2111213/diaspora-post-social-web
http://www.patheos.com/community/paganportal/2011/09/21/facebook-its-not-me-its-you/
http://www.eleven2.com/blog/2011/09/22/diaspora-social-network-set-to-rock-the-internet/
http://paroledipolvere.tumblr.com/post/10634777413/diaspora-the-social-network-that-rocks
http://ryanbrockey.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/more-on-diaspora-and-im-weeding-my-garden/
http://miccx8.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/new-social-networks-diaspora/
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/radiorahim/2011/09/fed-facebook-ticked-twitter-diaspora-and-running
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/28/140879480/who-are-you-really-activists-fight-for-pseudonyms
http://www.socialtech.biz/blog/first-thoughts-on-diaspora-–-the-distributed-social-network
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/312158
http://cityofnidus.blogspot.com/2011/07/diaspora.html
http://cityofnidus.blogspot.com/2011/10/taking-diaspora-seriously.html
http://jasonpaul.net/2011/10/the-promise-of-diaspora/
http://theg33kshow.blogspot.com/2011/09/facebook-alternatives.html
http://blenzseymour.com/?q=node/68
http://www.readwriteweb.com/cloud/2011/10/the-state-of-diaspora-and-fund.php
http://techcrunch.com/2011/10/12/diaspora-passing-the-hat-again/
http://www.myriamrobin.com/2011/10/diaspora/
http://www.marianomalisani.com/?p=309
https://www.readwriteweb.com/cloud/2011/10/5-reasons-mozilla-should-fund.php
http://slow-news-day.net/2011/10/diaspora-and-the-shame-of-getting-paid/
http://slow-news-day.net/2011/10/alternative-geeky-growing-diaspora/
http://www.seobesttips.com/social-media/diaspora-a-better-social-network/
http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/10/31/103111-biz-diaspora-1-3/
http://techcrunch.com/2011/11/13/diaspora-redesign/
http://thewebalyst.com/can-diaspora-compete-with-facebook-and-google/
http://thewebalyst.com/google-versus-diaspora-blog-post-interaction-analysis/
https://axel668.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/diaspora-a-better-google-plus/
Strange Realms' Random Thoughts 
thank you for the link
Great job, I really like your post! And thanks for pingback ;D
I first read about Diaspora on the Aceclectic Tarot site. This led me on an almost 3 hour scavenger hunt all over google. Once I’d found this one I didn’t really need to google anymore because you trumped them. You’ve linked me to, or written about most of my questions.
The two I have left are 1) Besides the giant asterisk map, is there any other ways to find a host(?), pod(?), community (?) that’s closer than the ones the map had?
Also, I was really interested in the https://joindiaspora.com/ and saw that you are able to “invite” people. What would I have to do for that to happen?,
It’s been nice e-meeting you.
St. Mary
You need to join a pod to be able to invite others to join it too. I’m on https://joindiaspora.com/ myself so I can send you an invite if you want, to the email you used for the comment.
There is a list of pods here:
http://podupti.me/
That was really the only one I found that seemed active. I’ll go check the link to the list. Maybe I’ve overlooked something.
If I find one that says they are closed to more members, do I just move on or is there something more that I can do?
It would be great to find something local and the closest asterisk is Atlanta, I believe, and that’s a world away from south Florida…
I’ll go look, like I said and will let you know either way. It’s very nice of you to be so helpful, so thank you.
I really wanted to join one that’s already established and the only one still “open” is at about 300. They closed one at 600 something; I don’t understand why. Maybe you can help me to understand all of this?
Where is joindiaspora.com? Or it’s origination? If I may be so nosey 🙂