The EPFL community gets a Mastodon server

All EPFL community members – students, faculty members and staff – can now use the Mastodon micro-blogging service to share information. Available at social.epfl.ch, the service went live on Monday, 17 February after several months of development work.

Mastodon was chosen after a careful review, as it seemed the best option for giving users a stable platform that our IT staff can manage easily (in terms of both technical support and content moderation). It is also consistent with our open science values for research publications.

Advantages of a Mastodon server

Mastodon is an open-source social network managed by a non-profit organization. Its algorithms are transparent and are not designed to highlight emotionally charged posts. It’s a decentralized system and EPFL has its own server, although it’s federated with other servers so that our community can connect with Mastodon users around the world. The decentralized structure means we can establish our own moderation policy – one reflecting our open, respectful, inclusive and forward-looking approach to research – and ensure our user data aren’t monetized. What’s more, Mastodon isn’t subject to the strategic whims of a profit-seeking corporation.

EPFL community members can set up a Mastodon account by logging in with their regular EPFL credentials.

Social networks chosen for their effectiveness

At EPFL, we know it’s important to take part in the public debate. Scientists need to speak up whenever citizens discuss pressing issues – even when those discussions get heated. We will continue to repost content to feed our accounts on X (@EPFL and @EPFL_en) from the EPFL Mastodon account. We decided not to join Bluesky for now because this social network doesn’t seem suited for helping us reach the general public and the groups we target.

Because each EPFL research lab, school, college and center has its own communications goals, target audience and key messages, it was important for us to choose a versatile system. Each entity can set up its own account on the Mastodon server – a stable IT asset that can support our social media strategy as it evolves.

A fully transparent effort

Everyone at EPFL can learn about the work done by our developers to implement the server. The installation code is available in open access and the project team – Linus Gasser, Nicolas Borboën and Paul Madelénat – will be happy to answer any questions. In addition, EPFL’s Center for Digital Trust, an organization involved in this initiative, has put together a list of privacy-enhancing technology with descriptions of their key features.

Link: Mastodon user guide