Introduction to Nebulae¶

What is Nebulae?¶

Nebulae is a privacy-focused, federated social media platform designed to recreate the authentic social networking experience you remember from the early days of social media — before algorithms, before ads, before your personal data became a commodity.

The Problem We're Solving¶

Modern social media has become:

• Algorithmically manipulated: You don't control what you see
• Privacy-invasive: Your data is collected, analyzed, and sold
• Engagement-driven: Designed to addict rather than connect
• Centrally controlled: Platforms can deplatform, censor, or change rules arbitrarily

The Nebulae Solution¶

Nebulae brings back social media as it should be:

🔒 Privacy First¶

• Your data stays on your server
• No tracking, no profiling, no data mining
• Email addresses never exposed to remote nodes
• You control who sees your content

⏰ Chronological, Always¶

• Posts appear in time order
• No algorithm deciding what you should see
• See everything from friends, miss nothing
• Pure, unmanipulated feed

🌐 Federated¶

• Self-host your own instance
• Connect with friends on other nodes
• Maintain independence while staying connected
• No single company controls the platform

👤 User Control¶

• Granular privacy settings per post
• Choose what crosses federation boundaries
• Snooze, block, hide — you're in control
• No forced features or UI changes

Core Philosophy¶

Authentic Connections¶

Nebulae is built around the idea that social media should facilitate genuine relationships, not maximize engagement metrics. There are no likes-counters, no follower counts displayed prominently, no vanity metrics designed to drive addictive behavior.

Privacy as a Right¶

Your communications and personal information are yours. Nebulae doesn't collect analytics, doesn't build shadow profiles, and doesn't sell data to advertisers. Email addresses (used as usernames) are never shared with remote nodes — we use PUIDs (Public User IDs) for federation instead.

Decentralization¶

No single entity controls Nebulae. Anyone can run their own instance, and instances can federate together while maintaining independence. If you disagree with another node's policies, you can disconnect without losing your data or local connections.

Transparency¶

Nebulae is open source (AGPL-3.0), meaning you can inspect the code, verify there's no tracking, and even modify it for your needs. The license ensures that even federated instances must share their modifications.

Who Is Nebulae For?¶

Families¶

Keep in touch with extended family without giving your data to corporations. Share photos, plan gatherings, and stay connected on your own terms.

Friend Groups¶

Create a private social network for your circle. No outsiders, no ads, just your people.

Communities¶

Build focused communities around shared interests without platform interference or algorithm manipulation.

Privacy-Conscious Users¶

Anyone who values their privacy and is tired of being the product.

Self-Hosting Enthusiasts¶

People who want control over their data and infrastructure.

What Nebulae Is Not¶

• Not a Twitter/TikTok/Snapchat replacement - Nebulae is focused on private connections, not public broadcasting
• Not monetized - No ads, no premium tiers, no upselling
• Not fire and forget - Requires basic server admin skills to keep the server up to date and running (though we make it as easy as possible!)

Key Differences from Mainstream Platforms¶

Next Steps¶

Ready to get started?

• For Administrators: Check out the Installation Guide
• For Users: See the User Guide
• Learn More: Explore Key Features or Architecture

Nebulae: Social media that serves you, not advertisers. 🌌