Getting Started with Nebulae¶

Welcome to Nebulae! This guide will help you get started with your new privacy-focused social network.

First Login¶

Your administrator will provide you with: - Username: Usually your email address - Password: Your initial password

Logging In¶

1. Navigate to your Nebulae instance (e.g., https://nebulae.example.com)
2. Click Login
3. Enter your username and password
4. Click Log In

Changing Your Password¶

We recommend changing your password after first login:

1. Click your profile picture (top right)
2. Go to Settings

1. Navigate to Account → Change Password
2. Enter your new password
3. Enter your new password (twice)
4. Enter your old password
5. Click Save Account Settings

Setting Up Your Profile¶

Profile Picture¶

1. Click your profile picture (top left) or the My Profile button on the top
2. Click Upload Profile Picture to use a photo from your device
3. Or Click Browse Media to look for an existing picture
4. If uploading an image (JPG, PNG, or GIF)
5. Adjust cropping if needed
6. Click Save

Display Name¶

Your display name is what others see throughout Nebulae.

1. Go to your profile
2. Click Edit in the About section
3. Change your display name
4. Click Save Changes

Profile Information¶

Add optional information like: - Hometown - Bio - Show your Username (your email address - not recommended) - Occupation - Show Friends list - Birthday visibility - Pick Family members from your Friends list

All fields are optional and can be made public, local, friends or private (nothing ticked).

Your First Post¶

Creating a Post¶

1. From your Home or User Profile page, find the post creation box at the top
2. Type your message (supports basic text)
3. Mention friends with @username
4. Add Media (see below)
5. Tag Friends (Optional)
6. Add a location (Optional)
7. Choose privacy setting:
8. 🔒 Local - Only your node
9. 👥 Friends - Friends on all nodes
10. 🌐 Public - Everyone can see
11. Click Post

Adding Media¶

1. Click the Browse Media or Upload Media button
2. Select photos or videos
3. Post as normal
4. Click on the media afterwards to then add user tags and captions.

Post Privacy Explained¶

• Local: Only users on your Nebulae instance can see it
• Friends: Your friends across all connected nodes see it
• Public: Visible to everyone, including visitors
• Group: Only visible to group members
• Event: Only visible to event attendees

Finding Friends¶

Discover People¶

1. Click 👥 Discover Users in the navigation
2. Select People tab
3. Browse users from:
4. Your node
5. Connected nodes
6. Filter by node if desired
7. Click Add Friend to send a request

Friend Requests¶

Sending Requests¶

1. Find someone via Discovery or search
2. Click Add Friend
3. Wait for them to accept

Receiving Requests¶

1. Check your 🔔 Notifications bell icon
2. Find friend request notifications
3. Click to view the request
4. Accept or Decline

Managing Friends¶

View your friends list: 1. Go to Friends from the navigation 2. See all your friends 3. Click on any friend to view their profile 4. Options available: - View profile - Block - Snooze - Unfriend

Understanding Your Feed¶

How the Feed Works¶

Nebulae uses a chronological feed — posts appear in the order they were created. No algorithm, no manipulation, just real-time updates.

Feed Sources¶

Your feed includes: - ✅ Your own posts - ✅ Posts from friends - ✅ Posts on your timeline (wall posts) - ✅ Group posts - ✅ Event posts - ✅ Public page updates you follow

Feed Controls¶

Snooze Friends¶

Temporarily hide posts from someone: 1. Click the ⋯ menu on any of their posts or via My Friends 2. Select Snooze [name] 3. User is snooozed for 30 days, or until you Unsnooze - whichever comes first

Block Users¶

For serious issues: 1. Go to the user's profile or My Friends 2. Click ⋯ menu 3. Select Block User 4. Confirm

Blocked users: - Can't see your posts - Can't comment on your content - Can't tag you

Interacting with Posts¶

Comments¶

1. Click into the text field on any post
2. Type your comment
3. @mention people if desired
4. Add media to your comment
5. Click Post Comment

Nested Replies¶

Reply to specific comments: 1. Click Reply under a comment 2. Your reply is indented 3. Conversation threads naturally

Reposting¶

Share someone else's public post to your timeline: 1. Click ... on any public post 2. Click Share 3. Confirm or Cancel the reposting to your timeline.

The original post appears on your timeline with attribution.

Notifications¶

Notification Types¶

You'll be notified about: - 💬 Comments on your posts - 💭 Replies to your comments - 👥 Friend requests - ✅ Accepted friend requests - 📸 Photo tags - @️⃣ @mentions - 🎉 Birthdays - 👥 Group invitations - 📅 Event invitations - 🎈 @everyone mentions

Notification Center¶

1. Click the 🔔 Bell icon (top right)
2. See all your notifications
3. Click any notification to go to that content
4. Mark all as read with Mark All Read

Email Notifications¶

Control which notifications you receive via email:

1. Go to Settings
2. Navigate to Notifications
3. Toggle individual notification types
4. Click Save Preferences

Push Notifications¶

Enable browser notifications: 1. Your browser will ask permission 2. Click Allow to enable 3. Receive real-time notifications even when Nebulae isn't open

Manage push notifications in your browser settings.

Privacy & Security¶

Post Privacy Settings¶

Always check before posting: - Default privacy is Local - Can be changed per post - Can make posts more public after posting - Can make posts more private

Two-Factor Authentication (Recommended)¶

Add extra security to your account:

1. Go to Settings → Security
2. Click Enable Two-Factor Authentication
3. Scan QR code with authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy, etc.)
4. Enter verification code
5. Save backup codes in a safe place

⚠️ Save backup codes! You'll need them if you lose your phone.

Mobile Usage¶

Progressive Web App (PWA)¶

Nebulae works as a mobile app:

On Android¶

1. Open Nebulae in Chrome
2. Tap the menu (⋮)
3. Select Add to Home Screen
4. Tap Add

On iOS¶

1. Open Nebulae in Safari
2. Tap the Share button
3. Select Add to Home Screen
4. Tap Add

Mobile Interface¶

The mobile interface automatically adapts: - Responsive design - Touch-friendly buttons - Optimized media display - Swipe gestures

Dark Mode¶

Nebulae supports dark mode:

1. Click your settings icon
2. Go to Display
3. Toggle 🌙 Dark Mode#
4. Click Save Settings
5. Preference follows across devices

Media Management¶

Uploading Media¶

In Posts/Comments¶

1. Click Browse Media or Upload Media when creating a post
2. Select photos/videos
3. Media is automatically processed
4. Thumbnails generated for fast loading

Browsing Your Media¶

All media attached to your posts is automatically displayed in your media gallery, as are any media items you are tagged in. All your uploaded media appears in: My Media

You can: - View full-size images - See comments on photos - Tag friends - Add a location

Albums¶

Create organized photo albums: 1. Go to My Media 2. Click Albums tab 3. Select Create Album 4. Give the album a title and optional description 5. Click Create Album 6. Click into newly created album 7. Click Add Media to select media from your media gallery 8. Media items respect the privacy setting of the parent post, meaning 'Local' media will not be seen by friends on other nodes

Tagging in Photos¶

Tag friends in photos: 1. Open a photo 2. Click Tag People 3. Select friends you want to tag 6. Click Save

Tagged friends are notified.

Getting Help¶

Node Administrator¶

Your node admin can help with: - Account issues - Technical problems - Feature requests - Privacy questions

Community¶

• GitHub Issues: Report bugs
• Discord: Coming soon!
• Documentation: You're reading it!

Tips for New Users¶

Do's¶

✅ Do set up 2FA for security ✅ Do customize notification preferences to avoid overwhelm ✅ Do check privacy settings before posting ✅ Do explore groups to find communities ✅ Do tag friends in photos (they'll appreciate it) ✅ Do use @mentions to get someone's attention

Don'ts¶

❌ Don't share sensitive info in public posts ❌ Don't post private content publicly!

Next Steps¶

Now that you're set up, explore these guides:

• Creating Posts - Master posting, media, and polls
• Groups - Join communities and create your own
• Events - Organize gatherings with friends
• Privacy Settings - Fine-tune your privacy

← Back to User Guide | Creating Posts →