Yet again post aimed at new users, this time really quick:

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Instances or servers are basically separate websites owned by differemt people you can register on while being connected to the whole network. Usually users are shown as @user@website (or shown as just @user if you are on the same server or you use Mastodon, but keep in mind it is still actually @user@website)

Please read instance rules, and register on different one if you disagree with rules. Keep in mind non-freespeech servers usually block communicating with freespeech servers for reason later being filled with hatespeech and trolls.

Don’t be discouraged if you cannot understand something, ask other people about it.

I recommend using smaller instances, since they allow you to have a smaller local community around you that can help understanding what’s happening, but you still will be able to communicate to big instance users.