For Other Cities

The future of social media is decentralised and community-driven. We're building OTTAWA social as a model that other cities can follow, adapt, or connect with.

Three Ways to Join the Network

1. Deploy Your Own Instance

Launch your own city-specific Mastodon instance while maintaining connection to the broader network. This gives you:

  • Complete control over your community's moderation and features
  • Ability to customise the platform for your city's specific needs
  • Federation with OTTAWA social and other city instances
View Mastodon Installation Guide →

2. Connect Through OTTAWA social

If you're not ready to run your own instance, your community can participate through OTTAWA social using city-specific hashtags:

  • Create a dedicated hashtag for your city (e.g., #TorontoLocal, #MontrealNews)
  • Build your community within the larger network
  • No technical setup required

3. Partner with Us

We're open to partnering with other Canadian cities to create a network of connected, community-driven platforms:

  • Share resources and technical expertise
  • Collaborate on feature development
  • Create shared moderation guidelines
Discuss Partnership Options

Why Federation Matters

By building on Mastodon and ActivityPub, we're creating more than just isolated city platforms—we're building a network of connected communities that can:

  • Share relevant information across city boundaries
  • Maintain local control while benefiting from network effects
  • Collaborate on shared challenges and opportunities