Getting Started on PocketNet
the new censorship-resistant social network
As censorship on main-stream platforms has become more and more blatant, users (especially users with Heterodox political ideas) have searched for a platform that’s resilient to the whims of a single billionaire.
PocketNet is powered by it’s users, not a large corporation. The only people who can take your posts down are users, and that requires a large consensus that your content is illegal not just offensive.
PocketNet’s “servers” (called nodes) are run by Node Operators like me. No corporation can force each and every one of us to shut down our nodes.
If you’re looking for a resilient social media platform that respects your freedom of speech and can’t be shut down, here’s how to get started on PocketNet:
Registering & Logging In
If you want to help me earn a few more PKOIN, use my registration link. Or you can register for an account on PocketNet’s Website Registration Page. You can also register for an account through PocketNet’s desktop app once you’ve installed it (installation notes at end of article).
After going through the registration process, you’ll be given a twelve-word private login key. Instead of using a username and password to login, you’ll simply use this private login key. You can also download a QR code that can be used to login, though I don’t find this very useful.
pocketnet.app vs. Desktop App
The PocketNet development team runs a website, pocketnet.app, but this website itself is vulnerable to being taken down like Parler was. Their desktop app IS resilient to this type of shutdown. The desktop app communicates directly with nodes, so it doesn’t depend on centralized servers like Amazon Web Services.
If you want to be fully insulated from server shutdowns, you’ll need to use the desktop client. pocketnet.app is still reliable though, and I find it useful for browsing PocketNet on my phone. If I close my browser on my phone, it does make me log back in… but this is pretty quick with the private login key.
Downloading the Desktop App
You can download the PocketNet Desktop App from their application downloads page or the PocketNet Team’s GitHub. Choose the proper distribution for your OS and follow the installation wizard.
You will likely receive a warning from your computer saying that this is an application that has been downloaded from the internet rather than a “trusted” app store. Double-check that your file came from pocketnet.app or their Github page (pocketnetteam on GitHub), then choose to install the app anyways.
Welcome to PocketNet!
