Some say other protocols have bigger budgets and are better at marketing

Some say other protocols have bigger budgets and are better at marketing.

I say: the Fediverse - by the people, for the people - has passionate advocates who use their talents to promote it, often without any financial incentives. It comes from the heart.

Before FOSDEM I asked my friend @sturmsucht - a super talented photographer - if he'd consider bringing his professional camera to take photos of speakers in the Social Web devroom. He did... and so did I.

A mini (pictorial) thread 📸

📸 2: #FOSDEM Social Web devroom pics – @bjoernsta of #SaveSocial

Watch the full video of his presentation "Reaching out to the wider society" here:

🔗 : https://ftp.belnet.be/mirror/FOSDEM/video/2026/h2215/9MTT3F-reaching_out.mp4

📸 3: #FOSDEM Social Web devroom pics – @samvie of @offene_netzwerke

Watch the full video of her presentation "Building Social Advocacy Networks in and for Europe" here:

🔗 : https://ftp.belnet.be/mirror/FOSDEM/video/2026/h2215/RCV98B-the-social-web-and-digital-sovereignty.mp4

📸 4: #FOSDEM Social Web devroom pics – @cwebber and @tsyesika of https://spritely.institute/

📸 5: #FOSDEM Social Web devroom pics – @floppy during his talk "A wild FASP appears! Integrating your app with Fediverse Auxiliary Service Providers"

Full video: https://ftp.belnet.be/mirror/FOSDEM/video/2026/h2215/M7DYRH-a-wild-fasp-appears.mp4

📸 5: #FOSDEM Social Web devroom pics – @mapache during his presentation "Decentralised Badges with ActivityPub + OpenBadges – Building the interoperable credentialing system we deserve"

Thank you Maho for wearing #TheFutureIsFederated sweatshirt 💚

video: https://ftp.belnet.be/mirror/FOSDEM/video/2026/h2215/JEMNBZ-decentralised-badges-activitypub-badgefed.mp4

📸 6: #FOSDEM Social Web devroom pics – @hongminhee of @fedify

video: https://ftp.belnet.be/mirror/FOSDEM/video/2026/h2215/KSEUZT-fedify.mp4

📸 7: #FOSDEM Social Web devroom pics – Fra of @openforfuture with @magostinelli and @filippodb during their talk "Building a sustainable Italian Fediverse"

full video: https://ftp.belnet.be/mirror/FOSDEM/video/2026/h2215/VKHGXT-building_a_sustainable_italian_fediverse_overcoming_technical_adoption_and_moder.mp4

📸 8: #FOSDEM Social Web devroom pics – @benpate of Emissary, who gave the inspiring final talk of the day

video: https://ftp.belnet.be/mirror/FOSDEM/video/2026/h2215/CP7KWX-emissary-and-the-fediverse.mp4

I hope you enjoyed some of my pics from #FOSDEM's Social Web track. I have many more but I don't want to overwhelm your feed with them.

I have seen the fantastic photos @sturmsucht has taken and I cannot wait for him to share them. Keep an eye out and follow him.

Wishing you all a fantastic weekend! I can't believe FOSDEM was a week ago already 🥲