One of the greatest delights of running a Social Web community is welcoming new members and helping them find their feet, and find their people. Unlike traditional social media platforms, decentral spaces don’t use invasive algorithms to force feed content no-one asked for. While this is an excellent pathway to privacy and wellbeing, it can leave a fresh timeline feeling pretty quiet. Curating a recommended account list is one way you can provide a welcoming hand, transforming that initial blank slate into a vibrant home feed from day one.

Whether you are surfacing helpful guides, daily art, or sharing awe-inspiring photography, you are essentially curating a bespoke digital magazine for your community members. It encourages exploration, sparks curiosity, and helps people build a timeline they will enjoy spending time with.

To help kickstart your server’s discovery list, we’ve put together a selection of engaging, safe, and active accounts across news, science, art, and culture that any new account would likely be happy to find in their feed:

@FediTips – FediTips: Friendly, clear, bite-sized guides on how to use Mastodon and the broader Fediverse. https://social.growyourown.services/@FediTips 

@FediFollows – FediFollows: Highlighting interesting people, projects, and creators across the network. https://social.growyourown.services/@FediFollows 

@wikipedia – Wikipedia / Wikimedia: Highlights, unusual articles, and open knowledge news. https://wikis.world/@wikipedia 

@rembrandtvanrijn – Rembrandt van Rijn: Daily random artwork of Rembrandt that is in the Rijkmuseum in Amsterdam. https://mastodon.nl/@rembrandtvanrijn 

@womenshealth – Women’s Health: Nutrition, fitness, mental health, and active lifestyle coverage. https://flipboard.com/@womenshealth

@NationalGeographic – National Geographic: Iconic photography of wildlife, human culture, and breathtaking natural wonders worldwide. https://flipboard.com/@NationalGeographic 

@IanCykowski – Ian Cylkowski Photography: Beautiful photography showcasing landscapes, street scenes, and architecture. https://photog.social/@IanCykowski 

@npr – NPR: Independent journalism, culture stories, audio features, and podcasts. https://flipboard.com/@npr 

@publicdomainrev – The Public Domain Review: Curious, beautiful, and surreal gems from historic literature, art, and books. https://mastodon.social/@publicdomainrev 

@apod – Astronomy Picture of the Day: NASA’s daily space photo accompanied by expert commentary. https://reentry.codl.fr/@apod 

@wonderofscience – Wonder of Science: “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science” https://mastodon.social/@wonderofscience 

Cut and paste this line into your recommended accounts option:

@FediTips, @FediFollows, @wikipedia, @rembrandtvanrijn, @womenshealth, @NationalGeographic, @IanCykowski, @npr, @publicdomainrev, @apod, @wonderofscience