iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 01/10/2026

Earlier this week I was a guest speaker for @suse.com : I gave a talk about my journey of tech empowerment (my discovery of the open social web in 2022-2023, self-hosting in 2024-2025 and #MeshCore this year). This slide about my LEGO mesh setup got amazing reactions ☺️

a screenshot showing my PDF slideshow... on slide 12 you can see two photos filling up the screen. On the left, a wide shot showing two custom LEGO builds that are holding Heltec v3 units and white antennas. On the right, a close-up showing minifigs at work at their desk, with lots of little accessories

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 30/09/2026

I'm sorry if my posts calling #WSocial a "ghost town" offended you and other W Social acolytes... I see that the company's co-founder recently used the hashtag #NoGhostTown. Considering the slight uptick in activity, is "sleepy town" or "quiet enclave" a better description in your opinion?

a screenshot from @mackuba's website https://blue.mackuba.eu/stats/ showing that Eurosky has about 9k weekly posters, whereas W Social has 1k

a screenshot showing the website pdsls.dev, comparing the live firehoses of W Social and Eurosky just now, over a 5 minute period. W Social had 34 events, whereas Eurosky had 1683

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 30/09/2026

#WSocial 's tagline is "Trust Your Feed" – ironic, considering that the company's co-founder and most of its acolytes routinely publish misrepresentations about the state of the network. Second largest platform on ATproto? Matching Bluesky's KPIs? With these numbers?!? #WSocialFacts #WSocialPics

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 28/09/2026

My Roman empire: the thought process that went into the decision by @ec.europa.eu to move from @bsky.app to #WSocial. I especially wonder what kind of due diligence they did on the tech side, considering that #WIdentity, to this day, doesn't work properly for most prospective users. #WSocialFacts

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 23/09/2026

Wonder how lively activity is on #WSocial compared to #Eurosky? Thanks to @pds.ls you can plug into the live firehose for the two networks. After 32 minutes of observation this morning, @wsocial.eu had 330 events whereas @eurosky.social had 16 THOUSAND. The beauty of open data 💫 #WSocialFacts

a screenshot showing two browser windows connected to the website pdsls.dev/streams. On the left you have an analysis of the W Social firehose, on the right Eurosky's.

In the same time interval today (32 min) W Social recorded 330 events (likes, posts, follows, etc.) whereas Eurosky recorded 16 THOUSAND events

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 22/09/2026

To the people wondering why so few users post on #WSocial: there could be a simple explanation. 1) In order to post you need to verify your account with your government ID, using the app #WIdentity 2) W Identity has an average of 1.1 stars out of 5: play.google.com/store/apps/d... #WSocialFacts

a screenshot of the Google Play store showing the page for W Identity (in the German store). You can see there are 225 reviews andn the average is 1.1 stars out of 5, with 10,000+ downloads

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 22/09/2026

@ricci.io yes the terrible reviews keep on piling up. FYI you need a VPN / set your location to Germany to see this page: play.google.com/store/apps/d...

a screenshot of the Google Play Store page for W Identity - in Germany. You can see there are 225 reviews and the average rating is 1.1 stars out of 5

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 22/09/2026

#WSocial state of the network - September 22, 2026 There is a lot of misinformation regarding W Social and how active the network is. So, from time to time, I'd love to share some numbers. This is the beauty of #OpenData 💫 sources: pdsls.dev, clearsky.app, ATproto.at #WSocialPics #WSocialFacts

a graphic with a cloudy background and on top a white box with the following text:

W Social state of the network

Tuesday September 22, 2026 - 9:30am CET

Accounts on their PDS: 37,967
Users with verified ID: 7,812
Users with 1+ post: 3,573
Users who have never posted: 34,394
Users with 0 posts and who follow 0 accounts: 26,424
% of users with 0 posts, who follow 0 accounts: 70%
% of users who have never posted: 90,59%

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 16/09/2026

Good morning and happy #SOTEU2026 happening right now - on a dozen platforms - and also on #WSocial. The way the company has been hyping the event, you'd think they had an exclusive... And they keep bragging how the livestream is "Made in Europe." Naaa, #WLive is powered by @stream.place! 🇺🇸

a screenshot of a message by Ingmar Rentzhog in the livestream live chat saying "We are doing our best. This boradcast (sic) is truly Made in Europe"

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 16/09/2026

comment published just now, you can't make this stuff up 🤡 dear @ingmar.wsocial.eu, I wish you would credit @iame.li and @stream.place for powering your livestream. Eli is based in Seattle, which, last time I checked, is in the U.S. (and he's so great!) #WLive #SOTEU #SOTEU2026

a comment by W Social co-founder Ingmar Rentzhog where he wrote "We are doing our best. The boradcast (sic) is truly Made in Europe"

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 15/09/2026

Manifesting coming to re:publica 27 (penciled it in, gotta get organized with family, etc.) 😅

a screenshot from my Proton Calendar that says "ELE at re:publica in Berlin"

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 15/09/2026

#WSocial state of the network - September 15, 2026 There is a lot of misinformation regarding W Social and how active the network is. So, from time to time, I'd love to share some numbers. This is the beauty of #OpenData 💫 sources: pdsls.dev, clearsky.app, ATproto.at #WSocialPics #WSocialFacts

a graphic with a cloudy background and on top a white box with the following text:

#WSocial state of the network
📅 Tuesday September 15, 2026 🕰️ 10:30am CET

Accounts on their PDS: 37,531
Users with verified ID: 7,492
Users with 1+ post: 3,388
Users who have never posted: 34,143
Users with 0 posts and who follow 0 accounts: 26,444
% of users with 0 posts, who follow 0 accounts: 70,4%
% of users who have never posted: 90,97%

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 14/09/2026

It's hard to come back to regular life after spending a DREAM weekend in Berlin at #FediDay, surrounded by so many dear friends and fellow open social web advocates ✨ Pictured here with the amazing @samvie.eurosky.social 💖

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 10/09/2026

Ça a l'air incroyable ! J'aimerais tellement pouvoir assister à ton cours ! Si tu as besoin d'experts en auto-hébergement, j'en connais plein :) Et est-ce que je pourrais t'aider à convaincre SciencesPo de créer un compte sur un réseau social open source ? Eurosky et/ou Mastodon ? 🤗

a screenshot of the SciencesPo footer with links to social media profiles on Big Tech platforms: LinkedIn, X (ewww), Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 07/09/2026

Evergreen screenshot, relevant to this conversation. Context in the #AltText. Source: www.blick.ch/digital/anna... #WSocialPics

the screenshot of an article from Blick with the headline that reads "Alice Weidel is also welcome (on W Social)" and below a photo of a smiling Anna Zeiter, the CEO of W Social

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 02/09/2026

I know! The wildest thing that has happened to me while reporting on #WSocial is that one of their superfans claimed I had created that account on W to post racist stuff / put W in a bad light. And that I'm a Russian asset! The CEO herself replied: "thanks for flagging this!" in agreement 🤯

The screenshot of the reply by W Social CEO Anna Zeiter who wrote "Thank you for flagging this! Yes, we just move on, focus on ourselves, spread good energy and grow. I feel that people in general are tired of hate, aggression and polarization. We do the opposite: we are kind, welcoming and keep on growing"

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 02/09/2026

If you're curious about how #WSocial is currently doing - as their MEGA fans (pun intended) boast about the network hosting more accounts than #Eurosky - well well well... a picture is worth a thousand words. 📊 context in the alt text 🙏 thanks to @pds.ls for the info! #WSocialPics #SmokeAndMirrors

a screenshot showing two browser windows connected to the website pdsls.dev/firehose. On the left you have an analysis of the W Social firehose, on the right Eurosky's.

In the same time interval today (9:30am to 11:00am CET) W Social recorded 1073 events (likes, posts, follows, etc.) whereas Eurosky recorded 31.3 THOUSAND events

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 28/08/2026

📣 Attention #BookSky 📖 The latest @dairinstitute.bsky.social newsletter revealed that @timnitgebru.blacksky.app 's book "Deep Unlearning: The Rise of AI and the Radicalization of a Tech Idealist" is now available for pre-order: 🔗: bookshop.org/p/books/deep... Congrats Timnit 🎉

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 21/08/2026

Lately I have noticed anti-immigrant rhetoric from #WSocial users - as well as posts containing hate speech that are NOT moderated. Thankfully I subscribe to @blackskyweb.xyz moderation and I want to thank @jdot.blacksky.team and his team for labeling one of the worst W accounts. #WSocialPics

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 21/08/2026

Why so few people verify their accounts on #WSocial? I think there is a mix of curiosity (grabbing a username but never following through with verification) and also difficulties in using #WIdentity. The app, on the Google Play Store for example, has an average rating of 1.2 stars! #WSocialPics

a screenshot of the W Identity app page on Google's Play Store - it shows 163 reviews with an average of 1.2 stars out of 5

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 21/08/2026

How is this possible? #WSocial hosts 26k accounts but only 5.4k have provided ID verification (and thus can post). Of those, only 2450 people (as of this AM) have EVER published a SINGLE post or reply. By comparison, on Eurosky (26k accounts) EVERYONE can post. No ID required #WSocialPics

a screenshot from the list of verified accounts on atproto.at, showing that W Social has 5.4k verified accounts

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 21/08/2026

The truth about #WSocial - in pics 📊 Yesterday I noticed some W Social MEGA fans cheering because the PDS officially surpassed Eurosky for the number of accounts they are hosting. Open data shows a DIFFERENT reality: while Eurosky has lively activity, W Social has scant interactions. #WSocialPics

a screenshot showing two browser windows side by side, connected to pdsls.dev and the firehose of W Social (left) and Eurosky (right). The two networks were analyzed over 90 minutes yesterday, ending at 2:30pm. W Social had 1130 total events while Eurosky had 37293 events

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 19/08/2026

I wish the Atmosphere had content warnings (like on the fediverse)... because I'd like to show you the limits of free speech absolutism and the kind of content that is allowed on #WSocial: blatant racism, xenophobia and transphobia. X vibes... but hey, it's "hosted in Europe" 😒

Posts by Anna Zeiter (W Social's CEO) about the company's approach to free speech and moderation. They read: "I strongly believe that everyone should be welcome on W, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, skin colour, origin, religious or political beliefs, as long as they can verify they are human and behave toward others in a civil and lawful way. We don’t need W to become another echo chamber.

We need a platform where people with very different views can meet, listen to each other, challenge each other and disagree without immediately trying to cancel or silence one another. More dialogue. Less polarisation. ❤️ This is the kind of social network I want W to be. Happy to hear your views!"

screenshot of a post by a W Social user that reads: "Don't vote for people who tell you men are women and jews are nazis"

screenshot of a post by a W Social user that reads: "I've been anti BLM since the beginning and I'll always be anti BLM period"

screenshot of a post by a W Social user where he shared a video by the "Institute of Remigration" (headed by a far-right leader) showcasing illegal immigrants entering Europe over time... with W Social CEO Anna Zeiter commenting "Wow! It's always so powerful if you visualize data... might be interesting for you @mikko" (a screenshot borrowed from Sascha Pallenberg's account)

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 14/08/2026

#WSocial and #Eurosky are almost head-to-head when it comes to the number of accounts they are hosting, but the two networks could not be more different. One requires age verification via government ID; the other doesn't. One is completely moribund, while the other is thriving 🔥 #ATproto

a screenshot of two browser windows connected to pdsls.dev. the one on the life shows the live firehose of W Social over 1 hour and a half, while the other one shows the firehose of Eurosky during the same exact time period. W Social has 663 events while Eurosky has 30788 events in the same time interval. W Social has 130 posts in 90 minutes while Eurosky has 4635 posts in the same time period.

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 10/08/2026

If I may, @palle.eurosky.social didn't vibe-code anything. He simply set up two browser windows side-by-side and accessed the firehose for #WSocial (pds.wsocial.network) and #Eurosky (eurosky.social) via pdsls.dev, having them run simultaneously. I've been doing this too! The difference is shocking

a screenshot showing two browser windows connected to pdsls.dev. On the left you have the firehose of W Social, which shows 240 events in 27 minutes. On the right, you have the firehose of Eurosky, which shows 7596 events in the same 27 window interval

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 04/08/2026

I caught the glorious moment (while it lasted, RIP)

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 04/08/2026

"If you look at the other, also in Europe, the other CEOs of social media platforms, they're all male. Look at the US as well. I'm the only woman in that club." at 34:57: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyXi... But also, 2 months ago, on a panel at VivaTech in Paris with Nele Meissner, the CEO of Wedium

a group photo taken at VivaTech in Paris in June, showing Johannes Meissner, Nele Meissner (CEO of Wedium), Zeiter and behind them the eYou co-founders and Christophe Leclercq. They were there to present the "Trusted European Platforms" label

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 28/07/2026

Experiments with #MeshCore = just an excuse to play with LEGO (and buy little accessories for my minifigs)

a photo showing two mesh units with tall white antennas... they are being housed inside custom LEGO structures. On the left, a rainbow-colored structure with a minifig with long wavy hair sitting at a desk with candles on top, a juice box, a camera, a walkie talkie and a monitor showing the strength of a radio signal. On the right, a structure in various shades of blue with a minifig with long straight hair sitting on top: you can see two cell phones, a camera with a long lens and a gold flag

a close-up of the other photo, showing little accessories close-up

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 23/07/2026

Interestingly - and feel free to check for yourself - the most prominent accounts on W Social don't have the W Identity ID badge... institutions, or people like Ursula von der Leyen and Roberta Metsola. They do have the Bluesky blue check, though. W Social is NOT a trusted verifier yet.

a screenshot of Ursula von der Leyen's account inside W Social showing a blue checkmark - but not the W Identity ID

a screenshot of the pop-up on Ursula von der Leyen's account (inside W) when you click on the blue checkmark. It says "this account has a checkmark because it's been verified by trusted sources" and below it says "verified by: Bluesky"

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 16/07/2026

This #MeshCore Italia live map is a thing of beauty - showing activity in northern Lombardy: 🔗: livemapnew.meshcoreitalia.it Today I should receive two new (and more powerful) antennas. Looking forward to more tests 📡 #MySoCalledSudoLife (4/4)

a screenshot of a map of northern Lombardy, showing Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, with lots of colored dots and dotted lines between them

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 15/07/2026

Update no.2: "TikTok" Gustav's #WSocial profile has been removed (after a valiant defense on his end, insisting he was not a spammer) 🥲

a screenshot showing responses by Gustav (tiktok.wsocial.eu) where he said "maybe it takes a day for it to go away" (the spam label" and "I'm not spam LOL"

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 15/07/2026

An update: the post (labeled as spam) no longer appears in @tiktok.wsocial.eu's feed... and now the name of the account has switched from TikTok to Gustav 🤔 The spam label remains! #WSocial

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 15/07/2026

Dear @wsocial.eu, I found evidence of a spam account posting on your network: @tiktok.wsocial.eu (which is also doing brand impersonation). This account has been verified by a government ID (otherwise it would not have been able to post); it has been labeled as "spam" by @bsky.app. #WSocial

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 14/07/2026

The magic of #MeshCore: with these teeny tiny antennas and Heltec units I am able to communicate with a friend who lives 380km away, across the Alps. No WiFi or 4G connection necessary... just #LoRa 📡❤️

a photo of two LEGO custom builds housing Heltec v3 LORA units. On the left: a rainbow-colored structure with a hole in the middle to accommodate the Heltec and its battery and on top there's a LEGO female minifig with long wavy brown hair holding the antenna. She's sitting at a LEGO desk with a purple laptop and a cup of coffee in front and there are two plants and candles as decorations. Behind there's a gold flag. On the right: a second LEGO structure in various shades of blue housing a second Heltec unit, plugged into power via USB-C. At the top there's a second female LEGO minifig holding the antenna and behind her there's another gold flag. In the background of the photo you can see a black printer

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 13/07/2026

The #MeshCore Heltec repeater is up and running splendidly - in a custom-built #LEGO case I adore

a rainbow-colored LEGO structure with a hole in the middle that houses my Heltec v3 unit and its battery - the antenna cord goes up and it's a minifig on top of the structure - that looks like me - who holds the Heltec antenna in its hand. The minifig is sitting on an orange transparent stool and has a desk with a cup and a purple laptop in front

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 13/07/2026

Today's goal: setting up my first #MeshCore repeater for better connectivity 🚀

a photo of a laptop with rainbow-colored keys and a sticker of Agnès Varda and next to it there is a tiny Heltec v3 unit - my meshcore companion with a battery plugged in

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 29/06/2026

More good news for #WSocial: with this article - the fifth in my series - I will officially retire from this beat. I find this to be the perfect epilogue 🥲 🔗: blog.elenarossini.com/w-social-a-b...

a screenshot of my blog post that reads:

Update at 14:38 CET: the issue has been fixed

Dev 2 just wrote to me on Signal, saying: "miraculously - only hours after publishing your article Elena - the issue seems to be resolved."

Dev 1 added: "The question is who fixed it? I'd be willing to bet a Bluesky engineer saw that article and just did the fix, rather than letting W Social wander around aimlessly."

Dev 2: "Yeah, probably."

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 17/06/2026

This was definitely NOT on my bingo card for this year: European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen taking a moment between G7 meetings to promote the launch of the closed-source, for-profit network #WSocial. 🔗 : web.archive.org/web/20260617... It may be a harbinger of things to come

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Elena Rossini ⁂ @elenarossini.com · 06/06/2026

Sorry I was really far away and this was the best I could do, but I wanted to take a pic with @blackskyweb.xyz on screen behind you and @rude1.blacksky.team

A photo of JD and Rudy up on stage at the Open Social awards in Amsterdam receiving the Excellence Award

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