Let me start this article with a correction: there is no official fediverse logo. The one that most often comes up when you search for it is a widely used logo proposal. And it has quite an interesting history.
A fun read on the history of the (proposed) fediverse logo.
“A lot of people think that the pentacle was chosen because of its occult or satanic connotations. And while it would be in Fediverse’s rebellious spirit, this was not the case.”
Some more variations from a 2020 forum conversation:
https://socialhub.activitypub.rocks/t/fediverse-logo-or-icon-proposal/
Originally designed by @eudaimon and @drq in June 2018 and dedicated to the public domain.
@liaizon A lot of people think that the pentacle was chosen because of its occult or satanic connotations. And while it would be in Fediverse’s rebellious spirit, this was not the case.
My idea was to illustrate the structure of the network. There must be multiple nodes (multiple servers). There must be nothing in the middle (no center). The connections can cross each other, but must never follow the same path twice. No connection must be on top of all of them.
It can’t be done with two nodes, because it’s just a line and in the middle of the line, there’s line. It can be done with triangle, but it’s boring. It can not be done with four nodes, because their connection cross in the middle.
So, five nodes it is. Thus, a pentacle.
Also, a pentacle is a classic symbol for a star. And I always wanted to associate the Fediverse with the stars and space in public consciousness.
What’s plural of “a fedi node”? “a constellation”.
When Meta officially started to roll out their fediverse integration with Threads back in May, they included their own logo to represent the fediverse.
An important distinction is slowly being uncovered about the definition of the term “fediverse.” Who is it that gets to decide what this place is? How are we being represented? These are not easy questions to answer and if we don’t do a better job describing ourselves, then the job will get done for us by people who don’t understand the underlying values we hold. #fediverse#meta#threads
The proposed fediverse logo may not be to everyone’s taste, or even accurately depict the complex structure of the fediverse, but it is very recognizable, and while I’ve seen designs that look more modern and polished, I think it’s safe to say the one you’ll see today will stay with us for a very long time.
Do you recognize this logo?
(See poll in the replies, no answers, please! Boosts for reach appreciated!)
Well?
“A lot of people think that the pentacle was chosen because of its occult or satanic connotations. And while it would be in Fediverse’s rebellious spirit, this was not the case.”
https://stefanbohacek.com/blog/the-history-of-the-fediverse-logo/