The concept behind both networks is there is NO central server that you login into. In both cases your computer becomes a node and helps exchnage the information between other nodes. So no central server to block or censor. Both can work offline and then sync as a connection is available (everything resides on your computer and your friends).
Aether is purely communities (channels/rooms) much like Reddit that you subscribe (sub) to. If you create one you are a mod (moderator) by default but could be voted out democratically. You do not follow any profiles or even message profiles directly. It’s all bout the communities which could be anything from, technology, artwork, opensource, politics, etc. Aether is not encrypted. No mobile apps right now.
Scuttlebutt (SSB) is a protocol for building decentralised applications that work well offline and that no one person can control. Scuttlebutt is open because anyone can build an app to interact with the core network. Because there is no central server, Scuttlebutt clients connect to their peers to exchange information – this is usually done by obtaining an invite code from a "pub" and this effectively then puts you in touch with all the friends to peer with, or you could connect directly with your own friends if you have their invite codes from their app. There are a choice of applications but I’d recommend Patchwork for Windows, MacOS and Linux) as easiest to get going with. There is also an Android app that I have not tried yet. Note any hash tag used in a post automatically creates a new channel with that name if it does not exist. Nice thing is if you mention three channels your post appears in all three. Posts are unencrypted but private messages are encrypted. Planetary Social is a new application to watch out for which will work with Scuttlebutt.
More on Aether at #^https://getaether.net and Scuttlebutt at #^https://scuttlebutt.nz/docs/introduction/detailed-start/
#scuttlebutt #aether #decentralised
Aether
Patchwork app running Scuttlebutt