fediverse

I said I would publish this week, I guess it happened earlier than expected. This is a high-level overview of Postmodern, the #Fediverse platform I hope to someday build. It is the culmination of years of study as the network has continued to evolve.

https://deadsuperhero.com/my-dream-fediverse-platform/

I've been thinking about client-server interactions in the #fediverse. #ActivityPub #C2S isn't widely used, and most clients rely on Mastodon-compatible APIs instead.

What if we created a new standardized API based on GraphQL + Relay for client-server communication, while keeping ActivityPub for server-to-server federation?

The Mastodon-compatible API lacks formal schema definitions for code generation and type checking, which hurts developer productivity. And ActivityPub C2S is honestly too cumbersome to use directly from client apps.

#GraphQL would give us type safety, efficient data fetching (only get what you need), and the ability to evolve the API without breaking clients. #Relay's features for pagination, caching, and optimistic updates seem perfect for social apps.

Would this be valuable to our community? What challenges do you see? How might we handle backward compatibility? And should this be formalized as an FEP?

Curious what others think about this approach.

#fedidev

Do you run a public Fediverse server? Are you accepting new members? Would you like to be listed on https://fedi.garden?

If so, please DM me 🙂

(NOTE: All the servers listed have to be compatible with the seven points at https://fedi.garden/about-this-site)

#Fediverse

Fediverse Report #116 - This week's #fediverse news:

- @fediforum will be June 5-7 with a new advisory board
- updates from @bonfire on their upcoming platform
- A new fediverse onboarding tool by @fedidb
- Fediverse music sharing platform Bandwagon talks about their plans for financial sustainability

Read at: https://fediversereport.com/fediverse-report-116/

Hold up, hold up. @owncast has had a mascot all this time, and it's a cat?!

AND IT IS NAMED Owncat?!!

And you can buy a coffee mug with the mascot on it, with proceeds going to Owncast development?!!askldfjaksldf!!?$#@!!!!

https://merch.owncast.online/product/cat-vibes

#Fediverse #Owncast #Donate #CatsOfMastodon #Cats

Meine Datenschutz und Privatsphäre Übersicht 2025, für Jedermann 🔐

Teilen er­be­ten !

als PDF Datei:

https://cryptpad.digitalcourage.de/file/#/2/file/kRgZ+fsPATHElnUKYE8ziTgT/

 #DSGVO #TDDDG ( #unplugtrump )
#Datenschutz #Privatsphäre #sicherheit #Verschlüsselung
#encryption #WEtell #SoloKey #NitroKey #Email #Cybersecurity #Pixelfed #Massenűberwachung #Leta
#Google #Metadaten #WhatsApp #Threema #Cryptpad #Signal
#Hateaid #Cyberstalking #Messenger #Browser #Youtube #NewPipe #Chatkontrolle #nichtszuverbergen #ÜberwachungsKapitalismus #Microsoft #Apple #Windows10 #Linux #Matrix #Mastodon #Friendica #Fediverse #Mastodir #Loops #2FA #Ransomware #Foss #VeraCrypt #HateAid #Coreboot #Volksverpetzer #Netzpolitik #OpenAndroidInstaller
#Digitalisierung #FragdenStaat #Shiftphone  #OpenSource #GrapheneOS #CCC #Mail #Mullvad #PGP #GnuPG #DNS #Gaming #linuxgaming #Lutris #Protondb #eOS #Enshittification
#Bloatware #TPM #Murena  #LiberaPay #GnuTaler #Taler #PreppingforFuture
#FediLZ #BlueLZ #InstaLZ #ThreatModel
#FLOSS #UEFI #Medienkompetenz

New: Taking Control of Your Timeline - in Different Ways

#Fediverse platforms as well as #Bluesky offer to give the user control of their timeline - in contrast with the control that Big Tech Platforms have with their algorithmic timelines.

But the approach is surprisingly different: fediverse platforms like Mastodon give you control over *how* you see the content you follow, whereas Bluesky gives you control over *what* content you see

https://fediversereport.com/taking-control-of-your-timeline-in-different-ways/

I'm trying to convince the last friends I have left on Facebook, X, Threads, or BlueSky to join the Fediverse. Some have tried but felt a sense of loneliness. Nowadays, many people are so used to doing what algorithms suggest that they can no longer make independent choices.
My timeline here, on the other hand, is beautiful.
I see what I want, I follow people who post what I like, and no one tells me what I should do. Freedom may come with a "cost," but whatever it is, it's worth the effort. Always.
#Fediverse #Mastodon #SocialNetworks

Have you seen a rainbow pentagon thing on here and wondered what it means?

It's the logo of the Fediverse, the overall network which contains Mastodon, PeerTube, Pixelfed, BookWyrm, OwnCast and many other platforms that talk to each other using a common standard.

You can download a high quality version of the logo at:

➡️ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fediverse_logo_proposal.svg

Technically there can be no official logo on a decentralised network, but this is the most commonly-used logo.

#Fediverse #FediTips

So the #FOSS #Fediverse non-profit I manage @fedihosting_foundation needs some help.

We're at the point where we need more moderators for @LemmyWorld due to the growth of our communities (a good thing!).

We have a very kind and inclusive team from all over the world! Likewise, we also try to respect everyone's work-life balance and are flexible with scheduling (EST & CEST timezones).

Interested? DM me or apply online via
https://fedihosting.foundation/positions/#-site-moderator

New: Why is Meta adding fediverse interoperability to Threads?

Threads' most recent update allows people on Threads to follow people on the #fediverse, albeit with some significant caveats.

But one simple question has bugging me for a long while: Why? Why is Meta adding interoperability to their platform?

https://fediversereport.com/why-is-meta-adding-fediverse-interoperability-to-threads/

We at Vivaldi are the only browser company with a Mastodon server. We have chosen to support the Fediverse in every way we can. We will continue to do so as we need options away from Big Tech.

https://social.vivaldi.net/

#Vivaldi @Vivaldi #Mastodon #fediverse

MORE isn't BETTER

#fediverse

First, it looks a bit strange. HTML attributes, tags and elements wrapped in C? But it's quick! And @grunfink had a great idea of simplifying it with the helper functions to even close them again. The more I adjusted all the things in #snac / #snac2 to my personal needs, the closer I had a look to the code base after being absent to snac for almost a bit more than a year. He made a really great job!

#fediverse #mastodon #activitypub

Reminder that "sometime not long after December 15th", the botsin.space server, a home to many of your favorite creative bots, will be entering a read-only mode, before its planned shutdown.

(The server will run until at least March 2025.)

https://botwiki.org/blog/botsin-space-server-closing-down/

Hope most of you bot admins managed to migrate by now!

#BotsInSpace #fediverse #CreativeBots #bots

Quite some tech journalists and "influencers" out there keep on telling us that #Mastodon (and the whole #fediverse, because they typically don't know that there is more than just one service ;) is losing users after the last wave of newcomers.

Weird thing is: I keep on getting more followers and my timeline is getting better and more diverse with a lot of inspiring content and respectful discussions.

So, I guess, smaller is better :) Thank you all for being awesome!

Mastodon Now Sends Referer Headers! Hurrah!

https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/12/mastodon-now-sends-referer-headers-hurrah/

Back in 2022, I wrote this rather grumpy post on Mastodon, the federated social media platform.

@Edent@mastodon.socialTerence Eden

Mastodon enforces a "noreferrer" on all external links.

I have mixed feelings about that.

As a blogger, I want to see *where* visitors are coming from. I also like to see (and sometimes join in) with the conversations they're having.

But, I get that people want privacy and don't want to "leak" where they're visiting from.

Is it such a bad thing to tell a website "I was referred from this specific server"?

❤️ 61💬 16🔁 2907:09 - Fri 11 November 2022

When you click on this link - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news - your browser says "Hey! BBC! Please can I have your /news page? BTW, I was referred here by shkspr.mobi. THANKS!" This is called the "Referer" and, yes, it is mispelt.

One the one hand, sending the referer is good; it lets the linked-to server know who is linking to it. That allows them to see where traffic is coming from. On the other hand, this could be bad for much the same reason.

If you run a server anarcho_terrorists.biz, you probably don't want the FBI knowing that your members are sharing links to their pages. If you run a small personal server, you may not want anyone knowing that you personally linked to them. If you run a server for a marginalised community, you may not want a hate-site to know your members are linking to you.

But if you're a large-ish, general purpose, non-private site - like Mastodon.social - where's the harm in allowing referer headers?

Anyway, for historic reasons, Mastodon blocked the referer header. This, I believe, was sensible for smaller servers but a miss-step for larger servers. As I pointed out last week:

@Edent@mastodon.socialTerence Eden

Two years later.

Want to know one of the major reasons Mastodon didn't catch on with journalists and large website owners?

It is *invisible* in referrer statistics.

Here's my blog from the last month.

BlueSky now sends me more traffic than Bing.

How much traffic does Mastodon send? It is impossible to know due to the "noreferrer" header in all links.

(I'm not saying your privacy isn't important. But you can't grow a community if no-one knows you exist.)

❤️ 305💬 57🔁 24812:48 - Sat 07 December 2024

I'm not the only one to make this point - it has been a popular complaint for some time.

A few days ago, Mastodon changed to allow this to be configurable.

This is excellent news. Website owners will be able to (somewhat) accurately see how much traffic Mastodon sends them. That way they can determine if there is a suitably large audience to engage with on the Fediverse.

It is, of course, slightly more complicated than that!

Instance owners can opt-in to allowing Referer headers (it is off by default).
The policy means that only the domain name is sent; not the full page.
Mastodon is federated and there are thousands of sites. Even if they all opted-in, their statistics will be fragmented.
Apps can set their own Referer header - leading to more fragmentation.
Even if they do opt-in, users can set their browsers not to send Referer headers.

Nevertheless, I'm delighted with this change. Hopefully it will allow the Fediverse to grow and attract more users.

#fediverse #http #mastodon

Since #NeoDB also has a "social" feature, it's awesome that we can login in #Fediverse apps. For users who prefer to use their NeoDB account beyond just a shelf/tracking/library can do so.

For example, this post was made via the #Fedilab #Android app.

🚀 Mastogram Update! 🎉

Here’s what’s new in our latest release:

🔧 Improved overall stability
🐞 Fixed bugs with links posted on the fediverse
🤝 Mastogram now supports Misskey/Sharkey
🎥 Resolved video reposting issues from fediverse to Telegram
🔗 Made connecting your fediverse accounts to Mastogram easier
🛠️ Fixed tag ignoring for #notg and #nofw from Telegram

If you're looking for a modern bridge between your fediverse profiles, Telegram, and even Bluesky 🌌, sign up now 👉 https://mastogr.am

Encountering issues? Don’t hesitate to reach out at @mastogram or @henry ❤️

#Fediverse #Telegram #Bluesky #Mastogram

Now that the #BotsInSpace server is officially in a read-only mode, which still allows account migration, I am curious how things are looking now.

Previous poll: https://mastodon.social/@botwiki/113516513822722706

#fediverse #CreativeBots #bots #BotAlly

Exquisite.social is a delightful and innocuous generic Glitch Mastodon server, with a slight focus on technology, privacy and *BSD. We are here to play and make friends in a supportive atmosphere:

https://exquisite.social

You can find out more at https://exquisite.social/about or contact the admin @exquisite

#FeaturedServer #GlitchMastodon #Glitch #Technology #Tech #Privacy #InfoSec #BSD #Mastodon #Fediverse #FreeFediverse

Finally out a little #tutorial about running your own #fediverse instance on cheap shared hostings with @grunfink's #snac.

https://www.tesio.it/2024/12/18/how-to-run-your-own-social-network.html

#permacomputing #retrocomputing #hacking #cgi

Some interesting insights from the 2024 @iftas Fediverse Trust & Safety Needs Assessment Report.

- most communities operate on donations
- very few moderators receiving compensation
- roughly 1 moderator for every 1,200 active accounts
- only 16% of communities have 24–hour moderator coverage
- nearly 1/2 of moderator teams lack formal guidance
- 1 in 5 moderators report experiencing trauma or burnout this year

https://about.iftas.org/2024/12/17/the-2024-iftas-needs-assessment-report-is-here/

#fediverse #FediAdmin #MastoAdmin #IFTAS #TrustAndSafety