matt - Network

So if you have the means and would like to contribute, especially if you aren't already a @write_as customer, we'd really appreciate...

So if you have the means and would like to contribute, especially if you aren't already a @write_as customer, we'd really appreciate anything you can donate, whether recurring or one time.

https://opencollective.com/writingexchange

Either way, thank you all for continuing to write here every day, and making this place what it is!

#WritingExchange #OpenCollective

As always, this community is financially supported by my tiny company, @write_as, so we'll always be able to keep the lights on. But for...

As always, this community is financially supported by my tiny company, @write_as, so we'll always be able to keep the lights on. But for now we'll have to fall back on that funding until we can make up for this shortfall.

Ultimately though, we always want to keep this community independently funded directly by the people who share and socialize here.

#WritingExchange

Our #WritingExchange community has been running for almost eight years! But as our little writing space has grown, so have our hosting...

Our #WritingExchange community has been running for almost eight years! But as our little writing space has grown, so have our hosting costs.

Many members of the community have contributed to help keep this space sustainable -- if you have, thank you so much!

But after catching up on our accounting today, we're essentially back at $0 in our Writing Exchange fund, with only 45% of our annual hosting costs covered by current donors.

https://opencollective.com/writingexchange

And if you want to grab coffee or just chat in the new couple days, let me know! Would love to meet up.

And if you want to grab coffee or just chat in the new couple days, let me know! Would love to meet up.

I'll be talking about @writefreely at #FOSDEM tomorrow at 15:00 in the Social Web devroom, UA2.118. If you're around, stop by and...

I'll be talking about @writefreely at #FOSDEM tomorrow at 15:00 in the Social Web devroom, UA2.118. If you're around, stop by and stay for the many other great talks going into the evening!

https://fosdem.org/2025/schedule/event/fosdem-2025-6017-federated-blogging-with-writefreely/

#SocialWebFOSDEM #FOSDEM2025 #WriteFreely

just testing something!

just testing something!

Honestly bring back timed programming and put it in streaming services. Curate channels and let me pick one. Sometimes I just wanna watch...

Honestly bring back timed programming and put it in streaming services. Curate channels and let me pick one. Sometimes I just wanna watch *something* without thinking too hard about it.

Maybe it's devs implementing the C2S side of #ActivityPub, or a multi-protocol client, or built-in browser support for the #fediverse....

Maybe it's devs implementing the C2S side of #ActivityPub, or a multi-protocol client, or built-in browser support for the #fediverse. Maybe we need a single entry point to the fediverse, with a smooth interface, easy setup, and a server behind the scenes.

Either way, making "decentralization" central to the user experience here is keeping a ton of people off the network.

Reading (on Threads) about why people like #bluesky over #mastodon, and most seems to boil down to usability / wrestling with servers.Have...

Reading (on Threads) about why people like #bluesky over #mastodon, and most seems to boil down to usability / wrestling with servers.

Have to agree. And it's why I still think we need a good #fediverse client as an entry point.

n.b. this was a "dispelling the illusions" post, not a "welcoming our new Meta overlords" post, btw

n.b. this was a "dispelling the illusions" post, not a "welcoming our new Meta overlords" post, btw

And there should probably be some more transparency. And it can absolutely be alienating, especially to long-time fedizens.But it...

And there should probably be some more transparency. And it can absolutely be alienating, especially to long-time fedizens.

But it doesn't exclude similar efforts from *everyone* building this space. It doesn't crush those fighting for what has made this place great in the first place.

The fediverse is everyone's, and we should all recognize that. Don't lose hope. Keep on building the web we all want to see.

E.g. the days of every fedi platform needing to be open source (as you'd get dogpiled for back in 2018) are gone. Proprietary platforms...

E.g. the days of every fedi platform needing to be open source (as you'd get dogpiled for back in 2018) are gone. Proprietary platforms and major corps like Meta are joining, and they're collaborating with other major fedi platforms behind the scenes to take this all mainstream.

But that's what's happening right now, just so everyone knows.

The fediverse is a strange place to be sometimes. It's an open network where progress happens in fits and starts in random, often...

The fediverse is a strange place to be sometimes. It's an open network where progress happens in fits and starts in random, often hidden, pockets. And the rest don't often hear what's really going on. In the 6 years I've built on #ActivityPub, we've all had to fight for some kind of coordination.

Especially re: the new #SocialWebFoundation (which I've backed as an outside supporter via my tiny company @write_as), you can see something new is happening.

Of course think the fediverse is the only real solution to #1. It's a long-term solution to an old problem. And every day it's great...

Of course think the fediverse is the only real solution to #1. It's a long-term solution to an old problem. And every day it's great to see new people and orgs commit to it (especially in the US, where we're sooo slow to adopt anything that isn't VC-backed and marketed down our throats).

I think the human-powered web will stand in even more stark relief as AI proliferates. Less automation, more messy shit. The *real* becomes more valuable

Nice interesting splintering on the web generally happening:- The social web splitting into a hundred pieces; people used to one...

Nice interesting splintering on the web generally happening:

- The social web splitting into a hundred pieces; people used to one "home" still looking for a new one (or living between many)

- The AI web with rocks for dinner vs. the human web where it's the same ol' but the bots just feed on our interactions now

Ah, and replies-to-replies.Right now there's no way to directly reply to a comment on Remark.as, so I'll have to add that in the UI....

Ah, and replies-to-replies.

Right now there's no way to directly reply to a comment on Remark.as, so I'll have to add that in the UI. Then I have to figure out how to handle replies from the fediverse to other fediverse replies.

They're ignored for now, but I'm keeping the `replies` info on the original replies so ideally we can do something there.

Still in development, but got #ActivityPub replies working! Once it goes live, replies from the fediverse will show up on Remark.as.Last...

Still in development, but got #ActivityPub replies working! Once it goes live, replies from the fediverse will show up on Remark.as.

Last major issue is to add some basic moderation. Already got instance-level blocking done so I can easily defederate from bad servers, but want to make sure we can handle any potential abuse from individual users too.

I think the simplest solution will be this workflow:1. Click "Save draft" on a new post when you're ready.This creates a...

I think the simplest solution will be this workflow:

1. Click "Save draft" on a new post when you're ready.
This creates a special "draft" post on your blog that you can preview, save for later while you start a new post, etc.
2. Continue editing the draft, and save any updates along the way
3. When you're ready to publish, you'll set metadata like post slug and publish date.
If not scheduling, publish date will be "now", so the post properly federates and goes to email subs.

Oof this Drafts business for @write_as is turning out more complicated than I thought, UI-wise. (Probably why I never built it in the first...

Oof this Drafts business for @write_as is turning out more complicated than I thought, UI-wise. (Probably why I never built it in the first place 😅)

Want to keep the simplicity of the editor, but especially between multiple blogs and offline saving that already happens, things are getting complex.

Made a bunch of progress on this today — now we're accepting and tracking the number of likes you get from the #fediverse on...

Made a bunch of progress on this today — now we're accepting and tracking the number of likes you get from the #fediverse on @write_as!

It's just not displayed anywhere. So that's the question — where do you want to see the number of likes you've received?

I know many people use #WriteFreely / Write.as to *avoid* likes and normal social media stuff. So should we just display the number on your stats page? Only to you on the post (e.g. next to "views")? Only in social spaces like Read.Write.as?