Dave Winer again calls for “a twitter-like system built with feeds, with all their limits”. In May 2023, I created My Status Tool (Github repo) using Node.js that provides the basic posting and reading functionality within Twitter, but using RSS and rssCloud as the enabling technologies. Colin Walker also created a PHP implementation (Github repo), and our two versions were able to interop. Dave also called for this back in December 2023 (my response), but from what I heard, Dave had some other ideas besides working with MyStatusTool. I don’t think that FeedLand is the system he was talking about, and I don’t think that Blogroll Social is the system either. Anyone interested in working on this?
Microblogging
There are 11 posts filed in Microblogging (this is page 1 of 2).
Dave Winer mentioned on Sunday that he is “feeling an itch” to create a chat program that produces a RSS feed as the result. Colin Walker mentioned that MyStatusTool seemed to fit the bill, and I agree! I wrote a post back in June 2023 on the topic of MyStatusTool for groups. Can someone let Dave Winer know about it? Thanks!
New version of MyStatusTool now available
Overview of MyStatusTool
MyStatusTool is a proof of concept for a microblogging tool relying on local files for data storage and rssCloud for notification. I was motivated to do this to show how rssCloud could be used to support a Twitter-like experience. With the chaos underway at Twitter, multiple microblogging services have been getting more attention (Mastodon, Micro.blog, etc.). It seemed like a good time to try something different.
Why use MyStatusTool?
There are many tools/services that people can use to publish their thoughts on the Internet. The features that MyStatusTool brings to the table are:
- Web application
- Can post from a web page (PC, tablet, mobile)
- Can instantly notify people that your feed has updated (if they are using an rssCloud-enabled reader tool/service)
- Can instantly get updates from other rssCloud-enabled feeds (like MyStatusTool feeds, WordPress.com feeds, and WordPress.org sites using the RSS Cloud plugin)
- Hosted by the user – no dependence on a silo service (think Twitter/Facebook, even Mastodon) – you own your content
- Individual pages with URLs for all MyStatusTool posts
In the above description, note how Twitter-like this list of features is. People like using Twitter, so I wanted to leverage the best parts of the user experience.
There has been some recent discussion about being able to have small group conversations on the web. A group of users could use MyStatusTool to support those conversations, with each of the users subscribing to the other users with whom they want to have a conversation. It can be as small or as large as you like – no limits!
How can I get started?
Check out the Github repo and give it a try if you have a Linux server online! I have an instance running here, so you can see how it looks. There is also an alternative implementation written in PHP (MST-PHP, created by Colin Walker) which can run on most web hosting services.
If you do try it, let me know how it goes for you – I am interested in improving the user experience wherever I can….
Glossary plugin now available for Micro.blog and Hugo sites
As a result of this thread, I have developed a glossary plugin for Micro.blog! Thanks to @JohnPhilpin for his review and testing. The plugin is available in the Plugins directory, and more info on using the plugin is at the Github repo. Enjoy, and let me know if there are any questions!
In addition, the shortcode and data file within the repo can be used for standalone Hugo sites, so Hugo users should take a look as well. Credits go to Brian Wisti at Random Geekery for basically developing the entire concept!
Colin Walker and I have both developed tools for making short posts and following RSS feeds.
Colin’s tool: https://colinwalker.blog/php-mst/
Colin’s announcement: https://colinwalker.blog/blog/?date=2023-02-08
My tool: http://fedwiki.andysylvester.com:443/
My announcement: https://andysylvester.com/2023/02/06/demo-of-mystatustool-twitter-using-rss-and-rsscloud/
Check them out!
Demo of MyStatusTool – Twitter using RSS and rssCloud
I have created a proof of concept for a microblogging tool relying on RSS for data storage and rssCloud for notification. I was motivated to do this to show how rssCloud could be used to support a Twitter-like experience. Also, I was blocked for posting an innocuous comment on the FeedLand user feed tool, and felt that there needed to be an alternative to that tool for microblog posting. My earlier posts on the development of this tool are here and here.
In this demo app, the basic functions are:
- Ability to make a short post
- When a post is made, a RSS feed is updated, a separate page for the post is created, and the post appears on the home page via Websockets
- The tool provides hosting for the RSS feed and posts created
- The tool can display updates to any RSS feeds that support the rssCloud protocol via Websockets (feeds are listed in a configuration file)
- The contents of the feeds in the configuration file are displayed when the user accesses the page (so they can see what has been posted recently), then any posts with the tool appear at the top of the page
The tool is set up for a single user and requires some configuration. Please consult the README on the Github repo for more information if you want to set up the tool for yourself.
The demo app is available at http://fedwiki.andysylvester.com:443/. The contents of the feeds in the configuration file are displayed, along with any recent posts using the demo app. I encourage people to try making posts and see how they appear and how quickly they appear. As posts continue, so will display of updates to the RSS feeds in the configuration file.
This is a proof of concept, but will be further developed. If you find problems in the tool, or want to suggest features, feel free to create an issue in the Github repo. Also, I would love it if a few other people try installing it and let me know how it goes…
Read: On blogging and intentional sharing
From Smokey:
The key, in all cases, is to be thoughtful, to first consider whether something (from your blog, from a service you use, or even straight from your fingertips to its eventual destination) is appropriate for where you want to post it. Be intentional in how and where you share things, and you will make the world a better place.
Amen! Let’s think a little bit before posting…
In Cal Newport’s article on indie social media, he talks about the community-oriented feel of the IndieWeb. I also cover this subject in my new book: Microblogging: History, Practices and Tools. Check it out!
As you may know I deactivated my half-million follower/bot twitter account last August. I don’t miss it at all except as a newsfeed.
Twitter practically killed RSS readers by providing a firehose of instantaneously “curated” news. With all its flaws, that firehose is useful for a variety of re…
via Chris Aldrich, a neat description of how Leo Laporte uses Twitter to collect links for his shows, some good workflow concepts that could be made part of other tools.
Read: Can Indie Social Media Save Us?
Artisanal versions of Twitter and Facebook hope to keep the good while jettisoning the bad.
Cal Newport talks up Micro.blog and Mastodon as alternatives to Facebook.