We Distribute
medium.com/we-distribute · Group blog · on HN since 2017
We Distribute is a Medium publication covering decentralized and federated software such as Mastodon, ActivityPub, PeerTube, Matrix and Hubzilla.
What HN saysHN commenters link it as a source on fediverse projects, including its overviews of ActivityPub apps and its critical piece on the Hiveway blockchain clone of Mastodon.
16HN people shared it
8linked it in comments
16stories submitted
271story points
4 years agolast shared
2017people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 1Prismo is a decentralized link-sharing app powered by ActivityPub4 people · 23 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 2A quick guide to federated social networks4 people · 3 points · first shared 2017 · discussion on HN
- 3Hiveway.io rips off of Mastodon and slaps a blockchain on top3 people · 53 points · first shared 2018 · 11 comments on HN
- 4One Mammoth of a Job: An Interview with Eugen Rochko of Mastodon (2018)2 people · 8 points · first shared 2018 · 2 comments on HN
- 5Got Zot – Mike Macgirvin on building your own apps and protocols2 people · 4 points · first shared 2017 · discussion on HN
- 6The Do-Everything System: An in-depth review of Hubzilla 3.02 people · 1 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 7Getting started with PeerTube1 people · 151 points · first shared 2018 · 43 comments on HN
- 8Fractal is a new messaging app for the Gnome desktop, powered by Matrix1 people · 21 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 9Faces of the Federation – Jason Robinson of Socialhome1 people · 3 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 10Christopher Lemmer Webber on MediaGoblin and ActivityPub1 people · 3 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 11A Chat with Lain about Pleroma1 people · 1 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
What HN people wrote when they linked it
Kye · 2022-11-25
There was an attempt to reskin Mastodon as a cryptocurrency-based social network: https://medium.com/we-distribute/hiveway-io-shamelessly-rips-off-of-ma…
One of John McAfee's latter pumps.
Vinnl · 2018-07-07
No idea, unfortunately; that Mastodon page is all I know of it. I'm keeping an eye on it though, just in case. I agree that that would definitely be cool.
Edit: Some more info at these links:
- https://medium.com/we-distribute/prismo-is-a-decentralized-link-sharin…
- https://mastodon.social/@prismo/100289732805767260
- https://mastodon.social/@prismo/100237371462435727
> Individual instances might be able to choose between representing themselves as one big subreddit, or as a collection of multiple subreddits.
buovjaga · 2018-06-12
Quoting from https://medium.com/we-distribute/faces-of-the-federation-christopher-a…
> Aardwolf, Bridgy Fed, distbin.com, dokieli, Funkwhale, Hubzilla, Kroeg, Mastodon, Nextcloud, Numaverse, PeerTube, places.pub, Pubstrate, Smilodon, tags.pub, Pleroma, Pump.io, and Rustodon are all either implementors of or are currently implementing ActivityPub.
In addition to those, https://pixelfed.org/ is in the process of implementing federation with AP.
strypey · 2018-04-24
Doesn't sounds like the Diaspora team have any plans to implement AP, which is a shame. Here's a fairly scathing write-up on ActivityPub from a prominent Diaspora dev:
https://schub.io/blog/2018/02/01/activitypub-one-protocol-to-rule-them…
Friendi.ca and Hubzilla can already interoperate with Diaspora using the Diaspora protocol. Here's a good guide to the current landscape of free code, federated social networks here, and which protocols each app supports:
https://medium.com/we-distribute/a-quick-guide-to-the-free-network-c06…
rainbowmverse · 2018-03-04
fabianhjr · 2017-12-19
Network effects can occur in federated networks as long as different platforms cooperate and communicate.
Currently, the Fediverse[1] exists through multiple free software platforms and online communities. (Like Mastodon[2])
This can and should expand to include Twitter/FB/others but that would go against their mantra of owning the platform to ensure maximum profits/rent-seeking and power over information. (Platform Capitalism[3])
[1]: https://medium.com/we-distribute/a-quick-guide-to-the-free-network-c06…
[2]: https://joinmastodon.org/
[3]: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Platform+Capitalism-p-9781509504862
ytjohn · 2018-04-05
I'm planning to setup Hubzilla as a forum/wiki for my local radio group and local tech community. Hubzilla might not have everything right (I would prefer the scuttlebut/patchwork approach), but it definitely checks most boxes for me. The key one being Nomadic identity - they can export everything they've ever posted and upload it to another server. This is really crucial (not for my club, but for other groups). Hubzilla also federates with ostatus, diospara, gnusoc, frendica, mastadon, and others.
Hubzilla only has a few thousand users. In a social media world, that's a rounding error. So my thought is that people should setup Hubzilla for a targeted group. Get an active community of dozens or possibly hundreds of people, and if they like the platform, encourage them to invite other people and start additional communities. Or find communities through the federation.
https://project.hubzilla.org/page/hubzilla/hubzilla-project
https://medium.com/we-distribute/the-do-everything-system-an-in-depth-…
jimbosis · 2018-04-13
As far as I know, Diaspora still does not have events functionality.
Two other federated, free, and open social networking platforms that do have events functionality are Friendica and Hubzilla.
https://friendi.ca/
https://project.hubzilla.org/page/hubzilla/hubzilla-project
I have not looked too much into Hubzilla, but I set up a test Friendica account and was very impressed! My first thought was, "this is so much better than Diaspora. How did Diaspora get all the news coverage?"
They were both developed by Mike Macgirvin, a former Facebook employee who left in early 2010 because he was "...was increasingly concerned about the directions they were taking related to personal privacy." That quote is from a very interesting interview with him about federated social networking at:
https://medium.com/we-distribute/got-zot-mike-macgirvin-45287601ff19
I discovered all this through the "Fediverse.party" website:
https://fediverse.party/
HN Discussion about Fediverse.party:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16667050
Edit: formatting, typos, clarity