Lemmy shows how Fediverse-connected message boards can work. So is it time for a Fediverse-connected general purpose message board platform (like phpBB)? Is anyone working on this?
I'll elaborate on my thoughts further in my reply below, but I'm keen to hear what everyone thinks of this concept
@ajsadauskas@lemmy.ml Across the internet, there's a host of niche communities on message boards and web forums, using platforms such as phpBB and its various competitors.
Is there scope to get these communities on the Fediverse?
Over the past couple of weeks, I've been trying out Lemmy (lemmy.ml ), which is basically a Reddit-like platform on the Fediverse. (For those reading this on Mastodon, this post is actually a reply to a post on Lemmy, meaning you can read it on Lemmy, on Mastodon, or elsewhere!)
It's shown me that the concept of a Fediverse -connected discussion forum certainly can work.
So is there scope to either add ActivityPub to any existing message board software platforms?
Alternatively, is there scope to develop a fediverse-connected general purpose message board platform?
Is anyone working on it?
mastodon #lemmy #fediverse #activitypub #ActivityPubDev #WebDev @tchambers @atomicpoet @LemmyDev #developer #developers #OpenSource
Is anyone working on it?
@ajsadauskas@aus.social
@ajsadauskas@lemmy.ml
Yes. Momentarily on development hiatus, but I develop a federated link aggregator similar to HN, and old reddit: https://brutalinks.tech.
There are around 20 projects doing groups/forums and they're coming to Mastodon (eventually - not sure what's holding them back). The only thing that makes a traditional forum different from a group is that the first post usually has a title and Mastodon doesn't support titles in posts and many social network users have outgrown them. So, like lemmy, you would need to make the starting (topic) post on an instance that not only supports but mandates titles.
Otherwise if you don't care about titles, use groups. You can post to them from any platform from within your personal timeline. We put all of our project support and development discussions on fediverse groups long ago. But you can use them for anything you want.
@ajsadauskas@aus.social @ajsadauskas@lemmy.ml I saw somewhere that Discourse is maybe planning or starting work on adding ActivityPub support somehow.
https://meta.discourse.org/t/federation-support-for-discourse/90921/87
@blake @ajsadauskas@aus.social @ajsadauskas@lemmy.ml For one joyous minute I thought you were talking about the Pub!
@ajsadauskas My impression is that people stay on those platforms because they want to. Moving the entire network from those to fediverse one is something they have to decide.
It's something that surprised me when I looked into #linux development, different groups hardly even use the same kind of medium. E.g. mailing lists, forums, custom bug tracker... Those were chosen for individual reasons that haven't changed.
The fragmentation goes through the fabric of groups, not just their output.
@bmaxv A number of the most popular platforms (Discourse, bbPress, phpBB, etc) are FOSS.
My thinking is if ActivityPub support were added, at least in theory communities that already use that software could open up discussions on their forums to the Fediverse.
I'm wondering if any of them are/are open to working on it?
I came here to post that link. Now I don't have to. :)
@ajsadauskas
omg I have been waiting for the day
@ajsadauskas Lemmy see!
@ajsadauskas Take a look at this: https://socialhub.activitypub.rocks/t/first-release-of-lemmybb-a-federated-bulletin-board-written-in-rust/2629
@junbird @ajsadauskas@lemmy.ml Yes! That's the type of thing I'm looking for! Thanks for sharing 😊
@nutomic LemmyBB looks like a very interesting project!
Apart from that The Pavilion cooperative has announced they work on a Discourse forum plugin for the Fediverse. And also I got word from the Flarum maintainer that they have plans to add support (but there's been silence after that).
Update: Here's a thread on Flarum's ongoing work: https://discuss.flarum.org/d/31943-federation-extension