@box464@mastodon.social cover
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

box464

@[email protected]

Coder, consultant, dog dad. Tech tinkering is my joy. Be kind.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. View on remote instance

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

After trying various habit maker apps, I’m finding, of all things, Apple Reminders being the thing that works for me.

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

I'm playing around with Offer activities in Fedify. The AP Vocab provides this, easy peasy.

✅ Alice OFFERS Book to Bob
✅ Bob ACCEPTS Alice's OFFER

Or:

✅ Bob OFFERS Rotten Tomato to Alice
❌ Alice REJECTS Bob's OFFER

But I'm not clear if this is right:

❓Alice ANNOUNCES OFFER of Labubu to Followers?

❓Bob OFFERS $10 for Labubu to Alice?

❓ Alice ACCEPTS Bob's OFFER of $10 for Labubu?

✅ Alice OFFERS Labubu to Bob

✅ Bob ACCEPTS Labubu

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

Hubzilla Beginner's Workshop Today, Feb 11 (German)

Great to see these type of events popping up!.

https://f.termine.di.day/events/e037c6a5-362c-4231-bcbd-2ffb2eb3d70f

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

A random profile image generator of men with beards. 🧔🏻

https://placebeard.it

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

This weekend, the PieFed community is hosting a Hackathon.

Head over to the Issues list and lend a helping hand where you can!

Python, CSS, Translations, all kinds of things. I've submitted a few issues recently and found the code easy to comprehend.

@Snoopy@tarte.nuage-libre.fr avatar Snoopy : Hackathon this week 7-8 febuary in Fediverse

https://codeberg.org/rimu/pyfedi/issues?state=open

https://codeberg.org/rimu/pyfedi#for-developers

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

@info is a new 1-day fediverse related conference in Montreal in just a few weeks on February 24 (is it Fedi-conference season or something?)

There's a streaming option, too! And the sessions look good. Check it out, and spread the word.

https://fedimtl.ca/#about

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

Having some silly fun with @ a new fediverse platform with an SSH TUI interface. The first screenshot is the web profile, the second is the TUI interface.

This is the first command line UI for ActivityPub client I've seen that has an actual backend server platform tied to it.

The SSH UI showing the Home timeline.

The SSH UI showing the Home timeline.
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@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random
@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

Bonfire has just released a new version, which includes initial support for Mastodon API endpoints (interested how this will work, as Bonfire has sooo many more post control options)

And…initial work on an ActivityPub C2S API!

https://bonfirenetworks.org/posts/bonfire-1-0-1-building-momentum/

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

Just submitted my first job application in 15 years, and only one mistake - holding down shift+enter for a new line in a text box that accidentally submitted the application itself. Luckily, I was on the last entry.

All they got for that entry was the title: "Moving from a Baker's Rack to Actual Infrastructure."

Maybe that will make them curious enough to contact me about the whole story? 😁

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

If you mention a group account (lemmy, piefed, guppy, etc.) in your post, fediverse clients should either remove options other than public for visibility of the post (unlisted, direct, followers only), or at least warn the user that their post's audience may not match their expectations.

box464 OP ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

More specifically for direct and followers only - my expectation is that those reach a specific audience that I chose.

If boosting or quoting IS available on that post, I would expect those boosts or quotes to only appear to my followers and mentioned accounts.

The problem is, not all fedi users are thread-heads 😄 and may not understand the implications of including a group account in a reply - that it will reach beyond the expected boundaries set on the post.

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

So what’s the ActivityPub version of Pinterest? Looks like it will be in demand soon.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/reports-suggest-that-openai-may-be-looking-to-acquire-pinterest/808773/

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random
@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

Here's your chance to see the fediverse platform Bonfire in action (without having to install it or create an account)

Our favorite fedi live streamer, @ozoned is going to be streaming an install and walk through soon (Jan 2 at 8 AM CST).

Add it to your calendars and

https://freestreamers.btfree.org/event/bonfire-install-and-config-livestream

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

I've had Honk, a light hearted activitypub platform, installed for quite awhile now. Updating and installing were simple enough that I could do it, but I honestly have no idea how to use it!

It's fun to say I've honked something tho. 🦆

Are there any other Honkers out there?

I'll write up my notes on the install process (has been stored away in my journal for over a year) before I uninstall.

https://humungus.tedunangst.com/r/honk

A dark-themed digital interface with a purple background. It features text fields for entering information, including options to attach files, add coordinates, and a button for advanced settings. There are also buttons for previewing and canceling.
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@surf@flipboard.social avatar surf , to random

ICYMI, we launched an updated version of Surf with easier navigation. Build your own topical feeds including posts from @Mastodon , Bluesky and Threads, plus RSS, YouTube, podcasts and Flipboard Magazines. Need inspiration? Head to the Surf Shop where you can explore feeds on everything from news and politics to book reviews, record collecting and Vectrex. You decide how your feed looks, what's in it, and what's excluded.

Screen recording of Flipboard's Surf app, showing the feed settings for the Middle East Conflict feed and showcasing how specific you can be in selecting what does and doesn't make it into your feed.

box464 ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@surf 🧐

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

I thought I knew vim, but I guess :q, :w! and / aren't the full feature set.

there is a tutorial module installed with vim:

vimtutor

@deadsuperhero@social.wedistribute.org avatar deadsuperhero , to random

Like Pixelfed and PeerTube, Loops is in a weird spot of technically being very very good, but lacking dedicated people to make media specifically for it.

I think these platforms would benefit tremendously by aggressively courting the creators on YouTube and Tiktok and Instagram Reels to try creating stuff on the Fediverse.

box464 ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@deadsuperhero Without a creator fund and click and pay sponsorship opportunities, it’s never going to attract the same type of content.

One area that has a chance is NSFW content. Banned from big socials, they could setup shop on their own PeerTube or Loops instance and have specific content paywalled. Or maybe this already exists?

Selling these platforms as content backups, a place to point fans if their content gets moderated / banned might work, too.

box464 ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@deadsuperhero @reiver I just signed up for a few coding courses and it could absolutely work for those as well - a paywalled PeerTube course playlist.

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Mastodon/115503024028215175

This specific new feature in Mastodon 4.5 - reply fetching - makes a huge difference in small communities.

When you open the detail view of a message, it triggers a task to pull in all replies it can from remote servers, and displays them after a few seconds.

Looking forward to third party apps integrating this a bit more naturally without having to refresh the detail view.

box464 OP ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

For app developers, here’s the relevant bits regarding the asynchronous reply task.

See the “Fetch all Replies, and AsyncRefresh” section.

https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/10/mastodon-4-5-for-devs/

@Gargron@mastodon.social avatar Gargron , (edited ) to random

Out of curiosity, are you using or have you used Mastodon's Signal sticker pack?

box464 ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@Gargron Didn’t know these existed! Will add to the fedi merch awesome list.

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

A sweltering afternoon didn’t keep people away in Austin, TX

A mass of hundreds peacefully protesting at the no kings rally in Austin, TX
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@insane@outerheaven.club avatar insane , to random

There should be an client accessible from terminal.

box464 ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@insane Might check out Tut! https://tut.anv.nu/

I've tried that one and verified it works (like, about 6 months ago)

This one I've never tried:

https://github.com/bentonedmondson/servitor

I was going to mention Fedify, but it's not REALLY a client. You have access to create a fediverse test instance and then send messages, follow people, etc. through a CLI. But it's not made to be a client, per se.

Others mentioned DOStodon and can confirm that's one is a lot of fun.

@mike@flipboard.social avatar mike , to random

@test test 2. Posted with quiet public. Is anyone seeing this?

box464 ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@mike @test Yes. Coming through as Quiet public on Mastodon at least.

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

How many bookmarks do you have saved on your fediverse account? Please boost widely.

If it’s more than 100..how many more than 100? And if you’ve never used them, why?

Thank you! 🔖

box464 OP ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@cheeaun I'm building a bookmark...thing...search? I have rebuilt it so many times over the past year I'm not even sure anymore. 😆

Used it to learn about masonry layouts most recently. The search performance at 700+ bookmarks is really bad right now.

@reiver@mastodon.social avatar reiver , to random

1/

I like the idea of having "fun" things that are part of (at least some of) the Fediverse.

The WAFRN idea of "bites" / "pokes" seems like one of them.

I would assume notifications for it might look something like:

"Joe Blow has bit you."

...

@news @deadsuperhero

RE: https://wedistribute.org/2025/10/wafrn-chaotic-good/

box464 ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@reiver @news @deadsuperhero Yeah, other platforms have bites, too! Iceshrimp.NET for sure.

https://ns.mia.jetzt/as/

@Gargron@mastodon.social avatar Gargron , to random

We have a little over a 100 's remaining in our US warehouse. Keep in mind the new batch of smaller ones will not be coming to the US and we're not currently planning to make more of the big ones, so for the foreseeable future this is your last chance to get one if you're over there. Check out the hashtag if you want to see them out in the wild!

https://shop.joinmastodon.org/products/mastodon-plushie

A beige stuffed Mastodon toy wearing a straw hat (not included), sitting behind the wheel of a toy ice cream truck for children (not included).
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box464 ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@Gargron The smaller ones won’t be in the U.S. shop - ever or just not immediately? Will shipping be available from EU to U.S.? Thanks!

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

The GoToSocial post import tool, slurp, now supports BlueSky post and media imports, backdated and all. I even used a custom PDS.

I'll do a write up at some point.

The most suprising thing, which probably should not have been a surprise - all your BlueSKy posts and media are completely public, and you can grab ANYONE's collection of posts and media if you want....no auth required.

https://github.com/VyrCossont/slurp?tab=readme-ov-file#downloading-and-importing-a-bluesky-archive

A social media profile with a purple starry background. The profile features a circular avatar of a character wearing glasses and a hat. There are recent posts discussing BlueSky and a question about uploading options. The username is displayed prominently.
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@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

My Obisdian entries have turned from home lab run books to dear diary entries for my mental health. It’s doing a good job with both. And sometimes they are related.

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

Your timeline is what you want it to be on fedi. You build it. You MOLD it, like a piece of clay. It takes time. It takes effort. You'll have to mute sometimes. You likely will have to block. Don't give up.

It's worth it. Art. Code. Gaming. Books. Pot Belly Pigs. Death Metal. Whatever your interest, you can find a community here, I promise. Smaller, perhaps, but more connected.

You might even have a real conversation with a human being. Give it a try!

@reiver@mastodon.social avatar reiver , to random

If we were to do a regular online Fediverse meeting —

(Maybe once a month.)

WHAT DAYS OF THE WEEK WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO ATTEND?

A regular (online) meeting for Fediverse developers, for those who care about the Fediverse as a social movement, and for those who care about the success of the Fediverse.

Sunday?
Monday?
Tuesday?
Wednesday?
Thursday?
Friday?
Saturday?

(You can pick more than one day)

PLEASE REPLY WITH YOUR ANSWER.

box464 ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@reiver Sunday afternoon (CST) but if it’s just once a month it’s easy to schedule in. Later in the day always better.

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

This is amazing news! Fedify has received a substantial grant for further development, including portability for fediverse objects and enhanced dev kits for ActivityPub. 🎉🎉🎉

https://hollo.social/@fedify/0199a579-adb3-7bf5-a8ea-970c8fa91f09

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

Excited to see this deployed on more instances in the weeks to come.

From: @Gargron
https://mastodon.social/@Gargron/115224321548138026

@deadsuperhero@social.wedistribute.org avatar deadsuperhero , to random

Yes, I am one of those sysadmin freaks that does server jobs on my phone. Termux and SSH are a godsend.

box464 ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@deadsuperhero I could POSSIBLY use Termius on iPad but there's no way I would not delete an entire server by accident on my phone.

@mcc@mastodon.social avatar mcc , to random

I have two opinions I want to post today:

  1. You should install Signal on your phone and computer. Connect with your friends and partners on it. Use it casually, regularly, for non-sensitive messages. You'll probably never need an encrypted messenger, but if you someday hit a rare case where it's useful? Better it's already set up before you need it. Signal still requires a phone# for signup but you can use a username to message.

(This is Mastodon, so you're likely far ahead of me on this)

box464 ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@mcc I had not considered installing it on a computer as well. Thanks! Doing it now.

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

Lots of talk about Ghost today, and rightly so, but don’t forget that a little open source framework @fedify made the ActivityPub plugin possible.

Support open source!

https://ghost.org/changelog/6/

box464 ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@julian@community.nodebb.org avatar julian Is it the ice cubes app ding? I made that one 🤭

@Gargron@mastodon.social avatar Gargron , to random

The second prototype has arrived. They should be ready before December this year. I hope you're looking forward!

A small, carrot colored Mastodon stuffed toy enters the frame first, before being joined by its blue sibling.

box464 ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@Gargron Better than a labubu any day of the week. :mastodon:

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

@firesidefedi had an inspiring interview with @Lioh this week.

My favorite moment is when they were discussing the importance of promoting each other's good works:

> “Do good deeds and talk about it”

Check out this fediverse t-shirt you can grab at Lioh's site - United Federation of the Fediverse (Star Trek themed) - I'll be adding it to the Fedi Merch list soon.

https://spacefun.tpopsite.com/

A person holds up a white t-shirt displaying a logo that reads "UNITED FEDERATION of the FEDIVERSE." Behind him, there is a colorful stuffed animal and a gaming-themed background. A chat window is visible with text interactions from viewers.
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@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

My poll regarding how many of you have parked domains is just one day in and I can already tell this idea could work!

Instead of just parking your domain and showing an ad for your registrar, why not redirect it your favorite fedi platform or instance, or to a static HTML page that promotes the fedi?

We have some excellent creators here on the fediverse (art, css) so I think we could create smart looking promotions and add them to a repo somewhere for people to pick up and use.

The image features an illustration titled "Let's leave planet GAFAM NATU BATX" by David Revoy. It depicts various social media icons and technology elements on a whimsical, colorful planet, emphasizing the concept of focusing on personal connections rather than data privacy issues. A button labeled "Make the Switch" is also included.
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box464 OP ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@runsmooth I think there are some repos already that collect imagery (logos, pictures, etc.) that are open source and can be used to promote various platforms. Is that what you mean? I was going to search that out and add these static HTML pages for people to utilize if they want.

box464 OP ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@runsmooth Oh and you should definitely know about @_elena video that can be shared in many formats.

https://videos.elenarossini.com/w/64VuNCccZNrP4u9MfgbhkN

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

How many parked (unused) domains do you own? I have an idea and want to know if my assumption is correct.

Boost generously, please.

@box464@mastodon.social avatar box464 , to random

Mastodon's latest version has the ability to fetch missing replies from a conversation (under an experimental flag, not enabled by default).

This is a big deal, especially for smaller instances. Mastodon joins other platforms - of which I know of: Streams, GoToSocial, IceShrimp.NET and Bonfire - that pull back replies on request.

The hard work on the backend is done, and now there needs to be a discussion about how this interaction works as part of the user experience.

box464 OP ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

What is needed to improve it? A streaming endpoint? A "pull all replies" button that auto-updates, displays them as they come in?

This will require front end updates to every client, which will obviously each handle this a bit differently.

What we've seen in the past tho, like with post quotes, is that once a single app figures out a way to represent the process, the others follow suit.

@Gargron@mastodon.social avatar Gargron , to random

So, this has been in the works for a while, arguably most of last year. I intend to transfer my personal ownership of the Mastodon trademarks and assets, incl. copyright over my code, to the Mastodon non-profit, and transition to a different role at the organization.

box464 ,
@box464@mastodon.social avatar

@Gargron I feel this statement in my core as I also resigned from an organization I felt passionate about but ultimately turned to burnout.

It’s exceptionally difficult to step down, because your life IS your work, you love it, you’re proud of it.

I know this was tough, but doing so shows a maturity sadly lacking in mainstream social media leadership. And that’s why the fediverse is the right choice.

Hoping to see more photos, cats and stuffed mastodons coming from your feed.