Richard MacManus / is on Nostr

Tech journalist at The New Stack | Founder of ReadWriteWeb (2003-12) | Author of BUBBLE BLOG, a Web 2.0 memoir: https://cybercultural.com #InternetHistory | 🥝 living in 🇬🇧

Website: https://ricmac.org
Newsletter: https://cybercultural.com

Last Notes

2024-07-03 15:32:51

Adam Mosseri is tamping down #fediverse expectations for Threads. As a UK user, I've certainly noticed that things haven't happened very fast! But I also sense frustration on their part re European rules especially -> "The fediverse is a long-term bet. It isn't driving a lot of Threads growth. It is proving very difficult just to do the basics, particularly from a compliance and a privacy perspective. The standards we're held to are just different, based on our scale." https://www.platformer.news/threads-175-million-users-adam-mosseri-interview/

2024-06-28 16:17:18

In 2006, social networks like Facebook and YouTube ramped up, Twitter was born, Amazon invented cloud computing, web geeks obsessed over RSS, and User Generated Content was king. But it was also the beginning of platform power... https://cybercultural.com/p/internet-2006/ #InternetHistory

2024-06-27 09:35:47

Unsure if this is temporary, but not having the API as part of the fediverse on launch isn't a good look from Meta. https://www.threads.net/@grantmcconnaughey/post/C8sU4hVP5ch
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/687/903/242/619/752/original/d1549e69703584a1.png

2024-06-24 13:21:52

Following on from my story about Microsoft Edge moving from React to an "HTML-first" approach, I was contacted by a developer whose team has also made the shift from React’s "overwhelming VDOM" to modern DOM APIs. They immediately saw speed and interaction improvements. https://thenewstack.io/pivoting-from-react-to-native-dom-apis-a-real-world-example/ #WebDev cc @npub1pf4…pgxq

2024-06-21 17:47:40

I love Mastodon, but I wish there was less complaining about stuff on here. And yes, aware of the irony…

2024-06-20 17:41:29

- reply

Mastodon does have search (including non-hashtag), but users have to opt into it. And yes that is by design. There are pros and cons to that, and relatively few people have opted in so far. But there is a valid reason why that decision was made.

2024-06-20 15:55:47

Must-read post about #search on Mastodon. Has made me adjust my own take on this issue. -> "Mastodon is not Google or any other full-text engine, nor should it be. It is a platform for community and conversation. Just as conversations do not echo in an enclosed space forever, conversation search should be somewhat ephemeral."
https://researchbuzz.masto.host/@researchbuzz/112649725372562847

2024-06-13 20:07:09

Love this idea from Mastodon. It’s really cool to see orgs like Mastodon and Fastly/Glitch stepping up to help indie media (or “creators” as we are called these days). https://www.threads.net/@quillmatiq/post/C8KvbrSSy6K

2024-06-13 12:37:58

Developer platform Glitch wants to turn apps and sites into social objects. The first step is allowing users to add their own external sites. I talk with @npub16sj…va89 about Fastly’s new #OpenWeb focus for Glitch. https://thenewstack.io/developers-can-now-discover-and-curate-open-web-apps-on-glitch/

2024-06-07 16:54:59

“What are you doing?” This was the prompt that Twitter users saw throughout 2007. It explains why so many early tweets were about eating lunch. To be fair, nobody knew back then how to do microblogging, the 2007 term for writing short posts — 140 characters or less in Twitter’s case. Along with Facebook and Flickr, Twitter was literally inventing social media. https://cybercultural.com/p/twitter-in-2007-key-facts/

2024-05-29 19:31:07

This is my favourite yet, especially the Beatles reference… #googleaioverviews (via https://www.instagram.com/p/C7btGs-Bovd/?igsh=MWgyeHVnMGZmaWZ2MA==)
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/526/037/252/796/426/original/8403106e158cc419.jpeg

2024-05-29 18:43:03

@npub1psa…j5uh really is an inspiration in this era. What about an open web media collective that is sponsored by 5-6 companies for whom the web is crucial to their business (eg Netlify cc @npub1xrm…jac6 Fastly cc @npub16sj…va89 Automattic cc @npub1hjl…ctfd …). I have been wondering lately if a RWW 2.0 but owned by a collective would work. Perhaps a pipe dream, but there are talented people like @npub10c3…x94h and companies that want to be associated with supporting the open web. https://friend.camp/@jomc/112525445258939697

2024-05-24 17:53:47

“The Verge and 404 Media are building out new functions that would allow them to distribute posts on their sites and on federated platforms – like Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky – at the same time. Replies to those posts on those platforms become comments on their sites.”
Why publishers are preparing to federate their sites - Digiday https://digiday.com/media/why-publishers-are-preparing-to-federate-their-sites/

2024-05-02 19:06:17

I listened to these two podcasts today, and interesting to compare the takes. On one hand we have an in-depth (and beautifully nuanced) discussion of fediverse tech by [@mike](https://flipboard.social/@mike) and [@snarfed.org](https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://snarfed.org/). On the other, 3 media dudes talking about if fediverse will ever be mainstream. I know Troy and Alex from SAY Media days and I like them both. Also know Brian from web 2.0. I found both podcast discussions interesting, but from different angles. Btw Mike, they mentioned you.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/373/057/111/253/692/original/a6e4105a1c1c2f56.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/373/057/247/598/557/original/ebf15f65ffaaee18.png

2024-04-27 09:32:20

Fascinating look at how #ActivityPub is being used by the SFO art museum to help encourage revisiting its cultural objects. Still early days, but you can see the potential here -> “The reason I am telling you all of this is that SFO Museum has written it's own limited ActivityPub server implementation and we have, in fact, created an ActivityPub account – a social media, account – for every object in our collection.” https://orthis.social/@thisisaaronland/112339899293624779

2024-04-24 15:40:41

While content is federated currently, #identity isn’t. And while that doesn’t diminish the decentralized nature of the #fediverse, having a single identity — that a user fully controls — would make it easier to sign up for multiple apps. My analysis of recent discussions here featuring [@evanprodromou](https://evanp.me/author/evanprodromou/), [@rabble](https://mastodon.social/@rabble), [@deadsuperhero](https://social.wedistribute.org/users/deadsuperhero), [@timbray](https://cosocial.ca/@timbray), [@osma](https://mas.to/@osma) & others. https://thenewstack.io/one-login-towards-a-single-fediverse-identity-on-activitypub/