Jan Boddez

Mechanical engineer, amateur web developer, mediocre guitarist.

Likes web standards, accessibility, #PHP (#Laravel and #WordPress, mostly), the #IndieWeb, and #PunkRock.

#nobot

Public Key

npub1l2xd8tv2pnmm9wu9xv26v2maexla625mlcysvkr3vmchgcvm9djq8jud3x

NIP-05 Address

janboddez_at_indieweb.social@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs04rxn4k9qeaajhwznx9dx9d7un07a92dluzgxtpckdut5vxdjkeqpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgqgcwaehxw309aex2mrp0yhxummnwa5x2un99e3k7mgphn7c9

Publishing to

relay.nostr.band

relay.noswhere.com

relay.mostr.pub

Author Public Key

npub1l2xd8tv2pnmm9wu9xv26v2maexla625mlcysvkr3vmchgcvm9djq8jud3x

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Last Notes

2024-10-26 17:06:40

Same
> I’m not post-economic, but my life and livelihood is quite insulated from any #WPDrama.
https://thefragens.com/wordpress-on-hiatus/

2024-10-13 20:38:02

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It can send and receive webmentions! https://test.boddez.net/notes/563c830581

2024-10-11 07:46:42

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On that last bit, my reason for building on top of WP (rather than yet another short-lived attempt at reinventing the wheel) was exactly that: I was going for *stable*. 🙃

2024-10-11 07:39:48

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Revisited my import script, problem is I didn’t yet have blocks when I originally created it. Nor did I use S3 storage for `wp-content/uploads`.
Need to probably go through a couple iterations to have proper data to play with.
Of course we don't need yet another CMS, especially one with such limited features. (But having IndieAuth and Webmention baked in is kinda cool.)

2024-10-10 13:45:56

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@npub12ze…hunm So much this! I know my kids are free to choose: either doctor or engineer, whichever they prefer
(Just kidding!)
(Or am I?)
😂

2024-10-10 11:51:21

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Upgraded to v10 without too many problems. Feed is broken. The whole thing’s very incomplete, too. Wonder if I should dumb it down (and improve the code), add as many features as possible (I mean, so that it could one day replace my current site[s]), or just leave it be.

2024-10-05 18:19:03

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Anyway, maybe one day I’ll pick this back up.
Then again, I haven’t yet “launched” indie.lol, the WPMU install that currently powers nearly all my sites (and supports all of the above *plus ActivityPub*).

2024-09-26 18:05:03

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I know that y’all have to eat, too, but JavaScript paywalls are a bit silly

2024-09-20 17:04:44

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And of course my blog speaks ActivityPub directly, so I could just as well have boosted https://indieweb.social/@jan@jan.boddez.net/113170861841526204

2024-09-09 17:23:03

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@npub1ltx…wp6h Oh, yeah, if you want it to be fully theme-agnostic, I'd put the code into a plugin instead.

2024-09-07 15:51:53

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(It’s a total hack, I’m merely overwriting my “Location” block. Locations aren’t enabled for listens anyway, so that column would anyway be empty otherwise.)

2024-09-07 15:50:15

Was like, maybe I should add a “scrobbling client” column to my silly listens’ post meta. 🤷
#scrobbling #indieweb #PersonalSites
https://cdn.masto.host/indiewebsocial/media_attachments/files/113/097/050/069/391/050/original/7251f2807a6ca7b0.png

2024-09-06 18:45:57

Wanted to get some skateboard decks to hang on the walls but I haven’t even hung the *actual prints* I got years and years ago, haha.

2024-09-06 18:27:47

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@npub1wwt…5gu0 (Because someone could still upload, I mean, if they were able to, a file that ends in `.php7` or whatever and some servers would automagically have PHP parse and execute those and you’d still be at risk.

2024-09-05 12:41:19

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I think what I mean is two lines in .htaccess or whatever do seem to protect against the bulk of these “arbitrary file upload” vulnerabilities. So add them.

2024-09-05 12:38:24

Disabling PHP execution for anything inside WordPress’ uploads folder is such a no-brainer. (Right?) https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2024/09/20000-wordpress-sites-affected-by-remote-code-execution-vulnerability-in-bit-file-manager-wordpress-plugin/

2024-09-05 10:47:15

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@npub1cz0…0kuz Oh, no, I don’t do newsletters or signups, but I have Mailgun set up as WordPress’ “SMTP server,” if that makes sense. (And deliverability is definitely not an issue. 🙂)

2024-09-05 10:43:17

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I did notice recently that fetching “webmentions” off my own sites wasn’t always successful, at least not right away, and I can imagine the added load of a herd of Mastodon servers polling a post after it’s first posted not helping either. So this might actually be it.

2024-09-05 10:40:21

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Pretty interesting find for anyone that has had federation break for no apparent reason (i.e., me). https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/issues/24695

2024-09-05 09:58:52

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@npub1cz0…0kuz I don’t use a plugin but I do use Mailgun for emails sent from various WordPress installs. Works great (for me).

2024-09-04 10:52:04

Mastodon responding with a “202 Accepted” to *just about anything* makes troubleshooting [all things ActivityPub] much more difficult than it should be.
https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://tantek.com/2024/246/t1/adventures-indieweb-activitypub-bridgy-fed

2024-08-31 13:16:24

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Guess I couldn’t.

2024-08-31 13:07:01

Just a quick test. (I’m trying to replicate https://github.com/janboddez/share-on-mastodon/issues/121.)
(https://bddz.be/ezk)

2024-08-27 13:55:32

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@npub1tf5…7hy4 Congratulations! (Had the same thing happen to me after suggesting something like a one-line change to the Gutenberg plugin, which was subsequently merged into core.)

2024-08-19 19:45:29

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@npub1wsr…wvj6 C’est bien possible que ce sois votre thème WordPress qui, à l’aide de CSS, montre l'image de cette manière

2024-08-19 19:35:53

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@npub1kw7…mwjd (I know, easy for me to say. I also really like `rel=me`, haha.)

2024-08-18 14:01:22

And another one.
(https://bddz.be/kmv)

2024-08-18 13:59:53

And again without CW.
(https://bddz.be/DYP)

2024-08-18 13:58:27

Quick test.
(https://bddz.be/DYP)

2024-08-17 17:08:15

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@npub1psa…xhme Haha, awesome!

2024-08-15 21:52:34

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@npub1p36…0w9t Like so? https://alistapart.com/article/slidingdoors/

2024-08-15 21:51:27

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@npub1p36…0w9t Absolutely! https://alistapart.com/article/slidingdoors/

2024-08-11 08:19:19

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@npub1v30…ewdq WP Crontrol is great for troubleshooting or otherwise controlling cron events

2024-08-07 22:14:01

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I mean, it doesn’t matter or anything. Just trying to understand. What if it was a WordPress site and its database was fully wiped? Would that site (let’s assume the usernames are all the same, too, but everything else is newly set up) be able to start serving ActivityPub all over again? Would other servers be okay with that?

2024-08-07 22:11:17

Stupid question for the #ActivityPub crowd.
If I wanted to completely reinstall, e.g., a Mastodon (or similar) instance, on a domain that was previously used for a Fediverse server, that wouldn’t work, right?
Because other servers would reject its messages, right?
Because of the different public (and private) key? (I guess not, because shouldn’t you able to rotate those, in case they got leaked or whatever?)
Because of the Tombstone object they stored previously, then?

2024-08-07 22:06:47

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... integrate IndieBlocks and ActivityPub, which required a third plugin, had this figured out.
Might have to drop this part, leave it up that plugin. Very few people are this deep into customizing their ActivityPub setup (and even fewer people use IndieBlocks).

2024-08-07 22:05:06

I was able to use a bookmarklet to repost, IndieWeb-style, a Mastodon status on my blog. Yay!
Also, IndieBlocks seems to have turned it into an Announce activity OK. I’ve probably got some work to do here, to make things appear OK in outboxes, too.
The originating server sure seems to have picked up the repost. I’m not sure why I’m not seeing it on Mastodon (but I’m not super familiar with ActivityPub, so ...)
That oubtox renders rather slow, too. Previous implementation, trying to ...

2024-08-07 07:39:47

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@npub1fe4…sgyk Should probably keep a list on my site or something, because I’ve already forgotten about so many movies (that weren’t bad necessarily, it’s just too much) …

2024-08-05 14:44:24

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@npub1ftf…ckrk I guess never simply never showing passwords or tokens (regardless of exactly how they’re stored) makes sense!

2024-08-04 10:03:00

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Happened before, but that was via Webmention. Micro.blog is apparently nice enough to inform me about replies to my posts, including the ones I myself created.

2024-08-04 10:01:51

I just had a (native, federated) comment on my site loop back via ActivityPub. 🤔

2024-08-02 06:27:49

Let’s try a little thing.

2024-08-01 18:33:55

Quick test.
(https://bddz.be/zZ6)

2024-08-01 18:13:58

Quick crosspost …
(https://bddz.be/Gz2)

2024-07-31 19:19:37

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“Interestingly,” somehow my own replies aren’t backfed (by, I think, Bridgy/Webmention) to my site, but others’ are 🤔

2024-07-31 17:58:55

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Better still, I should just make “my” Reply block work with the new functionality, without the need for an add-on plugin.

2024-07-31 12:32:26

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I mean, not that it matters.
Considering dropping actual microformats parsing from my add-on, too, and relying solely on the presence of a Reply block. It’d save a dependency, and I wouldn’t have to store reply details in post meta (parsing blocks has to be more efficient than parsing for mf2, so I could maybe do it on render rather than on save).

2024-07-31 12:29:18

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Not sure why their Reply block is dynamic, though. The cool thing about (static) blocks is they’re there, they’re pretty much baked into the content. (This obviously wouldn’t work for a Followers block. But you’d probably use that in your theme someplace, not in a post.)
Guessing it’s so it can be stripped out when actually federating. I think I use a regex for that. One could also re-parse and re-render the post, and still remove it dynamically.

2024-07-31 12:05:48

So, version 3.0 of the ActivityPub plugin for WordPress comes with a Reply block of its own. Like, I’ll probably stick with my current implementation and continue to just use IndieBlocks’ Reply block for all things microformats, Webmention, *and* ActivityPub, but: pretty cool nonetheless!
*And*, looks like it comes with a *bookmarklet*, too. I’ve been hesitant about adding those—*something irrational fear of a potential security hole…
#activitypub #wordpress
(https://bddz.be/ye1)

2024-07-30 19:42:24

I should totally, uhm, thing, see if auto-threading … https://jan.boddez.net/notes/b8f154812b

2024-07-30 19:39:00

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Guess not

2024-07-30 19:38:36

I should totally, uhm, thing, see if auto-threading … https://jan.boddez.net/notes/b8f154812b

2024-07-30 08:01:14

I just want my (micro)blog to be able to send replies and stuff to others’ (micro)blogs. Using ActivityPub, Webmention, whatever. Now, of course the number of “others’ (micro)blogs,” should m.s ever disappear, would diminish by a whole lot, so still a loss, I guess.
> [I]f most of the network is on one server, then that server effectively controls the overall network.
https://fedi.tips/its-a-really-bad-idea-to-join-a-big-server/

2024-07-29 12:01:53

Not me testing content warnings.
(https://bddz.be/Kzx)

2024-07-27 13:16:42

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@npub1xl4…p6vx Sunk cost fallacy? (Or similar. You know, the good old “I made this far, can’t give up now.” Also, similar to what the other person said, aren’t we sort of raised like this?)

2024-07-26 09:05:30

Finally followed up on https://jan.boddez.net/notes/129131667e and had [/.well-known/recommendations.opml](https://jan.boddez.net/.well-known/recommendations.opml) redirect to [/wp-json/feed-reader/v1/users/3/opml](https://jan.boddez.net/wp-json/feed-reader/v1/users/3/opml).
And, I just learned that WordPress itself *already* exposes all of its “bookmarks” at `/wp-links-opml.php`. D’oh!
Of course, Feed Reader’s OPML endpoint is tied to…
#WebFeeds #wordpress
(https://bddz.be/OBy)

2024-07-25 18:34:33

Really not sure what to think about these “vulnerabilities.”
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-6694

2024-07-25 07:36:42

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I think that’s the old icon/logo still, but whatevs.

2024-07-25 07:36:07

Did I ever mention IndieBlocks’ Webmention sidebar (for the block editor)?
https://cdn.masto.host/indiewebsocial/media_attachments/files/112/845/972/740/134/602/original/5a2045cd594fb30a.png

2024-07-25 07:29:55

Just now [pushed a new version of Share on Mastodon](https://jan.boddez.net/articles/share-on-mastodon-v0-19-1), and, guess what. I thought I understood the auto-sharing issue, but now I’m not so sure anymore.
I no longer provide a `default` argument when calling `register_meta()` and instead implemented a `default_post_metadata` callback. But the *value provided by said callback should be no different from the original* `default`, and yet!
(https://bddz.be/JGb)

2024-07-25 07:16:10

Here’s a note https://jan.boddez.net/notes/46080eddbc

2024-07-25 07:13:52

Share on Mastodon v0.19.1 https://jan.boddez.net/articles/share-on-mastodon-v0-19-1

2024-07-25 06:17:36

Custom message ... https://jan.boddez.net/notes/05dbba0cd3

2024-07-25 06:17:06

Try again. https://jan.boddez.net/notes/77feb52ac7

2024-07-25 06:15:25

Test note.
(https://bddz.be/waj)

2024-07-25 06:09:40

Just a quick test. https://bddz.be/r3y

2024-07-24 21:34:11

WP-CLI on Shared Hosting https://bddz.be/r3y

2024-07-24 20:46:59

Feeds https://bddz.be/N8p

2024-07-24 20:44:54

Feeds https://bddz.be/N8p

2024-07-24 20:42:44

Feeds https://bddz.be/N8p

2024-07-24 20:13:05

ThemeShaper https://bddz.be/6g2

2024-07-24 19:51:22

Automatically Update WordPress Plugins https://bddz.be/WNA

2024-07-24 19:48:47

Automatically Update WordPress Plugins https://bddz.be/WNA

2024-07-23 17:34:45

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@npub10sf…73uw I click “Edit Site” and end up seeing an archive template? I have a home template, you know ...
Also, what’s with the infinite spinner thingy?

2024-07-23 17:32:01

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@npub10sf…73uw OK, maybe it’s just me. Weird things are happening

2024-07-23 17:20:48

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@npub10sf…73uw Uhm 🤔

2024-07-23 17:17:34

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@npub10sf…73uw I don't understand

2024-07-23 17:16:02

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@npub10sf…73uw My AP add-on broke because somehow ...

2024-07-23 17:11:34

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@npub10sf…73uw Hargl.

2024-07-21 12:49:05

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This’d be a better fit for archive pages, I guess. Too bad my clunky custom post meta block is so hard to define dynamically ... I’ll see what I can do.

2024-07-21 11:55:57

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Count-only alternative. Could probably do this with a block variation, or style variation, or …, but whatevs.
Same goes for my “On This Day” block. I’m convinced I should be using a Query Loop variation, but I’m not sure that’d actually be simpler.
https://cdn.masto.host/indiewebsocial/media_attachments/files/112/824/341/463/010/435/original/21fc508bcfec112a.png

2024-07-20 17:04:39

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@npub10sf…73uw 🤓 https://github.com/janboddez/addon-for-activitypub/commit/e702de39e393adc1d599d96c13900e75dda082bf

2024-07-20 17:02:15

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@npub10sf…73uw OK, got the conneg part figured out; not sure about the not federating initially, but, as said, it shouldn’t do that to begin with.

2024-07-20 14:07:18

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Block hooks are what IndieBlocks uses for the “insert Facepile block automatically” option (but you knew that). If you want decent control over margins and the like, you should probably still adapt your comments template, though.
Does WP 6.6 (?) come with support for “standard” spacing and font sizes? I really should look into that (and update my theme).
Too bad I’ve got work, too (and am painting my house).

2024-07-20 13:59:07

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What’s changed is that I can now have several Facepile blocks, each with their own heading and “type,” or a single Facepile block with multiple “types” of facepiles, and still have things behave as they should. The inner Facepile Content blocks can even be nested inside a Row (as shown above) or Columns block.

2024-07-20 11:26:36

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Hoping to soon add a “reaction count”-only variant, so as to just display the number of likes rather than people’s faces. 😅 I mean, it’s up to you, of course.
When I say custom callback functions, I actually mean a tiny add-on plugin. It’s surprisingly simple (and super tricky at the same time)!

2024-07-18 21:40:56

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Punching down is so incredibly stupid. It doesn’t even … like, you do not at all benefit from making someone else’s life miserable

2024-07-18 21:35:42

I “kinda hate” everything crypto, but dude is right in that merely supporting a total fascist because they “like crypto”—for whatever reason, actually—is completely nuts. I mean, why do those dudes hate democracy so much? Oh, right

2024-07-16 13:26:06

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I mean, that’s “conservative” politicians for you. Or “pundits,” or whatever. (You didn’t think they actually believe their own nonsense, do you? That’s why you can’t “debate” them. It’s the whole “playing chess with a pigeon” thing. It’s *all* in bad faith.)

2024-07-16 13:20:54

As the old saying goes, “Don’t attribute to ignorance that which is adequately explained by malice.”

2024-07-15 20:18:47

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@npub19kd…4jdw Ah, perfect! I see these questions, I’m always tempted to give it a go myself. 😅

2024-07-14 15:18:39

Only IC I’d ever heard of was an integrated circuit. Glad I work in semiconductors and not “tech”

2024-07-14 12:40:40

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@npub10sf…73uw For some reason this post isn’t on my “Home” timeline. It’s public, it federated to my server, but ... nope.

2024-07-14 12:38:59

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@npub1shf…h7zz Wait, it does? The “eye” icon near the top right of the main column (in most apps, that is).

2024-07-14 12:31:39

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(Anyway, there might be organisations, or bloggers, out there that would rather not [yet] support ActivityPub “natively.”
Mastodon’s CEO sure seems to think there’s value in a separate Mastodon presence.
I myself write on Mastodon at least as much as I do on my “proper” blog. Not sure how long that will last. Quite a while, I think.)

2024-07-14 12:27:54

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Way it works is, basically, every “paragraph” is a toot. Longer paragraphs are split into sentences. (Sentences that are still too long are split into chunks that fit.) These sentences are then concatenated into “paragraphs” that fit. Leftover sentences become the start of a “new” paragraph. The result is an array of less-than-500-character (or whatever your instance’s limit is) strings, which are crossposted one by one, forming one long thread.

2024-07-14 12:22:06

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It’s also not quite multi-byte safe. It’s probably full of bugs. There’s no way to preview the “tootstorm” before it’s launched, everything happens server-side. I put random delays in there so as not to trigger Mastodon’s rate limiting. And limit the number of toots (i.e., paragraphs, roughly) to 10.
It’s just ... sometimes you have this really stupid idea and just want to see if it could work.

2024-07-14 12:19:48

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OK, so that can 100% be improved, still. Like, the follow-up toots should probably be unlisted.
And it doesn't support, like, tags or anything. And having that permalink in the last toot is perhaps a bit weird.
And the blockquote does not look like one at all. I used to have a trick for that; I’d convert certain tags (before they’re stripped, duh) to (plain-text) Markdown.
OK, I’m going to disable it now.

2024-07-14 12:17:09

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https://jan.boddez.net/notes/da8cc453bb

2024-07-14 12:17:09

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(Kinda wish Mastodon wouldn’t feel the need to become the “go-to place for journalism,” but hey.)