3 ms·

What I don't understand: Why do they promote the software instead of the protocols? News and e-mail had different server software and clients and were both use

by stesch 8y ago

What I don't understand: Why do they promote the software instead of the protocols? News and e-mail had different server software and clients and were both used around the world. Mastodon uses standard protocols, too.

unimpressive 8y ago
People use software, the value add Mastodon has over GnuSocial is that it's software that advertises itself to users on its own merits. (Well that and a moderation policy that's stricter than Twitter's, supposedly.)
- mattl 8y ago
  GNU social was never supposed to be a brand seen by end users. The idea was “take our software, make your own network”
- spc476 8y ago
  Yeah, but I'd like to use software that isn't written in PHP or Ruby (for a variety of reasons, some valid, and some not). If the protocol was better documented, there might be more choice.
  - zaarn 8y ago
    There is pleroma which is written in Python and functions with the mastodon web interface natively .
    - marci 8y ago
      Pleroma is written in Elixir https://blog.soykaf.com/post/what-is-pleroma/#less-moving-parts https://blog.soykaf.com/post/what-is-pleroma/#less-moving-pa...
      - zaarn 8y ago
        I probably remembered wrong... still not Ruby or php!
  - AsyncAwait 8y ago
    The protocol is pretty well documented and even has a tutorial section: https://www.w3.org/TR/activitypub https://www.w3.org/TR/activitypub
dielan 8y ago
Either the techbro journalists dont understand that, or they do and know their readers wont understand or care. Most Mastodon articles fail to even explain that its a server software anyone can run and talk about mastodon.social like that is the whole thing.
mverwijs 8y ago
They still are.
znpy 8y ago
Because protocols need implementations to be appreciated.