People and blogs involved with and about the IndieWeb community, the fediverse, and/or the open web in general.
Ben Werdmuller
• Ben Werdmuller
I made the reallySimple package for Node.js because I wanted to make it as easy as possible to read feeds in Node apps. It should be as easy as reading a file. Give it the URL of a feed, get back a JavaScript object that's as simple as feeds are. It can read RSS, Atom and RDF feeds, but you get the same object regardless of what form the feed was in. I'm up for creating some example apps if you're interested. There is a very simple Hello World app included in the package and a set of demo apps. It's MIT-licensed, so you can do whatever you want with the code. It would lovely to see it ported. The idea is to plant some seeds in the Node.js world to make it easy for developers to try out new ideas with feeds, figuring the easier it is, the more people will do it. Be creative. Blow our minds! :-)
Reading Atalanta by Jennifer Saint.
The question has come up in various contexts, is a Substack feed a blog? Yes, I think it can be. For some reason people thought I'd say no. In 2003, I compiled a list of things that make a blog a blog, and it's not about the software you use, rather it's about who's writing it, and whether they're being edited. Now it's a different question to ask if I would use it. I would not. Because it forces you to use their editor. And that's a pernicious form of lock-in. It might sound like a small thing, but it means you can't easily try out something new. You are not available to other software developers as a possible user, so no software will be designed for you. I know how well that kind of system works. And that's probably why they lock you into using their editor. If I can't switch without breaking everything, I'm not going there.
⚠️ .io domain¹ likely being phased-out² — seven suggested steps Good article in The Verge summarizing recent .io related events, see that for more context if this is news to you: * https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/8/24265441/uk-treaty-end-io-domain-chagos-islands It looks likely .io (and .io domains) will go away in the next few years (as .cs and .yu did³), so here are my suggested steps to take depending on your usage of .io domains: 1. Avoid buying new .io domains (or making ...
Wednesday session
Great post from Cory Doctorow on using RSS:
Using RSS is a chance to visit a utopian future in which the platforms have no power, and all power is vested in publishers, who get to decide what to publish, and in readers, who have total control over what they read and how, without leaking any personal information through the simple act of reading.
It’s weird that we still have to tell people about RSS in 2024, but that’s just how it is.
It’s pretty easy to write bad HTML, because for most developers there are no consequences. If you write some bad Javascript, your application will probably crash and you or your users will get a horrible error message. It’s like a flashing light above your head telling the world you’ve done something bad. At the very least you’ll feel like a prize chump. HTML fails silently. Write bad HTML and maybe it means someone who doesn’t browse the web in exactly the same way as you do doesn’t get access to the information they need. But maybe you still get your pay rise and bonus.
So it’s frustrating to see the importance of learning HTML dismissed time and time again.
I ported another Hugo theme over to Micro.blog. It’s called Soho, based on the Hyde theme. Just needed a little adapting for microblog posts. Available for previewing in the plug-in directory.
I’m less than a week into using Arc on the Mac, and already I’m so used to it that when I hop into Safari, everything is a little off.
Gruber gave me an idea when he put his NYY logo on his blog. I thought that was both interesting and weird. I don't get how anyone I know can be a fan of the that team. An American League team in a National League city. Kind of like rooting for Staten Island. Anyway, the Yankees may win the ALCS, but what does it mean? It's not going to make New York love them. But then Gruber is in Philadelphia so why isn't he thinking about the Phillies, who btw, the Mets beat soundly in the division series, earlier this month. In any case, I have made the team picture of the 1969 world champion Mets as the banner image on Scripting News for now and into the forseeable future.
BTW, I've been too busy to keep up with the Podcast0 feed. Not sure when I'll be able to pick it up again.
The new color Kindle looks really nice. I don’t read comics on the Kindle or make highlights much, so the only advantage for color would be book covers… Almost worth it. I bet those look great.
