This post originally appeared on The Fulcrum.
Welcome to this week's The Programmer's Fulcrum.
It's your weekly curation of the essential news in the Open Media Network and Open Social development communities with a focus on devastating big tech via Techno Anarchism.
As usual, we aim to provide actionable content you can use to destroy Techno Feudalism each week. It has the additional benefit of weakening authoritarianism.
IMHO, the best way to do that is to use tools from the Techno Anarchist Manifesto to build your own site(s) to participate in the Open Media Network. Then you should share it (them) via Real Simple Syndication (RSS), Open Social, and possibly a newsletter or podcast. This approach is similar to what some call the IndieWeb and its POSSE philosophy.
The second best strategy is to have accounts on open social and use the hell out of them. And do the same with a RSS feed reader.
We publish TPF on Fridays so you can enjoy it over your weekend.
There's good stuff in all of our categories, so please take the time to enjoy and bookmark the items most relevant to your goals. We hope you are inspired to create new ones.
Or you can jump straight to your favorite section.
FYI, my opinions will be in bold. And may involve cursing. Because humans. Especially tech bros. And fascists. Fuck´em.
Featured Item(s)
Hamish Campbell writes:
The original Web 2.0 was built on a powerful lie, one many progressive people wanted to believe, that privately owned platforms could become public infrastructure.
There are familiar voices resurfacing in today’s debates about the future of the web, measured, reflective, earnest, often grey-bearded and with funding. These are the people who were there in the Web 2.0 era. The early platform designers, the conference speakers who once talked about “community”, “social objects”, and “public infrastructure”. Many of them now occupy foundations, NGOs, advisory boards, and policy circles.
And they are doing something dangerous, as their thinking is too trapped inside capitalism, and they are selling the openweb reboot for a second time.
The greybeards and the second sell-out of the openweb
1,000% spot on.
He also has:
Dilip writes:
What's actually hard to fake, and what most of what I read (and write) is missing, is the source: the history, the reasoning, the "why" behind a piece of code or a life's work, not just the diff. That's what this essay is actually about, so show me the source felt more honest than show me the code.
Talk is Cheap. Code is Cheap. Show me the Source.
This pertains to why most software and too many programmers suck today.
CMSs
Kristof Zerbe shares:
AuguStory - The story of my blog
After a five month break starting in January Grav CMS's blog started publishing again. If you read the articles below the reason for the gap is obvious. Although, they should have announced what they were doing. Unfortunately, I did not have them in my RSS feed and rarely update my sunset site, Symfony Station, so I wasn't aware. But as I think they are the best flat-file site builder out there, here are some of the highlights since May:
The State of Grav: Where We Are and Where We're Going
Grav 2.0 Release Candidate Released
Migrating to Grav 2.0: The Side-by-Side Staged Install
Admin Next: A Modern Admin Experience
Grav 2.0: Markdown Enhancements
The Grav API: The Foundation of 2.0
Grav 2.0: Twig in Content and the New Security Sandbox
I migrated Symfony Station successfully but it you visit it, there are some CSS customizations that are now a little wonky. I may or may not fix them on this sunset site. Although I do miss working with Grav, my all-time favorite site builder.
Schemescape explores:
Uncommon but useful static site generator features
Karl Voit shows us how to:
Add Comments to Your (Static) Blog Using Fediverse Hashtags
Great KISS and DIY idea. I set it up for our Manade site's notices. I am still tweaking it so it will work with my Bonfire test instance.
I also ran across Menitions United which I will have to explore in more detail:
Daniel Lombrana has a great DIY case study:
Publii compares:
I have a site on both and this mostly tracks.
Offprint says:
Pay attention Ghost.
Daniel Ritzenthaler writes:
What an interesting, unusual, unfortunate, and ridiculous way to learn about: noblogs.org
Indeed. We live in an absurd timeline. And my increasing fascist homeland is becoming the most ridiculous country in the history of humanity. Absolute fucking clowns. And cunts.
IndieWeb
Jim Mitchell is:
Announcing the new Indieweb is Punk Manifesto
This is literally The Fulcrum's ethos.
Bear
Robynbird Blog shares:
What does my Bearblog Mean - A reflection
This is what a classic ‘blog’ is supposed to be. So, please start one yourself.
Leaflet
Leaflet shares its:
Tools
Current Affairs asks:
Who Will Save the Internet From Disappearing?
VPN
Mullvad announces:
Browsers
Waterfox has an update:
It's one of the trio of Firefox forks I use daily, including Zen and Librewolf. You should check them out if you want to browse ethically.
Search
8 Ball Ramblings is:
Crazy Steve’s Blog explains:
Why I use this paid search engine (Uruky)
You should also check out xPrivo Classique.
I found this gem on it. Pay attention to the preface, points 42, and 61 - 80. ;)
Cloud
Nextcloud shares:
Nextcloud Hub: The European alternative to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
This is what I use for my 'professional' work. I use e/OS for personal tasks.
Tuta is moving in this direction as well:
Tuta Calendar now supports time zones for events!
Improved search in your encrypted mailbox (And that’s not all!)
Writing
Daniel Prindii shows us:
How to keep track of authorship with Obsidian in GenAI times
LibreOffice announces:
Why ODF is the only document format compatible with digital sovereignty
Creative
9to5Linux reports:
Darktable 5.6.1 RAW Image Editor Improves UI Performance and Fixes More Bugs
Linux / Open Android
Modal announces:
Announcing Sovereign Tech Agency Investment in Flatpak
Stefan Koopmanschap reviews:
Along with Mint and Zorin this seems like one of the more user-friendly Linux options. Which are desperately needed if we are to kill off the techno-feudalist triopoly.
Ok, it's phone review time.
FurryLabs has a:
Guest Blog Post: A phone for the non-tech enthusiast
This is looking more and more like a holiday present for myself. ;)
Thoe shares a:
And on a related Free Android note, Gael Duval has:
One month with my new Murena GS6 Pro: finally a Murena phone that checks all my boxes
Plus, The Guardian reviews:
Fairphone 6+ review: the most repairable, ethical phone gets faster
Larvitz Blog explores:
bhyve Inside a Jail: The FreeBSD Feature Nobody Uses
This week's featured OMN tool
Zettlr
From idea to publication: Zettlr supports your writing process at every stage.
Programming
Jonathan Hollin says:
I Love Open Source Software Development
Good for him.
Josh Collinsworth writes:
In defense of two-state theme toggles
Fantastic site design, Josh.
I ran across this solid typography resource this week:
Ars Technica has:
Ars looks at Zuckoff, the latest free app detecting Meta AI glasses amid privacy backlash
CSS
Patrick Brosset interprets the:
So, use what’s new to get rid of JavaScript. But still keep it simple. Planning is important. There is no need to use everything CSS offers.
Web Components
Dave Rupert examines:
Shadow-piercing local component variables
JavaScript
Master.dev looks at:
Keyboard Shortcuts That Display The Correct Modifier Key per OS
CSS Tricks explores:
Creating Web Widgets Using the Document Picture-in-Picture API
AI
The Free Software Foundation Europe asks:
Copyrightability of LLM-generated code: Can we license “vibe code” into Free Software?
Save yourself some legal trouble and don’t use it.
Euractiv reports:
EXCLUSIVE: EU orders leading AI labs to detail security practices
Other
OpenProject explains:
Why OpenProject is better than Jira
This week's featured programming tool
deploybase
deploybase builds, previews, and ships your static sites on European infrastructure. Push to Git and we take it from there. Your agent can drive too.
And you can keep it simple with a static HTML site. No horseshit framework necessary.
ActivityPub
Event Federation has:
Hollo announces:
Hollo security updates: 0.8.11 and 0.9.14
Alex Leroy demonstrates:
Archiving my posts from toot.community
I found an interesting AP effort and resource in this post. Here’s the effort:
This needs to happen.
MOMOI announces itself:
NOMOI is an open protocol for verifiable delegation of authority
This week's featured ActivityPub featured tool
And here’s the resource:
A companion resource for the ActivityPub Book featured on this site's Tools page.
Permanent aside here (unfortunately)
This is a perpetual pet peeve because many people aren't able to comprehend ⬇️:
- The Fediverse is for communities (private, semi-private, formal, informal, or otherwise)
- and the Atmosphere is for the masses (unwashed, washed, or otherwise).
- and corporate social media is for naive fools and intentional cunts.
So, recognize their natures and don't ask the two protocols to go against them. This is also why we have accounts on both platforms and use them differently.
Fediverse
RadWebHosting shows us:
How to Deploy Funkwhale on Debian VPS
Courtney Rosenthal shares:
My Mastodon wishlist, making it even more awesome
I came across a great community tool for events this week:
I added it to our Tools page. BTW, you can self host it as well.
Bonfire
Jeff Sikes shares:
Bonfire has a:
Crowdfunding update - your art is on the way. Plus a few prints left if you'd like one
A tiny Bonfire feature we've grown quite fond of
More
ATProto
Daniel's Leaflets is:
AKA Permissioned Data.
Developer use details are here:
The Atproto Spaces Alpha is Live
Rob Ricci shares:
What I Wish Someone Had Told Me About AT Protocol and Bluesky
Ducky explores:
Jola.dev is:
Migrating to the new Tangled knot2
Hugo Lassiège asks:
Social networks: what if we had the solution to escape US Big tech?
50 Shades of Protocol examines:
Building the Social Graph with Hubble and Jetstream
Scott's Thoughts say:
Atmosphere
Roomy announces:
Custom social feeds app, Graze announces:
Skyreader has an:
Update - Linkblog on external publications & Improved sharing
Atmosphere Community says:
Find a (somewhat) local Atmosphere community to join
Pick one and join up.
Mu.Social also has a starter pack list:
Local atproto communities all around the world
More inept nonsense from W Social (don't join it):
P2P
Worm Blossom announces:
Pillow is a new collaboration between p2panda and worm-blossom
Webrings
Clayton Errington is:
Improving the webring links, one build at a time
RSS
Ideias de Chirico has:
A different way to access RSS.
XMPP
Movim announces:
IlSoftware shares:
XMPP ha 25 anni: perché la messaggistica aperta non è mai davvero morta
CTAs
- That’s it for this week. Please share The Programmer's Fulcrum.
- Follow us on Surf or at @thefulcrum@thefulcrum.dev on the Fediverse or at @thefulcrum.eurosky.social on the Atmosphere for daily coverage.
- Read, live, and share The Techno Anarchist Manifesto!
And please build something for a community! We're painfully nurturing Manade.
