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2026-08-26 01:11:29

vextaur@blog.taursnd.haus

Can't win with the Fediverse, can I?

If'n I disappear, its because bark.wolp is down again, again for 12+ hours with no news any where, while at the same time, @GoFedi who hosts this blog has been sending me emails letting me know I'm running out of space here, but there's been no response here to my questions, so I guess this blog has a limited lifetime.

Really not sure what I'm going to do, I like the features of Friendica, though it lacks a few I'd like, but I really don't like the interface, nothing a good alternate front end wouldn't fix, but nothing like that exists. And hosted instances are basically non-existant, GoFedi is the replacement for my previous host, the only straightforward host I've found. #gotosocial isn't quite ready yet, it lacks some features that I expect, particularly the ability to provide a synopsis for links, plus like the rest of the Fediverse outside of #friendica , it lacks some features I want. I won't quit the Fediverse, but depending on what happens and when, I may disappear for an extended period until I have time to figure out what I want to do.

2026-08-26 11:32:25

Jupiter Rowland

jupiter_rowland@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

@🌴 Seph 💭 👾 Have you taken a look at Hubzilla yet?

It was created by the same guy as Friendica, and it's a descendent of Friendica. (Forked to Free-Friendika, then forked to Red, both in 2011, then largely rewritten against a brand-new protocol in 2012, then renamed Red Matrix, then greatly expanded in features and renamed Hubzilla in 2015.)

One could say it's Friendica

entirely running on its own protocol, Zot6
with nomadic identity that makes it possible to clone your channel across multiple servers and making it resilient against server outage
with multiple channel (identities, like complete Friendica accounts, but without separate logins) on one account/login, and you can switch between them without logging out and back in again (all with multiple profiles like on Friendica)
without Bluesky integration
with less pandering to Mastodon
with an even better permissions system
with full (client-side and server-side) OpenWebAuth support
with polls
with WebDAV access to your file space
with a built-in CalDAV calendar server
with an optional built-in CardDAV addressbook server
with optional articles, planning cards, wikis and webpages
with a very extensive, detailed and well-written built-in help system
with the ability to integrate git repositories with 3rd-party add-ons and themes that can even be upgraded with shell scripts as easily as the whole hub
with 3rd-party themes available that change the entire UI and UX instead of reskinning the existing UI, especially the Utsukta themes by @Saiwal

It does not provide any previews for links, though I'm sure something like this can be developed as a third-party addon.

If you want to try it, it's quite tricky to find a good hub with 3rd-party themes installed to start on. There aren't any in North America; don't go looking for them.

You may want to get in touch with @pepe about joining his Whoville hub. It's well-equipped, it's well-maintained, but keep in mind it's in Europe.

If you find Hubzilla to your liking, and you want to have your own hub hosted, there appear to be quite a few Hubzilla hosting services. Pick one you like, set up your own hub, activate the add-ons you need, install the third-party themes and add-ons you need, get it to run properly, and then clone your daily-driver production channel over from Whoville. Make the instance on your own hub the main one, and keep the one at Whoville as a clone in case your hoster is offline, or something else is wrong with your hub.

#Long #LongPost #CWLong #CWLongPost #FediMeta #FediverseMeta #CWFediMeta #CWFediverseMeta #Friendica #Hubzilla

2026-08-26 14:05:20

🌴 Seph 💭 👾

vextaur@blog.taursnd.haus

@Jupiter Rowland @Saiwal I've looked at that one, and not been sure what to make of it. Friendica I mostly like, its just that the interface is too cluttered and busy, I mean its great how many options you have, but for the average person, I think you could hide or eliminate 90% of them, and it'd be great.

2026-08-26 15:20:44

Jupiter Rowland

jupiter_rowland@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

@🌴 Seph 💭 👾 That's one nice thing about Hubzilla: You can customise the UI apart from theming. You can completely change the layout. (Not sure if you can do that with Saiwal's themes, but you can with Redbasic.)

By default, a new channel has barely got any icons in the navbar and not even that many in the app menu. The right-hand end of the navbar of a new channel only contains icons for search, HQ, help and the app menu. You can configure under Apps which icons shall appear where. Star them, and they're in the menu. Pin them, and they're on the navbar.

In fact, whereas (I think) Friendica has all its features on all the time, Hubzilla is very modular. Many of its features are optional and off by default; they're called "apps". If you don't need it, don't activate it, and you won't have UI elements for it.

Even the various pages can be rearranged in the PDL editor. You don't need something, throw it out. You only need one sidebar, choose a layout with only one sidebar instead of both. You can do without any sidebars, pick a layout without sidebars.

Saiwal's theme previews have to show what can be done with them. Hence, a lot of UI elements are in place that either can be configured away or have to be configured into place in the first place.

For example, if you look at the AdminLTE preview: You only have to pin the apps that you need all the time. If you want to, you can unpin them all, and they're gone. But then you'll have to go via the Featured Apps menu to get to them. You can slim that down as well, but then you have to open the Apps page to get to them.

The entire wide dark navigation bar on the left can be folded in if you don't need it. Fold it out when you need it.

Main Navigation looks like a homebrew element that doesn't necessarily have to be default. The Archives field can be configured away or has to be configured into place.

The buttons below the posts can't be reduced that much. The speech bubble unfolds the comments. Then come thumb up and (optional, off-by-default) thumb down. Next comes repeat (= share on Friendica). The smiley is for replying with nothing but one emoticon; I think this is actually an optional feature, too.

Now, when I look at the Solidified preview: Almost every other button on the left-hand bar is for an app that isn't even activated by default. Most of the rest are for features that are available right away, but their buttons usually aren't.

Most of what's on the right was probably configured in for the showcase. Even if it's there by default, it can be removed.

The centre only seems cluttered because the posts are arranged across three columns instead of all in one. Even there you can choose how to arrange the posts.

#Long #LongPost #CWLong #CWLongPost #FediMeta #FediverseMeta #CWFediMeta #CWFediverseMeta #UtsuktaThemes #AdminLTE #Solidified #Hubzilla