Post · bonfire.cafe

@stefan@stefanbohacek.online · 4 hours ago

One thing I really like about ATProto/Atmosphere is the concept of a PDS, or Personal Data Server, storing all your account data.

The other day someone announced https://bookhive.buzz, basically ATProto take on https://bookwyrm.social, but unlike Bookwyrm, which requires you to create a separate account, Bookhive lets you log in with your PDS, most commonly your Bluesky account.

That's actually pretty neat.

And we could have something similar with Federated Credential Management (FedCM).

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/FedCM_API

Here's a GitHub issue requesting this for Mastodon:

https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/issues/4800

#fediverse #mastodon #FedCM #indieauth #SocialMedia #ATProto #PDS

GitHub

Allow Mastodon to be used as an OpenID provider · Issue #4800 · mastodon/mastodon

Nowadays, a lot of website allow their users to log in by using their Facebook, Twitter or Google+ account. User-wise, one of the advantages of doing so is to be allowed to use a lot of different w...

Federated Credential Management (FedCM) API - Web APIs | MDNMDNMDNMozilla

The Federated Credential Management API (or FedCM API) provides a standard mechanism for identity providers (IdPs) to make identity federation services available on the web in a privacy-preserving way, without the need for third-party cookies and redirects. This includes a JavaScript API that enables the use of federated authentication for activities such as signing in or signing up on a website.

BookHive

BookHive — Reading is better together

Track your books, connect with friends, and discover your next favourite read on an open, social platform.

#indieauth #fedcm #pds #socialmedia #atproto #fediverse #mastodon

sknob

@sknob@mamot.fr · 43 minutes ago

@stefan I understand the appeal and the convenience. But in this day and age, I’m paranoid about centralization.

Stefan Bohacek

@stefan@stefanbohacek.online · 34 minutes ago

@sknob Right, that's what the PDS component helps with.

It has all your data, and if an app or server you log into with it goes away, you keep all of it, and just switch to a different app or service provider.

Unlike when you migrate to another Mastodon server and leave your posting history behind.

Stefan Bohacek

@stefan@stefanbohacek.online · 33 minutes ago

@sknob You might be thinking of other ATProto tech stack layers, like relays and AppViews?

But even then, those are fairly easy to host if you accept the same trade-offs Mastodon already has.

https://stefanbohacek.online/@stefan/116126040489956521

marius

@mariusor@metalhead.club · 2 hours ago

@stefan isn't a user's outbox the equivalent of a PDS?

Stefan Bohacek

@stefan@stefanbohacek.online · 2 hours ago

@mariusor Not quite.

Consider the example I shared. I can log into Bookhive with my single PDS account. It's not a separate account, like when I sign up for Mastodon and Bookwyrm.

And any app you log into can store its own data on your PDS, which also has your posting history, so you get a more complete migration, unlike with most fediverse platforms where you only get to keep your social graph.

So it's closer to something like this.

https://masto.ai/@cybeardjm/116568160004372835

marius

@mariusor@metalhead.club · 2 hours ago

@stefan I'm sorry, but it's the same. You're blinded by the use case that mastodon enshrined in the fediverse.

Instances do not need to be ActivityPub servers, but clients.

If a low resource server handles only the ActivityPub logic and everyone can set one up, and then Mastodon, Pixelfed, Bookwyrm, etc are only applications that the same user can log in to, and uses to generate activities it'll work fully like a PDS.

This is, in fact, what I'm working towards with #GoActivityPub and its reference server implementation #FedBOX.

Stefan Bohacek

@stefan@stefanbohacek.online · 2 hours ago

@mariusor Alright, let me step back.

You asked:

"isn't a user's outbox the equivalent of a PDS"

What you're describing makes sense. Create one ActivityPub account and log into Mastodon, Pixelfed, Bookwyrm with it.

Where does the data for each of these apps then live? On your ActivityPub server? Or the apps' own server?

If on your AP server, in your inbox/outbox, or whatever, then yes, that's essentially a PDS. Or ActivityPod, I suppose.

1+ more replies

Bull Miller

@Bull@fedi.muscled.xyz · 4 hours ago

@stefan it's honestly my favorite part of ATProto as a user. I really want that in the fediverse.

Stefan Bohacek

@stefan@stefanbohacek.online · 4 hours ago

@Bull Definitely!

DJM (freelance for hire)

@cybeardjm@masto.ai · 3 hours ago

@stefan @Bull It's been slowly (quietly?) developed for some time: it's called ActivityPods.
https://www.didiermary.fr/notes/activitypods/
But it's a small team...

Didier J. MARY (blog)

ActivityPods? - Didier J. MARY (blog)

ActivityPods brings together ActivityPub and Solid Pods, and empowers developers to create truly decentralized applications.

⁂