I paid people to try and follow my README

Developers suck at writing documentation. We like to say RTFM but often there ain't no FM to R. At best we have a half-arsed collection of notes, some obsolete tips, and a link to a desolate forum full of people asking the same questions again and again. That's no way to treat our users.

I naïvely believe there's a better way. As I've written before, you should sit down and actually test your readme. Spin up a fresh Virtual Machine, go through what you've written, and see if it makes sense.

But it is really hard to ignore your own biases. Of course you know that certain commands require sudo and obviously when you wrote -foo you meant --foo and everyone knows that you have to reboot afterwards.

How do you get rid of those biases? I paid people!

As part of my NLnet grant application for ActivityBot, I said I wanted to test the install experience with real users and I was prepared to pay them €25 for an hour of their time. I stuck out the call on Mastodon, gathered a few people, and had a video call with them.

The format was simple. I explained that I was looking for feedback on the first-run experience. I knew that it wasn't perfect and actively wanted constructive criticism. I asked the volunteer to share their screen and, crucially, to speak aloud. Tell me what they were doing. What they didn't understand, what confused them, what delighted them, what frustrated them, etc.

I took notes by hand (fuck feeding the machine) and spent several hours being told what incorrect assumptions I'd made.

Amongst the highlights I discovered were:

• The link to the demo tool was wrong.
• Some people read a README in the terminal.
• What does it actually mean to rename a file?
• How do you rename a hidden file?
• Should a demo tool be available on the web or just the user's local machine?
• Why does some text explicitly need to be quoted and some not?
• My jokes aren't funny and are actively confusing.
• Some of the technical terminology needed explaining.
• The ordering of the different sections was confusing.
• I hadn't actually explained what the software would do.
• A whole section which was technically interesting to me was utterly confusing to everyone else.
• Not all web servers use permissions in the same way.

And on it went!

After each session I updated the README based on what people found difficult, then I re-tested it with the next person.

In total, I paid out around €150 to have a bunch of people criticise me to my face. Hey, cheaper than therapy, right?

I know someone is going to say "why not just ask an LLM to simulate a range of users?" The answer is very simple - I want to speak to real people. People are brilliant! They can make you laugh, you can see their cat when it wanders on to the call, they bring a unique perspective to the problem, and they're really happy when you give them a €25 voucher. Some will gladly do it for free and make you happy!

When I was doing technical writing for GOV.UK, all my beautiful prose was given a second-eye by another human. They eviscerated all my flowery phrases and turned the document into something more readable. They were the ones who caught the mistakes that no spell chequer could. They were able to have a proper conversation with me. More importantly, I could hear the frustration in their voice - that's the thing which lets you know a mistake needs to be corrected.

I don't claim that ActivityBot's README is now perfect - far from it - but it is now demonstrably easier to follow. Developers need to talk to real people. You don't have to pay them if you can't afford it - but find a few people who will talk aloud while they try to follow your instructions. I guarantee you that your README will become much better for it.

Alt...

A tiny lego Storm Trooper eats a chocolate coin.

🆕 blog! “I paid people to try and follow my README”

Developers suck at writing documentation. We like to say RTFM but often there ain't no FM to R. At best we have a half-arsed collection of notes, some obsolete tips, and a link to a desolate forum full of people asking the same questions again and again. That's no way to treat our users.

I naïvely …

👀 Read more: https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/10/i-paid-people-to-try-and-follow-my-readme/
⸻
#ActivityBot #ActivityPub #developers

We are preparing a FEP for our Ephemeral Stories feature!

It's more than just a special followers only post that expires after 24 hours, we also support rich text overlays, hashtags, links and mentions that require proper implementation.

We've supported Stories for years, but only delivered to known Pixelfed servers, but that is going to change once we finish the v2 rollout!

Stay tuned.

#pixelfed #pixeldev #stories #fep #activityPub

#Relay #ActivityPub #open federated #public #free 🆓

https://relayap.com

Week in Fediverse 2026-10-09

Servers

- Hollo v0.9.22
- PieFed v1.8.0
- Mitra v5.11.0
- Mbin v1.11.0
- Catodon v26.10.0
- NeoDB v0.19.6.3
- NodeBB v4.16.2
- Lemmy Development Update September 2026

Clients

- Tusky v33.0
- Pachli v3.9.1
- IceCubesApp v2.1.4
- Summit v1.87.0
- Pixelfed Mobile App v2.0.0
- Aria v1.5.15

For developers

- Fedify security updates: 2.0.30, 2.1.26, 2.2.15, 2.3.10, and 2.4.0

Protocol

- FEP-4f18: ActivityPub Network Time

-----

#WeekInFediverse #Fediverse #ActivityPub

Previous edition: https://mitra.social/objects/01a0fe1a-a0fe-7d20-895a-b18c4561484c

To help with their Forkiverse experiment, the Search Engine/Hard Fork teams talked to two experts: @evan and @jaz. Listen to @mike's chats with them here:

https://flipboard.video/w/nLKq9MFfyMdLaqAmHtDUWj

https://flipboard.video/w/tqZTbSmU8vhSo37Lbtg8zS

#Fediverse #ActivityPub #DotSocial

And here's the episode of Search Engine where they talk about why the Forkiverse is ending — rising costs, lack of exciting content, and Russian propaganda infiltration.

https://www.searchengine.show/vladimir-putins-forkiverse

#Forkiverse #Fediverse #ActivityPub

At the beginning of this year, @kevin, @caseynewton and @pj launched a fediverse instance, The Forkiverse. Now, they're shutting it down. Here's PJ's conversation with @mike for #DotSocial about the experiment.

https://flipboard.video/w/oUB64gSmFcML4m4e86nw3z

#Fediverse #ActivityPub

Tijd voor taart en slingers. We hebben zojuist succesvol het account van @NRC gemigreerd van mastodon.nl naar onze eigen server nrc.social. Tegen de vrijwilligers achter mastodon.nl zeg ik: dank voor de goede zorgen! I'll take it from here. Overigens blijft het devies dat we klein beginnen. Ik zal verslag doen van de ervaringen. https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/10/08/zojuist-is-het-account-van-nrc-naar-de-eigen-server-verhuisd-a4938498
#mastodon #opensocials #NRCserver #taart #activitypub

Dear #Admins & #Developers of the #Fediverse,

ICYMI: #AgeVerification (and more) vs. the #Fediverse: How the EU #KidsAct challenges #Mastodon (& Co.)

must-read by @wintermeyer
→ https://www.heise.de/en/background/Age-verification-in-the-Fediverse-How-the-KIDS-Act-challenges-Mastodon-11474306.html

The EU Commission seeks feedback until ⏰️ 26 Nov. 2026:
→ https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-seeks-feedback-eu-kids-act

cc @fediforum @ @teamtoot @admin @itteam @dansup @fed.brid.gy @fediway

#Fediforum #Fediadmin #Fedikirche #FediLZ #Fediday #OpenSocialWeb #Loops #Pixelfed #ActivityPub #CivicTech

Linux Magazine talked to us about how and why we build Bonfire.

What we want next is "not a bigger Bonfire, but a network of cooperatives covering the whole supply chain of a community's digital space", who "do it together" rather than leave you to "do it yourself".

Because "federation, we don't see it as just a technical thing. We see it as a social, economic, and political tool as well."

Link: Supporting the Social Web: How the Fediverse Found Parts for Its Platforms

Also happy to spread the love for @coopcloud@social.coop, @coquest@social.coop, @SocialCoop@social.coop and more, check out the links at the end of the article! Thanks to @horncologne@fosstodon.org for a lovely conversation, and @linuxmagazine@fosstodon.org for publishing it, in a piece that also features the great @cwebber@social.coop and @tsyesika@mastodon.nu from @spritely@social.coop.

#fediverse #ActivityPub #opensource #freesoftware #OpenCooperativeEcosystem #OpenScienceNetwork

Чудова подія 😎
Міст між VIR.GROUP і Threads працює 🌉
Через протокол ActivityPub ви можете підписуватись на акаунти з мережі Threads просто з нашої платформи. Щоб знайти їх, введіть у пошук слово threads.
Якщо когось не видно, це може бути через налаштування приватності профілю або обмеження на рівні законодавства, наприклад у країнах ЄС.
#ActivityPub #Fediverse #Threads #VIRGROUP

1,489 accounts identified as participating in spam and scam activity — along with accounts that actively promote, defend, or amplify them.

Save as a CSV file, for example, block.csv, import (upload) the file, and merge it with your current block list.

https://gitlab.com/Fediverse-Express/Fediverse/-/blob/main/block_spam_scam_users.csv?ref_type=heads&plain=1

This post should be self-explanatory, but for a more exhaustive outline, see: https://fairy.id/@Linux/117385319051532229

#Spam #Scam #Fraud #FediBlock #FediAdmin #MastoAdmin #Mastodon #Misskey #Fediverse #ActivityPub

OK, who are the experts on #DistributedSystems on the #Fediverse? There is a new #FEP for implementing a scalar #LogicalClock in #ActivityPub, #FEP4f18.

I'm especially interested in mitigations for Byzantine faults in the system; right now, it's kind of hand-wavy based on value and trust heuristics:

https://fediverse.codeberg.page/fep/fep/4f18/

Let's take a moment to explore the concept of my block list.

"Billy Bob" is like:

> "I like child porn and share photos and videos of child porn."

So naturally, Billy Bob ends up on the block list. But along comes "Mary Sue," and she is like:

> "I support Billy Bob, and I am going to like, share, and boost Billy Bob's post."

So naturally, Mary Sue ends up on the block list. Then along comes "John Doe," and he is like:

> "It is completely unfair of you to add Mary Sue to your block list! Mary Sue is not Billy Bob — and so what if she is liking, sharing, and boosting Billy Bob's child porn post? I do not believe anyone should use your block list, and I insist that people should block you instead."

A wise person sees the problem and knows why all of these people are now on the block list, and why anyone who claims the block list is unfair should also be on the block list. No one should be defending child porn, nor the individuals who like, share, and boost child porn posts, nor should they come to the defense of such individuals while denouncing both the block list and its creator.

I am applying this exact same logic to spammers and scammers. It is not a hard concept to understand, and it is not unfair either — unless you are pro-spammer and pro-scammer.

(Speaking personally, I see scammers as just as bad as pedophiles, because they too often prey upon the weak, vulnerable, and defenseless. Scammers are known to target the young, the elderly, and the disabled.)

https://gitlab.com/Fediverse-Express/Fediverse/-/blob/main/block_spam_scam_users.csv?ref_type=heads&plain=1

#Spam #Scam #Fraud #FediAdmin #MastoAdmin #Pedophiles #pedophile #FediBlock #Fediverse #ActivityPub #BlockList

@evgandr

I am glad you find my list useful. You're not the only one — there are many.

The big problem here on the Fedi is that it reminds me of the historical build-up to World War II. Before things turned violent in Germany, but when the climate was already bad, people were too fearful to speak the truth out of fear of retaliation.

On the Fediverse, I receive many messages from people acknowledging that the scam group, gaza "verified," is spammy and scammy. But it has become "taboo" to say that out loud because the group has 357 members, plus their dummy accounts and friends, who are never shy about attacking people or dog-piling on them.

They've weaponized!

So, of course, I am going to include the individuals who also promote them, share their spam, and defend them. If you don't want the spam, why would anyone want the people sharing the spam and defending the spam. It is the logical choice!

It is laughable that they claim that's crossing a line.

I use FediLab too (see URL). If I have to self-host this in the future, I may.

https://gitlab.com/Fediverse-Express/Fediverse

#Spam #Scam #Fediverse #MastoAdmin #FediAdmin #FediBlock #ActivityPub

@LinuxBSD

Pixelfed is not for sale. It never was.

I've turned down 6 and 7 figure offers, and I'd do it again tomorrow. Some things matter more than a beach and a Peach Bellini.

We're building something generational here. Something that outlives us if we get it right.

100M+ people. Ethically sustainable. Admins and creators get paid.

You deserve better, and we're going to build it together.

#activityPub #fediverse #together #notForSale

Fediverse Software Distribution (from https://fedidb.com)

#fediverse #activityPub #fediDB

Alt...

Fediverse Software Distribution

The Fediverse - a platform that rules them all

hyperblog.de/hoergen/en/posts/…
#demhoergen #hyperblog #fediverse #mastodon #friendica #activitypub #digital sovereignty #data protection #decentralization

An assessment framework for management and decision-makers - why the Fediverse answers the strategic question of the communication platform anew and which criteria really matter.

Das Fediverse - eine Plattform die alles beherrscht

hyperblog.de/hoergen/posts/202…
#demhoergen #hyperblog #fediverse #mastodon #friendica #activitypub #digitalesouveränität #datenschutz #dezentralisierung

Ein Prüfrahmen für Management und Entscheider - warum das Fediverse die strategische Frage der Kommunikationsplattform neu beantwortet und welche Kriterien wirklich zählen.

Alt...

Fediverse Logo

1,467 accounts spreading spam or participating in scams, along with the people who promote, defend, or otherwise amplify their existence on the Fediverse.

Save as a CSV file, for example, block.csv, import (upload) the file, and merge it with your current block list.

https://gitlab.com/Fediverse-Express/Fediverse/-/blob/main/block_spam_scam_users.csv?ref_type=heads&plain=1

#Spam #Scam #Fraud #FediBlock #FediAdmin #MastoAdmin #Mastodon #Misskey #Fediverse #ActivityPub

Of all the ActivityPub servers that have ever been publicly available, how many do you think are still up today?

#EvanPoll #poll #fediverse #activitypub #sustainability

Week in Fediverse 2026-10-02

Servers

- PeerTube v8.3.1
- Hollo v0.9.20
- Mastodon v4.7.3
- Ibis v0.3.4
- Wafrn v2026.10.01
- Hometown v1.3.0
- Misskey v2026.10.0
- NeoDB v0.19.5
- Hatsu v0.3.5
- Wanderer v0.21.0

Clients

- Pachli v3.9.0
- Fedilab v3.45.0
- chan-fe v0.4.0
- PeerTube Mobile v2.3.0

For developers

- Fedify v2.4.0
- activitypub-federation-rust v0.6.6
- Fedipub v0.10.0

Protocol

- FEP-070c: Block synchronization across servers
- FEP-302f: QuantPub — federated personal metrics for quantified-self sharing
- FEP-6757: Content License Metadata in ActivityPub

Articles

- Why Does Nobody Use Lemmy?
- Fediverse News – Summer 2026

-----

#WeekInFediverse #Fediverse #ActivityPub

Previous edition: https://mitra.social/objects/01a0dbf1-5095-74a1-b198-2872b783a198

@dansup @hongminhee I made a PR that I think captures all the errors you two reported.

https://codeberg.org/fediverse/fep/pulls/943

I thought I'd be able to slip it into the original PR, but @FenTiger landed the original really quickly. 🙏🏼

#FEP #ActivityPub #CreativeCommons #licensing

https://fediverse.info/why

#fediverse #socialWeb #activityPub

Alt...

A network one company owns can be sold, shut down or turned against the people who built their lives on it. A network nobody owns can't.

Nobody owns email. Nobody should own your social life either.

When you want to show someone why they should join the fediverse, show them this:

https://fediverse.info/why

#fediverse #activitypub

I finally created a #FEP for using #CreativeCommons licenses (and other licenses) in #ActivityPub.

https://codeberg.org/fediverse/fep/pulls/939

Blocks on the fediverse have a consistency problem.

When a Block or Undo Block gets lost between servers, the two sides quietly disagree about who blocked whom. Sometimes that means a blocked account can still reach you.

Our fix, FEP-070c: Block synchronization across servers, is now accepted as a draft. Pixelfed is the first implementation, merged and shipping in our next release.

https://codeberg.org/fediverse/fep/src/branch/main/fep/070c/fep-070c.md

#pixelfed #pixeldev #activityPub #fediverse

Pixelfed has never federated Blocks, which can cause some issues, so we came up with a Block Synchronization FEP that is heavily inspired by the Mastodon Follower Collection Sync FEP!

Blocks will soon federate, and Pixelfed will be the first implementation to support this Block Sync FEP.

PR: https://github.com/pixelfed/pixelfed/pull/7583

#pixelfed #blockSynchronization #activitypub #fep

Wrote and submitted my first FEP!

FEP-070c: Block synchronization across servers

Just wrapping up the implementation in Pixelfed as we speak.

https://github.com/pixelfed/pixelfed/pull/7583

#pixelfed #blockSync #fep #activityPub

The wanderer app is now in public beta for iOS and Android!

Your self-hosted trail database, in your pocket:
- Find trails across federated instances
- Plan routes on the map
- Record hikes with GPS, no network needed
- Download map regions for offline use
- Turn-by-turn navigation, even offline
- Recordings sync as soon as you're back in range

Admins: the app needs the v0.21.0-app images. Setup guide: https://wanderer.to/run/backend-configuration/mobile-app

It's a beta, so expect rough edges and always carry a backup map. Install via TestFlight, Google Play or APK:
https://wanderer.to/app

#wanderer #selfhosted #hiking #FOSS #ActivityPub #fediverse #OpenStreetMap

Alt...

wanderer app map screen

Hashtag following also allow URLs to RSS feeds of ActivityPub objects (like e.g. https://mastodon.social/tags/ThankYouTuesday).

Users can now configure a webhook to receive an HTTP POST for every notification. This can be useful for implementing bots that react to activities, like autorepliers, chatbots or interactive textual games (see snac(1) for more information).

The number of pending follow confirmations is shown next to the "people" link.

Faster performance metrics (contributed by dandelions).

Improved lowercasing in hashtags (contributed by postscriptum).

A search-by-url tweak for implementations that return 200 for invalid webfinger queries (e.g. piefed).

Mastodon API: added follow confirmation endpoints, fixed collisions in attachment file names.

Fixed potential crashes in attachment uploads.

https://comam.es/what-is-snac

If you find #snac useful, please consider buying grunfink a coffee or contributing via LiberaPay.

#snacAnnounces #FrugalFediverse

Notifications are now shown in a more compact way (i.e. all reactions are shown just above your post, instead of repeating the post ad nauseam for every reaction).

New command-line option unmute to, well, no-longer-mute an actor.

The private timeline now includes an approximate mark between new posts and "already seen" ones.

Fixed a spurious 404 error in the instance root URL for some configurations.

https://comam.es/what-is-snac

If you find #snac useful, please consider contributing via LiberaPay: https://liberapay.com/grunfink/

#snacAnnounces

This release has been inspired by the song The Answers to the Questions by #Christabell and #DavidLynch.