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My solution to information providers shutting down access is to have at least two providers for everything if I can. So my website will have 5 ways to get static map images, 3 different ways to look up an address from coordinates, and 2 different ways to get current weather. Too much?

Version 2.0 of the Micropub Plugin Released

At the Indieweb Summit in June, someone said something to me that made me decide to embark on a major rewrite of the Micropub endpoint for WordPress.

For those of you not familiar with it, Micropub is a standard that allows for you to publish to a website.

The major work on this actually finished in August, but due to some bug issues, most of them in the accompanying IndieAuth plugin, that affected some of the testers, I held off on releasing the plugin till today. If there is anyone still experiencing issues, please open an issue on the Micropub plugin Github repository.

The core functionality of the plugin remains the same, as does much of the original code. So, what changed?

  • The plugin is no longer a single file. The code that handles the endpoint, the code that handles authorization, and the code that handles rendering are now separated.
  • The code no longer works outside of WordPress.
  • The original design didn’t log the user into WordPress. It determined which user was supposed to be represented and posted as them. If it couldn’t figure out what user was represented, it posted it anyway, which is no longer permitted.  The new version is much better integrated into the WordPress stack, which admittedly revealed some new login issues.
  • The Micropub endpoint is now implemented using the WordPress REST API functionality. Again, this means that it is implemented inside functionality built into WordPress for creating custom endpoints as opposed to the previous system, where a query variable bypassed the WordPress load and substituted a separate one. It also has the positive advantage of a pretty permalink for the endpoint(wp-json/micropub/1.0/endpoint).
  • Dozens of little bugfixes and checks to remove nagging error notices
  • Improved error handling
  • Fixes to better comply with the Micropub spec, which was finalized after the initial creation of this plugin
  • A nag for those who use the plugin on a site without encryption(http as opposed to https). It can be disabled if you want to live dangerously.

And only one major new feature. A media endpoint. A media endpoint handles uploading of media files and hands back a URL to the Micropub endpoint. This one uploads to the WordPress Media Library.

The Post Kinds update last week already ensured that Post Kinds will work well with the changes.

 


This is a test episode of An Indieweb Podcast(working title). In it, Chris Aldrich and I talk about a variety of Indieweb topics, with the theme of Considering the User, inspired by an article we were reading.

Part of this is an opportunity to improve audio post presentation on my website, so you will see audio posts improve over time.

Episode 1 – Leaving Facebook for What?

This second episode was originally recorded in March, abruptly ended, and then was not completed until April due scheduling. In it, Chris and I discuss the hot topic of Facebook scandals and where you might go if you decide to leave Facebook.

Show Notes

The originating articles that kicked off the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica issue:

 

Other related articles:

Recent Documented Facebook Quitters:

Jonathan LaCour: https://cleverdevil.io/2018/ive-officially-deleted-my-facebook-account-and

Eddie Hinkle: https://eddiehinkle.com/2018/03/22/5/article/

Natalie Wolchover: https://twitter.com/nattyover/status/975711260221362177

New York Times Profile of multiple quitters: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/21/technology/users-abandon-facebook.html

IndieWeb Wiki related pages of interest here:

Potential simple places to move to when leaving Facebook

 

Sebastian Greger’s Privacy policy: https://sebastiangreger.net/privacy-policy/

Mastodon not supporting Webmention specification: https://github.com/tootsuite/mastodon/issues/6074#issuecomment-378452136

Episode 2 – Explaining IndieAuth and other Developments

In this third episode of An IndieWeb Podcast, I invited Chris to discuss my project of the last few months, the IndieAuth endpoints for WordPress, and some related Micropub work I’ve been doing, and some other ideas, and try to teach him about IndieAuth, so far as I understand it.

 

WordPress Plugin for IndieAuth

Related IndieWeb Wiki Pages

Micropub Apps Mentioned in the episode

 

PESOS – Post Elsewhere, Syndicate to your Own Site

POSSE – Post on your Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere

Closing discussion of IndieWeb Readers and MicroSub Pieces

Episode 3: Syndication

This podcast is partly being used to develop Indieweb podcasting tools for WordPress. As a result, it will get better each time I post. At the time of this post, there was no direct download option being generated, so if there is one here now, I’ve upgraded. Also, duration is missing. But unlike previous episodes, the system will now autogenerate the enclosure for RSS feeds, so you can subscribe. 

The current podcast feed on this site can be found in a variety of ways.

  •  Audio Posts on this Site – This is a feed of all my audio posts.
  • An Indieweb Podcast  – I have something called Series on my site, so this is the feed for this as a series. I probably should have a feed called Podcast.

Co-Host: Chris Aldrich of Boffosocko.com

Show Notes

Facebook has announced ending publishing by API…and David is thinking about what it means for the community and his current project.

History:

ThinkUP from Anil Dash and Gina Trapani ultimately died trying to fight the API wars with various social silos. They spent all their time trying to keep up with no guarantee that the silos would cooperate. All their engineering resources were spent trying to keep up instead of innovating on a stable platform.

Related IndieWeb wiki pages

WordPress Plugins:

Episode 4: Webmentions and Privacy

This week, Chris Aldrich and I got together a bit late…so I was a bit more quiet than normal.

With the GDPR regulations coming into effect in Europe May 25th, privacy seems to be on everyone’s mind. This week, we tackle what webmentions are, using them for backfeed, and the privacy implications.

Related IndieWeb wiki pages

 

Episode 5: Indieweb Summit and More

With the Indieweb Summit coming up, we should discuss what the Summit is like, community and how to participate, etc.

 

Links

  • Do I know anyone interested in building #indieweb tech or federated services? I’m having trouble conceptualizing some things without having people to bounce ideas off of. https://twitter.com/davidlaietta/status/995485455675162626 That’s what this is all about! I have always been an outsider to that community and want to find good ways to enter and get involved, but I am also trying to find ways to make ActivityPub based projects more accessible to the average web user.
Episode 6: WordPress and Types of Posts

In this episode, Chris and I discuss how Post Kinds mapped Indieweb types of posts to the WordPress system and why, the defined as opposed to implied types set up, and avatars.

While this is very WordPress centric, there are a lot of discussions here relevant to a broader Indieweb audience about adding new types of posts to your site, trying to design things flexibly(although a developer’s guide is probably needed), etc.

Episode 7: The Reverse Salmention

In this last episode before Chris Aldrich and I head to the Indieweb Summit in Portland, Oregon, he and I discuss my continual messing up of people’s Indieweb experience, little things I’ve hidden in plugins, web-signin vs IndieAuth, etc.

We’re both looking forward to seeing those of you who can join us in Portland.

Episode 8: Interflux

In this episode, Chris and I recap our takeaways and stories from the Indieweb Summit 2018 last month in Portland, Oregon, discuss Microsub, Vouch, and other ideas.

Episode 10 – The Thrilla in Manilla

October 1st will be the 43 anniversary of the Ali/Frazer fight. I spent a month in Manila and the title was suggested by Chris as appropriate.

In this week’s episode, we discussed new developments in WordPress and what I’ve wanted to accomplish for all these years in the Indieweb community. The ability to read something on my phone, store it on my website to either share or just save, as appropriate.

We discussed recent projects I’d worked on, such as the Micropub plugin, client discovery in IndieAuth, Post Kinds, etc.