Dot Social Rediscovering the Magic of the Blogosphere, with John O’Nolan and Matthias Pfefferle
Jun 27, 2025
Join John O’Nolan, founder of Ghost, and Matthias Pfefferle, ActivityPub plugin developer, as they unpack the renaissance of the blogosphere. They dive deep into the challenges of formatting, identity, and interoperability in the evolving web landscape. The duo discusses the nostalgia for a decentralized internet and the role of long-form content in our digital future. They also explore innovative content-sharing protocols, the importance of collaborative efforts, and the need for a more engaging and community-driven online experience.
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The Lost Magic Of The Blogosphere
- John describes the old blogosphere as a decentralized, diverse community where people published and discovered each other via RSS and comments.
- He explains how Twitter and centralized platforms eroded that ecosystem and made personal sites feel lonely.
ActivityPub Makes A Blogosphere Revival Possible
- ActivityPub's maturation made reconnecting diverse blogs feasible in a standard, interoperable way.
- John says the timing finally feels right to revive a decentralized blogosphere using modern protocols.
Teach Users ActivityPub Is Not Cross-Posting
- Explain to users that ActivityPub makes a site its own account and not just cross-posting to other platforms.
- Encourage adopting the plugin because it connects to an existing social network without requiring matching plugins on other sites.