Software Engineering Radio - the podcast for professional software developers
SE Radio 657: Hong Minhee on ActivityPub and the Fediverse
Feb 27, 2025
Hong Minhee, an open source developer behind the Fedify ActivityPub library, dives into the intricacies of the ActivityPub protocol and the expansive Fediverse. They discuss the fascinating interoperability of microblogging apps like Mastodon and Threads and the challenges these platforms face. The conversation also covers the complexities of JSON-LD, the semantic web’s role in improving data accessibility, and innovations for decentralized messaging. Finally, Minhee highlights the vibrant development community in Asia and practical applications of Fedify in app development.
40:09
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Quick takeaways
- ActivityPub facilitates cross-platform interactions in the Fediverse, allowing users on different applications to engage seamlessly through common activities.
- Implementing ActivityPub presents challenges, notably with JSON-LD complexity and scaling issues related to communication among a large number of users.
Deep dives
Understanding ActivityPub and the Fediverse
ActivityPub is a protocol enabling interoperability among various social networks, facilitating interactions between them. This protocol underpins the concept of the Fediverse, where platforms like Mastodon and PixelFed, operate together despite differing functionalities. For instance, Mastodon functions similarly to Twitter, allowing users to follow and communicate across different platforms, while PixelFed offers a photo-sharing experience akin to Instagram. The adoption of ActivityPub extends to other applications as well, such as Miski and Lemmy, which cater to microblogging and content aggregation, respectively.
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