matgb | Dreaming in digital

So, I've mentioned previously the Dreamwidth project, taking a fork of the LJ code, going back to first principles, and building a really good blogging/feedreading/social media platform out of the nascent ideas that LJ had but never did well, right?

I've also, previously to that, talked about other alternative platforms, specifically trying to build a distributed platform with the social/privacy features of LJ but without the reliance on one centralised point of failure. The specific idea being to try to Reclaim the Web.

our sort of blogging

Well, I never did get that project going. Partially because, well, it was fairly reliant on a few other individuals. All of whom are involved in Dreamwidth. All of whom share the idea of a distributed social model for our sort of blogging, a way to write about whatever you like, keep in touch with friends, but be able to interact with others on other sites easily and effectively, and crucuailly allow them to interact with you.

Dreamwidth is doing all that.

The Friends Page is replaced

But more importantly, they've taken so many little annoyances or stupidities out of LJ and replaced them with something that makes sense. The Friends Page has gone, it's a Reading Page. If you add someone to your friends page, you subscribe to them. You might also want to Grant Access to your privacy enabled posts, or you might not. Essentially, find someone interesting, follow them for a bit, learn to trust them, you can grant them access. Meaning I can follow the execrable

j_rentoul's outpourings but not let him read my private thoughts.

OpenID actually works!

OpenID is substantially improved. You can tie an OpenID to your DW account if you've got one, and you can use your OpenID to control any syndicated feeds from any sites you've got (so LJers can turn off comments to the Dreamwidth feed of their stuff if they want, which is good). Well, you'll be able to anyway, that's not quite working yet.

easiest backup I've ever done

Most importantly, the import feature isn't finished yet. It's still the easiest backup of everything I've ever done—all my stuff from LJ is over there, including my icons, filters, bio, etc.

So, even though I still hope to set up my own server running the code eventually, I'll wait until the code is in a proper release model to do it first. In the meantime, I'll be going there properly as soon as they've finished a few features.

I won't be leaving here

Most importantly, I'll be going there, but I won't be leaving here. They're building a cross poster, so when I write a post there, it'll turn up here. You'll be able to follow links there and comment there using your LJ ID without problems, and I'll still be reading everything here.

Basically, it looks damn cool. It's what LJ should already be, and they've not finished yet.

Interested? ~~First person to click this can use my last invite code~~ Gone to

akicif. I'll ~~likely~~almost certainly get more.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Didn't expect the link to be still valid, but it worked! Cheers....

Damn you!

They're giving priority on codes to people who've already used all theirs up—I have now used all mine, so I might get more.

Alternatively, make sure you've got an OpenID over there with a valid email address, they're giving out about 5 per day to OpenID users.

Thanks for the tip, just signed up with OpenID.

Let's see how this works, I'm basically looking for a public and parent-friendly blog that doesn't include stuff I don't want them to read.
I've looked at blogger etc. and didn't really like any of them so something based on something familiar with more elegant features sounds just like what I want.

OpenID users are invited at a rate of more like 50-100 at this point.

Um, yeah. I typed 50. I'm sure I typed 50. I meant to type 50. Ah well.

Ooooh! I think at one point it was closer to 5 a day, but things move so fast sometimes it's hard to keep up.

You have to sign up with OpenID? I thought if you were signed into a site with it then you could use it. Not true?

I love DW's access options. First I've seen them in use. Kind of a grownup approach.

You have to login to a site using your OpenID, and for a number of reasons they normally want you to confirm the email address you've given is correct, after that you can use it fine.

But yeah, it's good, much better implementation than the LJ beta implement, which they've never done anything to since it was first launched.

I'm still lost...

Let's say I'm logged into LJ and visit another site supporting OpenID. I assumed to log into the other site, I'd enter stillcarl.livejournal.com (or perhaps with the full URL). That right so far?

But there's also a request for my email address? If so, who's asking for it - LJ or the other site?

My one and only attempt to use OpenID is described here...

enter stillcarl.livejournal.com (or perhaps with the full URL). That right so far?

Yes--you shouldn't need the http bit but sometimes the site has a bad configuration, some sites now have drop downs for common OpenID providers, so you just enter your username, which is handy.

When they're asking for email address, it'll be the other site--a lot of sites need to be able to have an email address on file. OpenID 2 allows for auto discovery of that and asks your permission before giving it. LJ, despite being first to implement OpenID, never upgraded afterwards, so we're still on OpenID 0.9 I think, no auto discovery.

Dreamwidth and Google Friends Connect seem to ahve the best implementations of the idea I've seen, DW is really pushing to make OpenID user friendly as they're going to keep invite codes for a long time but want people to still be able to interact with LJ friends.

Gotry logging in at DW and playing around--if there are problems, they'd like to know about them, closed beta is just that.

Commented on your DW journal here and it worked fine. LJ said it would share public info with DW. I assumed that was FOAF, which on checking doesn't seem to contain my email, though that doesn't mean LJ didn't share it with DW. Of course, they could use my LJ email address, not the one I signed up with. But who knows?

Works nicely, anyway.

Good good. I replied there, but you won't have got an email, LJ really doesn't give over much data, and FOAF isn't part of the OpenID spec (it's part of Open Social, but that's different).

So to get DW emails and a possible invite code, you need to validate your email address there, if you're not bothered about that not a problem.

Ah - an email for replies to comments makes sense.

I'm not after an invite code though, as I'm planning to be a paid user.

My next one has your name on it ;)

:o)

Heh, you got to the post a few seconds after I hit submit, it was gone while I was still editing for typos.

Is this something that you need to host, or can you just sign in and run it?

(Dunno if that makes sense, it's been a loooong day and my brain cells are fried.)

D'oh, forgot the link. Both or either. Former LJ staffers have their own server all set up and running—when the codebase is ready, they'll release it and anyone could install it, but you'd need a lot of resources.

Better to just sign up on their site.

Also? Y'know that exception for JournalFen in MQ? I reckon you'll need it for DW as well.

Alright! I'll scout out for a code, then.

I reckon you'll need it for DW as well.
Mmmhmmmm. That's a bridge I'll cross when we get to it.

Add me to the queue of people looking for a code...

This sounds good. Thanks for keepnig us informed.

Looks interesting. But I doubt I'll leave LJ unless and until I'm pushed. Not that I even post much anymore anyway.

-x-

I'm dipping my toes into DreamWidth at present. It's nice. It's really nice. I can use this.

Sounds interesting.

How easy is it to set up feeds? both from LJ and other journals?

Very, and from what I understand they're (sensibly) keeping that an option for any account, including OpenID accounts (so a Blogspot user could login with OpenID and create the feed for example).

Cool o, I'll be keeping my eye on this then.

Dreaming in digital

our sort of blogging

The Friends Page is replaced

OpenID actually works!

easiest backup I've ever done

I won't be leaving here

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