Connection to Mastodon & Co.: NodeBB forum software connected to Fediverse
Internet forums can be operated with NodeBB. After the latest update, they can be opened directly for Fediverse and communicate with Mastodon, for example.
The announcement as a post on Mastodon
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Following the latest update to version 4.0.0, NodeBB's forum software is now automatically connected to the so-called Fediverse, allowing users to interact directly with accounts on Mastodon. This was announced by one of the founders of NodeBB in the in-house forum, and the post was commented on dozens of times via Mastodon. According to Julian Lam, he had the idea to connect the forum software in the summer of 2023, and a Dutch non-profit organization made the relatively quick implementation financially possible. Anyone running a forum with NodeBB can activate the connection to Fediverse after updating to the latest version; in newly created forums, it is set by default – but can be deactivated.
Not a one-way street
Lam actually only wanted to ensure that forums operated with NodeBB could be connected to each other in order to enable comprehensive communication. However, when he became aware of Mastodon and the ActivityPub protocol on which the Fediverse is based, he decided to open it up much further. The connection to the Fediverse is now a core function of NodeBB, with which the operator goes even further than the competition at Discourse. Forums operated there can be connected to Fediverse via a plug-in. Lam points out that opening up to Mastodon, for example, does not achieve much on its own; interaction with the accounts there is important. This is now possible directly from NodeBB.
Videos by heise
Fediverse is a network of independent platforms that are connected via ActivityPub. The largest and best-known service in the Fediverse is still Mastodon, but there are platforms that are working on a connection and could overtake the short message service. For example, the news app Flipboard is to be fully integrated into the Fediverse, and the first steps have already been taken. Threads from Meta is also to receive a full connection, but the first small steps towards this have only been taken outside Europe so far. Ghost is another blogging platform that is moving into the Fediverse. The Instagram alternative Pixelfed has only recently become very popular.
(mho)
