So, given WP is willing to sell all its users down the river for some quick "AI" buzz, what fedi-enabled alternatives exist for human-centric websites?
-
@haverholm I'm glad you asked because I was wondering the same thing. Yesterday I posted about how infuriating it was to spend hours doing normal tasks and after I finally got a blog post up, Wordpress sent me a questionnaire asking how they could improve it. I told them to get rid of AI and read Ed Zitron and Cory Doctorow. Or I suggested they offer the old non-AI version as a option. Here's something I wrote about AI:
proustsaidthat.blog/2025/05/11the-microsoft-doom-loop/@nspsegal I think there's a slash missing in your URL: https://proustsaidthat.blog/2025/05/11/the-microsoft-doom-loop/ Giving it a read now.
-
@julian Could be. How far along is their fediverse implementation?
Also, do you have experience migrating large-ish sites from one to the other? Because I'm involved with one group blog that would need to have 15 years or so worth of posts and podcast series moved from an ancient WP install...
-
@nspsegal I think there's a slash missing in your URL: https://proustsaidthat.blog/2025/05/11/the-microsoft-doom-loop/ Giving it a read now.
@nspsegal Not a bad piece. I try to avoid Microsoft as much as possible, but they deliver infrastructure for my day job. It has been so depressing to follow how they just forced Copilot on *their paying customers*.
Suddenly the entire educational institution has implemented guidelines and advice on how students and staff can use "AI" in their work. Not guidelines *against* it, because it has been normalised through the software the workplace provides.
See also https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-destroying-the-university-and-learning-itself
-
@nspsegal Not a bad piece. I try to avoid Microsoft as much as possible, but they deliver infrastructure for my day job. It has been so depressing to follow how they just forced Copilot on *their paying customers*.
Suddenly the entire educational institution has implemented guidelines and advice on how students and staff can use "AI" in their work. Not guidelines *against* it, because it has been normalised through the software the workplace provides.
See also https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-destroying-the-university-and-learning-itself
@nspsegal Me, I dodge the bullet by using Linux and open source software. So far, LibreOffice hasn't drunk the "AI" kool aid.
Wordpress straying down that path is not a great sign of things to come, but I remain hopeful of a not entirely idiotic future.
-
@haverholm @julian
It's indeed usable as CMS. There's of course not that supply of themes and fancy stuff like for WP. -
@haverholm @julian
It's indeed usable as CMS. There's of course not that supply of themes and fancy stuff like for WP. -
@haverholm @julian
I saw some amazing sites people have built on their Hubs.BTW ... what is the magic that this thread is located in the activitypub.space #nodebb forum? Didn't the conversation start with a common Mastodon post?
-
@haverholm @julian
I saw some amazing sites people have built on their Hubs.BTW ... what is the magic that this thread is located in the activitypub.space #nodebb forum? Didn't the conversation start with a common Mastodon post?
-
@haverholm @julian
Indeed it is. Viva La Föderation!
-
-
-
@woe2you LOL, yeah. I know the block editor was what launched ClassicPress to begin with!
I'll be honest, part of me would've probably forked WP before v3, when it was just a lean little blog engine. @davidgerard
This is my platonic ideal of a WP install file, courtesy of the Internet Archive's Wayback machine.
I wish somebody would just fork at this version, only implementing security updates between then and now.
@woe2you @davidgerard -
-
@julian One thing confuses me a bit. Registration for NodeBB works just locally (with Email, Github, Google etc.) and creates a new AP handle, right? Not by use of your existing one. That's just in use by following the forums' categories.
@haverholm -
@julian I saw there exists a YunoHost package and of course now I want to run a node. I just have to figure out my ressources. They say it eats up to 1.5GB RAM. o.O
But won't that be much lower with the very few people on board which are to expect? Or will nodebb reserve the memory? -
@nspsegal I think there's a slash missing in your URL: https://proustsaidthat.blog/2025/05/11/the-microsoft-doom-loop/ Giving it a read now.
@haverholm Apologies for the typo. The weird thing is that lately I haven't been able to cut and paste things between one site and another. I don't know what that's about.
-
@nspsegal Me, I dodge the bullet by using Linux and open source software. So far, LibreOffice hasn't drunk the "AI" kool aid.
Wordpress straying down that path is not a great sign of things to come, but I remain hopeful of a not entirely idiotic future.
@haverholm Unfortunately, I'm not tech savvy, and I rely on my IT person's advice. From what I can tell, Libre Office has incorporated Apple's old Pages program, and that has taken on AI. However, Microsoft has now added a button to undo the AI function. I guess scathing critiques are useful.
-
@nspsegal Me, I dodge the bullet by using Linux and open source software. So far, LibreOffice hasn't drunk the "AI" kool aid.
Wordpress straying down that path is not a great sign of things to come, but I remain hopeful of a not entirely idiotic future.
I have this fantasy that all the unemployed brilliant tech people will join forces and create better options...
-
@haverholm Apologies for the typo. The weird thing is that lately I haven't been able to cut and paste things between one site and another. I don't know what that's about.
@nspsegal No worries, I found it easily enough.
I've had similar issues copy/pasting recently. Don't know if it's some security sandboxing of the clipboard that's acting up?
And the follow issue was easily fixed! Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login