Login
You're viewing the front-end.social public feed.
  • Oct 25, 2026, 4:57 PM

    Here's a conceptual programming question for you:

    If I have a static site generator, can I make it federated..? :anime_huh:

    I mean, I think you can set up an RSS feed so that the feed is updated when the site is updated.

    Could that be federated? Tied to a federated platform to handle the dynamic aspects, maybe..?

    I ask, because when people were asking about better "web comic" platforms, some of the stuff they asked for were my reason for making "LunaGen" for my landing site for serial episode content.

    Could it be federated? Does that even make sense? Would I lose the benefits of a static website? 🤔 :raccoon_cool:

    #Programming #Fediverse #ActivityPub #StaticSiteGenerator

    💬 4🔄 9⭐ 1

Replies

  • Oct 25, 2026, 5:10 PM

    @TerryHancock I think that you will need some kind of small server to ingest the RSS feed and push it. However it's been a while since I looked into it and I don't remember the details. I guess you should probably wait for replies from people who actually know what they're talking about haha

    💬 0🔄 0⭐ 0
  • Oct 25, 2026, 5:48 PM

    @TerryHancock

    We recently set up @SkepticalScience to follow our RSS and post here. It was a snap even for low-grade mental material me. :-)

    As @alter_kaker says, somekind of little platform will be needed. Or for that matter it could be a little thing that runs when you open your laptop.

    [see docs on Mastodon API, docs.joinmastodon.org/api/ as well as some examples to be found, such as this all-BASH arrangement gist.github.com/matthewp/74f76 ]

    💬 0🔄 0⭐ 0
  • 💬 0🔄 0⭐ 0
  • Oct 25, 2026, 6:04 PM

    @TerryHancock RSS can be a static file, and for a SSG it would make the most sense for it to be a static file.

    There are no dynamic aspects, and it is already federated, in the sense the WWW is.

    You could imagine (and I have created) a centralized site that mixes together other people's RSS feeds into one combined html/RSS feed. But that is not federation, it is an RSS client web app.

    💬 1🔄 0⭐ 0
  • Oct 25, 2026, 7:42 PM

    @mcc
    Yes, that's a good point about RSS.

    I think federated features (such as comment threads) would have to be dynamic -- perhaps handled by a separate server affiliated with the site.

    I'm wondering if this is the niche that customizable servers like "Streams" or "Emissary" is targeting? Or perhaps it could just post to a small server, like GoToSocial or SNAC? IDK. 🤔

    💬 0🔄 0⭐ 0
  • Oct 25, 2026, 6:18 PM

    Being a “good neighbor” small website might be enough. What do you want your server to store and what do you want other servers to be able to see?

    (I think RSS is plenty for a small website. Add a Fediverse handle for the site author/moderator/human host, and lots more is possible. Speaking from the old blog days, hosting other people’s comments is a whole social job.)

    @TerryHancock

    💬 0🔄 0⭐ 0