Web developer Casey Kolderup has launched Postmarks, a new social bookmarking service built on the fediverse, the decentralized network that includes Mastodon and other social networks. Unlike its predecessors, Postmarks is designed for the open web and allows users to save and annotate their favorite links, and share them with their followers on Postmarks as well as other federated social networks.
Key Takeaway
Postmarks is a new social bookmarking service built on the fediverse that enables users to save, annotate, and share links with followers. It embraces the concept of federation, allowing users to curate their collections and share them across multiple social networks. With its minimalistic interface and self-hosted nature, Postmarks offers users greater control over their data and customization options.
Bringing the Power of Federation to Social Bookmarking
Kolderup was inspired to develop Postmarks after witnessing the success of his friends’ ActivityPub-powered projects on the fediverse. This open protocol allowed them to create social networks that could easily interact with existing communities on platforms like Mastodon. Motivated by this idea, Kolderup sought to build a federated social bookmarking tool with similar capabilities, resulting in the birth of Postmarks.
Create Your Own Instance, Curate Your Collection
Postmarks enables users to set up their own instances, creating web interfaces where they can add bookmarks, annotate them with descriptions, categorize them with tags, and establish associations between bookmarks. The platform adopts a minimalistic interface, reminiscent of bookmarking sites like del.icio.us and Pinboard, allowing users to curate and browse their collections effortlessly while providing others with a glimpse into their notes and organization.
Accessible through GitHub as an open-source software, Postmarks is currently in its early stages and requires some technical proficiency to install. However, thanks to the Glitch’s project remix feature, the three-step installation process simplifies the experience for those who choose to take on the challenge.
Beyond Bookmarking: Embracing the Fediverse
While the concept of the fediverse, which began with Mastodon’s launch in 2016, has been around for some time, it has recently gained popularity among mainstream users. This surge in interest can be attributed to Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, prompting disillusioned users to explore decentralized social networking alternatives such as Mastodon. The appeal lies in the interconnected servers that make up the fediverse, where users can freely migrate their social identity to a different server if they find one more suitable.
As the fediverse grows, more apps and platforms have joined the movement, including Medium, Flipboard, and WordPress. Instagram also teased integration with ActivityPub through its upcoming app Threads, amplifying the potential reach for projects like Postmarks. By embracing the decentralization ethos, Postmarks sets itself apart by giving users unprecedented control over their data.
