On fediverse apps like Mastodon, Pixelfed and (soon) Threads, content is federated — but identity isn’t. We look at potential solutions.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/10963743

In response to Bray’s toot, Evan Prodromou — one of the creators of ActivityPub, who is currently writing an O’Reilly book about the protocol — noted that this “is also the argument for using the ActivityPub API.” He described the API as “an open, extensible API that can handle any kind of activity type — not just short text.”

This gets to the nub of the issue. The fact that I can’t use my Mastodon identity to, for example, sign up to Pixelfed is not actually an ActivityPub issue — it’s because the two applications, Mastodon and Pixelfed, each require you to create an account on their respective products. What Prodromou is suggesting is that, technically, you can use the ActivityPub API for account access.

  • @sabreW4K3
    9•25 days ago

    That’s how I feel. I don’t want a centralised identity. I like the fact that my different ActivityPub activities are independent.

    But it’s still an interesting prospect and those that want it will no doubt be pleased. If it helps people to wrap their head about the Fediverse, it’s surely a good thing.

    • @[email protected]
      5•25 days ago

      It would be nice to have options. Log in with a new log In. Use your existing log in and join accounts. Use your existing log In and sandbox them.

    • @[email protected]
      2•23 days ago

      Oauth kinda works the same. You could register a new account with every service, or you could use your google account with every service. And oauth works pretty well.

    • @[email protected]English
      2•25 days ago

      There’s a lot of people here on the Fediverse who are fiercely opposed to the very idea of people having alt accounts.