Hi,

I want to suggest a concept to solve the issue losing our data when an instance shut down. Maybe it already exist.

Problem

When an instance shutdown, you have no way to recovert your account and export your blocklist, subcription…It is too late and lost. You have to start it again, who prepared a backup ? Almost no one because its design was flawed.

Idea

The only solution would be nomadic identity.

I think we, the fediverse, can create a sync app on our computer. Here is the concept :

  • flatpak for linux distro agnostic
  • fediapp agnostic. we want to support every free software fedi app.

We install it on our computer. Then click on a plus button to add our fedi accounts.

It will ask for 2-3 fields :

  • username
  • password
  • generated-token (not sure if it is useful, security ?)

Then it will sync on our local computer : blocklist, followers, subscription, setting… maybe encrypted for increased security

Later, we can imagine other features as :

  • master account
  • merging blocklist, subcription between selected account
  • exporting posts, comments…
  • managing account settings
  • mobile app
  • support of apple and windows

What do you think ? Can we achieve that ?

  • korendian@piefed.socialEnglish
    1·
    5 days ago

    I am working on this. I have a local post archive that syncs with bluesky accounts. I am using DIDs as the primary identifier, and hope to incorporate activitypub and rss soon under the same identifier. I have also created a social graph importer for walled garden sites, such as facebook/instagram, so folks have an escape hatch for all their legacy social media history, and a way to manage exported files in a nice file browser format. I will have something to share in the near future, but suffice it to say, I think storing your data locally is an idea very worth pursuing.

  • Nutomic@lemmy.ml
    7·
    10 days ago

    You can already export all these things in your Lemmy user profile as a single JSON file. Or write a script which does it automatically at certain intervals.

    • Snoopy@piefed.socialOPMEnglish
      1·
      10 days ago

      Very cool ! Thank for your reply. :)

      I know that button exist but you have to think about it and do it regulary. So, i’m looking for a tool that do that automatically. I’m not well versed in scripts but i can achieve that with lot hardship.

      I believe lot users not well versed in software, script would benefit from it and it will increase their trust to the fediverse if they have a tool that help them.

      Is it easy to achieve that for every fediverse software ? Or we will have to do a script for every software ? :)

    • Snoopy@piefed.socialOPMEnglish
      4·
      10 days ago

      Cool ! great this tool exist :)

      There is only lemmy and it miss exporting to our computer. for now :)

      Edit : i think we can export it to computer

    • Nutomic@lemmy.ml
      4·
      10 days ago

      This tool is not necessary anymore as the functionality is builtin directly to Lemmy.