web standards

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Atom is better than RSS, in ways that matter
2 months ago
- Atom is technically superior to RSS, yet many still use RSS due to ignorance or indifference.
- RSS has ambiguous title encoding semantics, making it unreliable for characters like < or &, while Atom provides clear text, html, and xhtml constructs.
- RSS lacks a standardized distinction between summary and full content, leading to interoperability issues.
- Podcasts remain heavily dependent on RSS due to historical dominance of Apple's iTunes/Apple Podcasts, which never fully supported Atom.
Can the Tide of AI Investment Lift All Boats on the Web?
2 months ago
- AI agents should operate websites as users would, without special treatment or bespoke solutions.
- Investments in AI should improve existing web technologies for all users, not just agents.
- The web platform should prioritize user needs (UX) over developer needs (DX) or agent needs (AX).
- There is irony in AI being touted as super intelligent yet requiring special 'training wheels' to use the web.
Show HN: Textcaster – social networking where RSS is the protocol
2 months ago
- The text describes various updates and features related to RSS-based social network platforms, particularly rss.chat and similar instances like demo.rss.chat and perstitio.us.
- Key developments include: per-user feeds with subscription management, four-tab home timelines (Local, Federated, Personal, Public), multi-session support for multiple accounts, and the ability to edit posts with updates propagating via RSS.
- The concept of 'repeaters' is introduced, inspired by amateur radio, where servers monitor and rebroadcast feeds to extend coverage in a decentralized manner, emphasizing small pieces loosely joined.
- Other features highlighted: syntax highlighting for code (e.g., Clojure, bash) via AsciiDoc, cross-posting to platforms like WordPress, and firehose documentation for real-time updates via WebSocket.
- The vision is to bootstrap a distributed social network using open web standards like RSS, avoiding centralized platforms, and fostering community-driven development with replaceable components.
I joined the IndieWeb, here's what I learned
2 months ago
- The IndieWeb is a people-focused alternative to the corporate web, started in 2010, emphasizing owning your data, better connectivity, and control.
- Silos (walled gardens) are centralized corporate platforms that restrict access, claim rights over content, and often disappear, taking user data with them.
- IndieWeb principles include owning your data, using visible data, making and using what you need, documenting and open-sourcing, prioritizing UX, modularity, longevity, plurality, and having fun.
- Key technical standards: your own domain as identity; microformats2 (h-card, h-entry) for machine-readable HTML; rel='me' for verified identity; Webmention for cross-site conversations; IndieAuth for domain-based login; Micropub for publishing; WebSub for real-time feeds; and Microsub for decoupled reading.
- Publishing strategies: POSSE (publish on your site, syndicate elsewhere), PESOS (publish elsewhere, syndicate to your site), and backfeed to bring interactions back to your site.
- The IndieWeb coexists with the Fediverse (bridged via Bridgy Fed) but critiques RSS/Atom for maintenance issues, promoting h-feed instead.
- Getting started involves obtaining a domain, setting up hosting, creating pages, syndicating, adding microformats, validating with IndieWebify.me, and joining the community.
- The author implemented Webmention, h-entry, h-card, and rel='me'; discarded Micropub, WebSub, and h-feed due to personal workflow and design constraints.
- Key advice: use plain HTML for durability, create permanent URLs, commit gradually, plan for extreme longevity, and have fun with your website.
This Month in Ladybird: June 2026
3 months ago
- Ladybird browser added file downloads, browsing history management, and DevTools storage inspection in June.
- New features include video playback speed control and muted autoplay policy for media.
- Security enhancements include sandboxed services on Linux/macOS, heap partitioning, and memory-safe decoding.
- GPU access moved to the sandboxed compositor, improving security and responsiveness.
- LibJS unified on a single optimized JavaScript interpreter and adopted UTF-16 strings.
- WebAssembly GC support added, along with CSS features like container-relative units and contrast-color().
- UI improvements include tab hover previews, vertical tabs, and macOS IME support.
- Several websites like tweakers.net, WhatsApp Web, and GitHub saw compatibility and performance fixes.
- Development process changed to maintainers-only for code contributions, though project remains open source.
- WPT score increased by 3,366 subtests, reflecting improved web standards compliance.
Matrix URIs, a URL syntax from Tim Berners-Lee that never shipped (1996)
3 months ago
- Analogy drawn between hierarchical slash-separated URLs and positional parameters in programming languages.
- Introduces matrix syntax in URLs using semicolons to represent named parameters, akin to name-value pairs in procedure calls.
- Discusses relative URLs starting with semicolons for updating or removing parameters, with order considered insignificant.
- Provides examples of how relative matrix URLs should be parsed, including parameter changes and deletions.
- Notes that matrix URI parsing is theoretical and not widely implemented as of 1996-1997.

web standards

Atom is better than RSS, in ways that matter

Can the Tide of AI Investment Lift All Boats on the Web?

Show HN: Textcaster – social networking where RSS is the protocol

I joined the IndieWeb, here's what I learned

This Month in Ladybird: June 2026

Matrix URIs, a URL syntax from Tim Berners-Lee that never shipped (1996)