Show HN: textlog – A quiet, text-only microblogging platform, open-source, no JS

▲ Show HN: textlog – A quiet, text-only microblogging platform, open-source, no JS(textlog.cc)

97 points by stagas 8 hours ago | 40 comments

▲ toplinesoftsys 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I like this project. Simple, open-source, nice UI.

▲ Natalia724 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Agreed. A documented data export or stable feed would complement the minimal UI well: it would let a quiet service stay intentionally simple without making a user's archive feel trapped.

	▲	Barbing 2 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Impressed they already had a download! https://textlog.cc/account/edit `Download your data Export your account, notes, connections, and activity as a JSON file.` - btw you can write comments yourself Natalia! In fact that’ll keep ya compliant, we’re human-to-human here
	▲	stagas 2 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Already there[0], and also an API[1] to build things on top! And it's all open-source[2], so if we miss something we can add it. [0]: https://textlog.cc/account/edit [1]: https://textlog.cc/api [2]: https://github.com/stagas/textlog

▲ stagas 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Thank you!

▲ Natfan 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Claude ui

▲ digitalWestie 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Yes! I've always said twitter was better before images/multimedia!

	▲	chrononaut 2 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		https://web.archive.org/web/20070123220857/http://twitter.co... For those that never had an opportunity to see it.
	▲	cgannett 3 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Old web vibes!

▲ bryanhogan 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I built something for a similar goal, make it easy for someone to start their blog. But instead it's a static website, clone the repo, adjust the config.ts, write the posts in markdown, host anywhere: https://starter.bryanhogan.com/

▲ knlb 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I recently started a section on my personal site for absolutely minimal and simple microblogging that I could Ctrl-F through: https://knlb.dev/scribbles/ -- I should probably give this a shot.

	▲	stagas 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Hey, nice! If you want to try it, we have an API[0] you can pull your user feed from! [0]: https://textlog.cc/api

▲ insane_dreamer 5 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

twitter reborn

:thumbs-up:

▲ anoojb 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I really like this approach. I wonder if it needs such complexity for the rendering. Could you have built this as a SSG template?

▲

stagas 3 hours ago | parent [-]

Hi, thanks! There is a lot of nuance on the rendered pages, I figured server-side React was the best choice - plus it's a technology I'm comfortable with and might also encourage contributions.

▲

anoojb 3 hours ago | parent [-]

Would you be okay if I directed Claude to leverage your design and build a very simple Hugo template against it for my own personal use?

	▲	stagas 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Why not, try it :)

▲ cheesecakegood 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I'm a certified dark mode hater, so in that light, that's a no-go for me: there seems to be no way to change the theme.

▲

stagas 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

It picks up your system theme, so you can't be dark mode hater since you're already using it for your OS :P i didn't want to complicate it with user settings yet, but it can be added if there is demand.

	▲	0cf8612b2e1e 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Maybe OP customized the system “dark theme” to be extra light.

▲

FroshKiller 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Doesn't your user agent support user stylesheets?

▲ BeetleB 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Reminds me of org-social (https://github.com/tanrax/org-social)

> Notes are limited to 280 characters. The constraint keeps them quick to write and read, making room for one thought at a time.

No thanks.

▲

stagas 3 hours ago | parent [-]

Hi, I'm sorry you don't like the limitation :( this is for short thoughts you want to share, not really huge conversations, there are better places for that IMO.

▲

childintime 28 minutes ago | parent [-]

well, you may consider rewarding known quality users with an extended limit, say double. the others can pay ;)

	▲	stagas 5 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		haha, yeah good idea. Also customize the theme as others wanted. So many opportunities here. :P

▲ supermatt 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The 280 char limit seems arbitrary, given you cant even keep the about page within that limit: https://textlog.cc/about

If you are going to limit it to short posts, maybe the length of a short post is the length to limit it to, rather than emulating the 2xSMS of every twitter clone?

Other than that, it looks really clean and neat - I just dont think being 280 chars adds anything other than resulting in people posting with pagination as per X 1/3.

▲

helterskelter 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I like the idea of a shorter character limit as it nudges users to a specific mode of interaction: short thoughts/updates and not long-winded soliloquies. It's signalling that interaction with this platform doesn't demand much of your time or attention. I don't know what the about page has to do with it, but you have to draw the line somewhere.

That said, I'm not a social media user besides HN I guess.

▲

indigodaddy 31 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

You could fork and do whatever no?

▲

stagas 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

It needs to be short - there is already a limit that worked well - why bikeshed it more?

▲

supermatt 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

A limit that worked well for who?

Almost every twitter/x post submitted to HN has people labelling their posts as "X of Y" threads, using images as text, or using pro account posts.

You can see it yourself: https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=twitter.com Ive just looked at 30 and each of them exceed 280 chars by far.

▲

Retr0id 3 hours ago | parent [-]

It works well for microbloggers.

▲

supermatt 3 hours ago | parent [-]

But clearly not the microbloggers on twitter/x, Bluesky, etc, who use the patterns I mentioned.

	▲	Retr0id an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Those are definitionally not microbloggers. It's ok for a platform explicitly for microblogging to not cater to their macroblogging desires.

▲

CitrusFruits 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I think this is the opposite of bikeshedding, it's literally a core feature and constraint.

▲ albertfranquesa 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

i'm experiencing a weird scenario. all time is asking me for a magic link :( I click on that link and again the same screen, ask for a magic link (said the old one expired). It may be our mimecast blocking something?

▲

stagas 3 hours ago | parent [-]

Uhm maybe your client visits the magic link eagerly and when you visit it manually it's already been used?

	▲	albertfranquesa 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		i worked with my gmail but not corporate. mimecast does something wrong

▲ akkartik 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

https://indieweb.org/twtxt

	▲	nbbaier an hour ago \| parent [-]
		I think twtxt is really cool. I have one on my site but I don't use it, unfortunately

▲ hndqbrg2uk an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

Thanks for the write-up