Automattic Acquires ActivityPub Plugin for WordPress – WP Tavern

Automattic has acquired the ActivityPub plugin for WordPress from German developer Matthias Pfefferle, who will likely be becoming a member of the corporate to proceed bettering help for federated platforms. Pfefferle, who can be the creator of the Webmention plugin, stated his new position is to see how Automattic’s merchandise can profit from open protocols like ActivityPub.

In 2021, Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg indicated that he can be occupied with having Tumblr support the ActivityPub protocol for a larger degree of interoperability throughout networks like Mastodon and others utilizing the identical protocol. That’s nonetheless within the works, however WordPress websites have already got this functionality by means of the plugin.

“ActivityPub and numerous different Open Net Plugins (just like the Webmention plugin) had been spare time tasks, so I used to be not in search of an acquisition,” Pfefferle stated.

“When Matt introduced that Tumblr needs to implement ActivityPub on Twitter, I requested why not WordPress, so I got here in touch with Automattic and so they supplied me the chance to work full time on the plugin and different Open Net tasks.”

The ActivityPub plugin makes it doable for readers to comply with a WordPress web site within the fediverse utilizing the ActivityPub protocol. This consists of Mastodon, one of the in style platforms utilizing the protocol, and different platforms like Pleroma, Friendica, HubZilla, Pixelfed, SocialHome, and Misskey. For these utilizing Mastodon, this plugin will robotically ship posts to the community and replies to it’ll turn out to be feedback on the publish.

Final March, the ActivityPub plugin had simply 700 customers. In the present day it has grown to greater than 2,000 lively installs. Though it isn’t but broadly used, it has gotten extra publicity since Elon Musk purchased Twitter.

“Due to Elon Musk, the variety of downloads from my ActivityPub (WordPress) plugin and my followers on Mastodon have elevated at the least tenfold!” Pfefferle stated in a publish on his weblog in January 2023. “This impressed me to work extra actively on the plugin once more and a few nice adjustments happened.”

Most lately, Pfefferle added a brand new onboarding display screen with really useful plugins, added the printed date to creator profiles, and added outgoing mentions, amongst different options.

Pfefferle stated he thinks the thought of the acquisition is to not have the protocol merged into core, however to “assure that it’s going to keep open supply and to perhaps make it a canonical plugin.”

As extra social networks unite on open protocols, it gained’t matter the place you select to create your own home on the net. Interoperability between apps permits folks to publish from no matter community they get pleasure from, making a richer, extra various net. Automattic’s help of the ActivityPub plugin ensures WordPress’ place within the fediverse, the place blogs won’t remoted islands however somewhat interconnected as many had been within the early days of running a blog. Pfefferle’s work embodies these beliefs.

“I believe my drive was at all times to construct an alternative choice to the massive walled gardens of Fb & co,” Pfefferle stated.

“I fell in love with the thought of running a blog and the spirit of the Net 2.0 motion and tried to maintain the thought alive. I labored on a number of WordPress plugins and took part in a number of actions (DiSo, DataPortability and others) beginning in 2007.

“It’s so thrilling to lastly see such an enormous curiosity in Open and Federated applied sciences!”