This is a brief announcement announcing Indieweb.social’s future software bridge work by BridgyFed - fed.brid.gy - will enable interoperability between ActivityPub networks and AT Protocol/BlueSky users.

Read the announcement at snarfed.org/2024-02-1…

As a server, Indieweb.social will NOT fediblock this effort; rather, to the contrary, we will assist users in understanding how to engage with BlueSky users if they choose to do so via this new offering.

This is akin to our server’s position on Threads federation as well. With both, we will moderate with extreme care and will ensure that our user’s safety is our first and utmost priority. And with both, we will adjust our position if facts require it.

At the same time, we will also assist our users who choose to opt-out by explaining how they can block particular BlueSky users or block the entire bridge and opt out by DM’ing Ryan Barnett at or entering #nobridge in their profile bio.

As the administrator of indieweb.social, I enthusiastically endorse this #BlueSkyBridge work, and I believe that individuals concerned about being “opt-out” forget that the Fediverse’s core is established on this sort of bridging and Federating as a conscious design. As @beaware rightly put it, there can be legit reasons to block this bridge for those who wish to, “but don’t disguise it as some sort ‘opt-in only stance’ because if you’re a legit Fediverse admin, you know the Fediverse as a whole is opt-out by design." indieweb.social/@tchamber…

And at the same time built into the core principles of the Fedi is that it offers you all the tools to curate your own experience and block and filter at will.

One last personal note:

I also know Ryan Barlett well and have engaged with him during this project.

This is a good-faith developer who loves the open web, respects and cares about the ethos of the Fediverse, deeply values #indieweb principles. He has put countless hours into this project as a labor of love for the open social web. He has also gone well out of his way to be transparent and a good actor at every step of this work.

He deserves all of our respect and I hope that the vast majority of Fediverse voices offer him that - even those who do not wish to take part in the bridge or who disagree with the “opt-out” nature of it.

The Fedivere needs more developers like Ryan and the vitriol from a minority of the few is not a good look. To his credit Ryan is listening even to the more shrill voices and willing to iterate while keeping to Fediverse and open web principles. fed.brid.gy/r/https:/…

I hope other voices of support - even those who disagree - reach out and make their voices heard over the more rancorous ones. The Fediverse needs to be a place of respect and community.

I’m honored that he set up a support account here on this server - indieweb.social/@snarfed - and look forward to helping support this effort as it evolves.