From e9f8d3b755c8bc9958b21987ed35ffba1ee44f95 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: David Blue Date: Wed, 24 May 2023 07:17:26 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] #107 --- posts/mastodon-ios-apps.md | 62 +++++++++++++++++++------------------- 1 file changed, 31 insertions(+), 31 deletions(-) diff --git a/posts/mastodon-ios-apps.md b/posts/mastodon-ios-apps.md index 2b560322..0a298196 100644 --- a/posts/mastodon-ios-apps.md +++ b/posts/mastodon-ios-apps.md @@ -6,13 +6,13 @@ -Apple's second virtual World Wide Developer Conference came and went as I wrote this guide - you can metaphorically picture me looking up from my machine having overheard the news of the [2021 Apple Design Award Winners](https://developer.apple.com/design/awards/) announcement. Perusing through them, I saw two I would have voted for, myself: [CARROT Weather](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/carrot-weather/id961390574) - the [beautifully vulgar](https://twitter.com/NeoYokel/status/1368223231111557125), grumpy bitch frontend for your preferred weather information service, and [Craft](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/craft-docs-and-notes-editor/id1487937127) - perhaps the most innovative take on word processing of the past two or three years - listed under "Finalists." (Read: losers.) The most positive personal discovery of (all?) WWDCs: an app called [**Be My Eyes**](https://www.bemyeyes.com/), which "connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers and company representatives for visual assistance through a live video call," along with an exceptionally crafted, cross-device accessible-as-fuck TTS solution called [Voice Dream Reader](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/voice-dream-reader/id496177674). *However*, a double take in games from *Genshin Impact- and [the fucking *League of Legends- game](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/league-of-legends-wild-rift/id1480616990) certainly sours the mouth and suggests yet further just how much Apple, Inc. has *sold out*. +Apple's second virtual World Wide Developer Conference came and went as I wrote this guide - you can metaphorically picture me looking up from my machine having overheard the news of the [2021 Apple Design Award Winners](https://developer.apple.com/design/awards/) announcement. Perusing through them, I saw two I would have voted for, myself: [CARROT Weather](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/carrot-weather/id961390574) - the [beautifully vulgar](https://twitter.com/NeoYokel/status/1368223231111557125), grumpy bitch frontend for your preferred weather information service, and [Craft](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/craft-docs-and-notes-editor/id1487937127) - perhaps the most innovative take on word processing of the past two or three years - listed under "Finalists." (Read: losers.) The most positive personal discovery of (all?) WWDCs: an app called [**Be My Eyes**](https://www.bemyeyes.com/), which "connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers and company representatives for visual assistance through a live video call," along with an exceptionally crafted, cross-device accessible-as-fuck TTS solution called [Voice Dream Reader](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/voice-dream-reader/id496177674). *However*, a double take in games from *Genshin Impact- and [the fucking *League of Legends* game](https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/league-of-legends-wild-rift/id1480616990) certainly sours the mouth and suggests yet further just how much Apple, Inc. has *sold out*. -The continued prioritization of Growth for Growth's sake over any and all other considerations (namely, users,) is not unexpected from even the most valuable company in the history of the world, I suppose, but there *is- an actor at this point in the story who is catastrophically and demonstrably failing to fulfill their role: all I really know is that technology media has fallen into a trough of total uselessness when it comes to qualitative, authoritative analysis of consumer-targeted software. The necessity of this guide - and the bizarrely silent ignorance of even the "fringes" on its subject - is unimaginably severe. Before me has been (for years, now,) the "answer" to a Jolly Big Load of what tech and marketing types lament in more and more existential language, yet *hardly any- of the humans with the most to lose from their negligence - regular, casual social media users - have been delivered to these experiences. The story is not being articulated. **The journalism is not being done.** +The continued prioritization of Growth for Growth's sake over any and all other considerations (namely, users,) is not unexpected from even the most valuable company in the history of the world, I suppose, but there *is* an actor at this point in the story who is catastrophically and demonstrably failing to fulfill their role: all I really know is that technology media has fallen into a trough of total uselessness when it comes to qualitative, authoritative analysis of consumer-targeted software. The necessity of this guide - and the bizarrely silent ignorance of even the "fringes" on its subject - is unimaginably severe. Before me has been (for years, now,) the "answer" to a Jolly Big Load of what tech and marketing types lament in more and more existential language, yet *hardly any* of the humans with the most to lose from their negligence - regular, casual social media users - have been delivered to these experiences. The story is not being articulated. **The journalism is not being done.** -I know you almost certainly did not arrive here to hear one motherfucker's complaints about WWDC, but - as with everything Apple, Inc. does - every morsel of curatorial expression/discrimination/favoritism from The Great Money God within this platform *must- be scrutinized and criticized. Quite frankly, I found myself completely at a loss as to how *not- to dwell on the Discovery Disparity, here. +I know you almost certainly did not arrive here to hear one motherfucker's complaints about WWDC, but - as with everything Apple, Inc. does - every morsel of curatorial expression/discrimination/favoritism from The Great Money God within this platform *must* be scrutinized and criticized. Quite frankly, I found myself completely at a loss as to how *not* to dwell on the Discovery Disparity, here. -Despite how deeply I've gone into iOS this year, I do not believe myself to be a qualified judge of software design, but I no longer believe Apple to be, either. Regardless of the revenue-related controversies of late, Apple have simply become terrible stewards of the App Store in every imaginable sense. Scams and blatant intellectual property theft abound, while the majority of the most innovative entries I've ever seen remain entirely obfuscated and uncelebrated by all of Apple. Inc.'s mechanisms. If you required an explanation for the amount of time I've invested into App Guides - a space to which I never would have imagined intentionally bringing *The Psalms- - I hope you can understand. +Despite how deeply I've gone into iOS this year, I do not believe myself to be a qualified judge of software design, but I no longer believe Apple to be, either. Regardless of the revenue-related controversies of late, Apple have simply become terrible stewards of the App Store in every imaginable sense. Scams and blatant intellectual property theft abound, while the majority of the most innovative entries I've ever seen remain entirely obfuscated and uncelebrated by all of Apple. Inc.'s mechanisms. If you required an explanation for the amount of time I've invested into App Guides - a space to which I never would have imagined intentionally bringing *The Psalms* - I hope you can understand. @@ -24,17 +24,17 @@ I must confess: I have been *meaning* to write this app guide since even before I originally intended to be as clinical as possible in this Post, having realized its potential as the singular comparison of its kind to appear in search results for new and potential users of Mastodon. From my perspective, Mastodon has long since surpassed regard as a novel social media experiment who's function is to prompt academic conversations about decentralization, open source, ad tech, and federated social's solutions to all of the Big Web's Big Boy (proprietary) Problems (though I have been compelled to [invest significantly](https://github.com/extratone/bigblue) in that very conversation.) In the less intellectual hours of my day-to-day life (read: most of the time,) Mastodon is nothing more or less than my favorite place on the internet. It is a relentless delight which I only lament because I want to share so much of it with my friends, but have continued to fail in my efforts to articulate that **Mastodon is not a compromise; it is a better social space**. -If you didn't know, this seems to have become *my general shit*, for lack of a better term: the ethical considerations of open source/"alternative" software are very important, yes! ... but they are *far- from the whole, and they are not a requisite for new users. The second of [this World Wide Web Blog's fundamental considerations](https://bilge.world/about), in fact: +If you didn't know, this seems to have become *my general shit*, for lack of a better term: the ethical considerations of open source/"alternative" software are very important, yes! ... but they are *far* from the whole, and they are not a requisite for new users. The second of [this World Wide Web Blog's fundamental considerations](https://bilge.world/about), in fact: -> The Open Source/Open Web community continues to struggle with their *brand image- (if you will) in both old and new ways that needlessly alienate (and sometimes obfuscate) some of their most important contributions from the average user. **Technology media has failed in their responsibility to address this issue.** +> The Open Source/Open Web community continues to struggle with their *brand image* (if you will) in both old and new ways that needlessly alienate (and sometimes obfuscate) some of their most important contributions from the average user. **Technology media has failed in their responsibility to address this issue.** -The blog on which you're reading this, in fact, is federated on [ActivityPub](https://activitypub.rocks/). If you so chose, you could be reading it in any client capable of displaying large bodies of text. The crucial point, though, is that *you didn't need to know that- - you could very well go on reading it on the web in total ignorance/apathy regarding Federation. +The blog on which you're reading this, in fact, is federated on [ActivityPub](https://activitypub.rocks/). If you so chose, you could be reading it in any client capable of displaying large bodies of text. The crucial point, though, is that *you didn't need to know that* - you could very well go on reading it on the web in total ignorance/apathy regarding Federation. -*Oh boy, here we go...- No. I did not want to say anything ideological - I wanted this Post to function as little more than a pretty screenshot showcase and simple associative list responding to all of the Reddit posts I've seen to the tune of "is there an iPhone app?" As I explored them, however, I was reminded of the sheer creativity the "alternative" software community is capable of. Even the roughest of these considered apps seem unable to be faceless - sorting through the obscene amount of (unlabeled) screenshots accumulated over the past weeks of testing in my Recents folder has been *so- much easier than I thought it would be because of their relentless originality. If you've actually used any iOS applications and/or browsed the singular App Store from which they can be acquired in the past 3-4 years, you're undoubtedly skeptical: what we might have called "feature overlap" at one time has become all but the platform's core ethos. If you're the sort who enjoys screwing around with apps, generally, as I have for the whole of iPhone history, you have grown accustomed to disappointment. +*Oh boy, here we go...* No. I did not want to say anything ideological - I wanted this Post to function as little more than a pretty screenshot showcase and simple associative list responding to all of the Reddit posts I've seen to the tune of "is there an iPhone app?" As I explored them, however, I was reminded of the sheer creativity the "alternative" software community is capable of. Even the roughest of these considered apps seem unable to be faceless - sorting through the obscene amount of (unlabeled) screenshots accumulated over the past weeks of testing in my Recents folder has been *so* much easier than I thought it would be because of their relentless originality. If you've actually used any iOS applications and/or browsed the singular App Store from which they can be acquired in the past 3-4 years, you're undoubtedly skeptical: what we might have called "feature overlap" at one time has become all but the platform's core ethos. If you're the sort who enjoys screwing around with apps, generally, as I have for the whole of iPhone history, you have grown accustomed to disappointment. https://twitter.com/NeoYokel/status/1402057069927309318 -Regardless of who is to blame, we can all agree that the App Store is currently oversaturated nigh *beyond usability- with mediocre entries built from the beginning with zero apparent ambition toward original function. This, alone, wouldn't be so problematic if Discovery were not so [completely and totally Fucked](https://twitter.com/NeoYokel/status/1379068906917224448) (except when [dev-facing](https://tools.applemediaservices.com/app-store/),) but I needn't comment further on that subject at the moment - I'm just trying emphasize how absolutely unheard of it is for a single protocol/service's third-party client representation on iOS to be so thoroughly special. It was astonishing to find all but one or two of these apps *in a functional state*, actually. In all my equivalent experiences downloading the entirety of a given service's API-supported palette (e.g. IRC apps, [topically](https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkbgvg/major-internet-projects-are-leaving-freenode-after-korean-prince-takeover),) an all-too-significant purpose of whatever ends up getting published is simply documenting the ~20% of available titles that *actually work- at the given moment. (I'd have mentioned the "best [service/task] iPhone apps for [year]" listicles found in online publications like *Digital Trends- were it not for the percentage of them in which it's clear the author *did not actually download- some/most of the apps listed‽‽‽) Perhaps due to [iOS 14.5's implementation of ATT](https://www.wsj.com/video/series/joanna-stern-personal-technology/apple-software-chief-explains-ios-145-defends-companys-reach-exclusive/57D138E3-3677-4A78-9534-62DAD443FE97), all of the Mastodon apps I could find and test (not counting non-English language-supporting apps, in fairness' interest) are currently functioning. +Regardless of who is to blame, we can all agree that the App Store is currently oversaturated nigh *beyond usability* with mediocre entries built from the beginning with zero apparent ambition toward original function. This, alone, wouldn't be so problematic if Discovery were not so [completely and totally Fucked](https://twitter.com/NeoYokel/status/1379068906917224448) (except when [dev-facing](https://tools.applemediaservices.com/app-store/),) but I needn't comment further on that subject at the moment - I'm just trying emphasize how absolutely unheard of it is for a single protocol/service's third-party client representation on iOS to be so thoroughly special. It was astonishing to find all but one or two of these apps *in a functional state*, actually. In all my equivalent experiences downloading the entirety of a given service's API-supported palette (e.g. IRC apps, [topically](https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkbgvg/major-internet-projects-are-leaving-freenode-after-korean-prince-takeover),) an all-too-significant purpose of whatever ends up getting published is simply documenting the ~20% of available titles that *actually work* at the given moment. (I'd have mentioned the "best [service/task] iPhone apps for [year]" listicles found in online publications like *Digital Trends* were it not for the percentage of them in which it's clear the author *did not actually download* some/most of the apps listed‽‽‽) Perhaps due to [iOS 14.5's implementation of ATT](https://www.wsj.com/video/series/joanna-stern-personal-technology/apple-software-chief-explains-ios-145-defends-companys-reach-exclusive/57D138E3-3677-4A78-9534-62DAD443FE97), all of the Mastodon apps I could find and test (not counting non-English language-supporting apps, in fairness' interest) are currently functioning. So, if there's virtually zero chance a new Mastodon user might download one of the apps we're about to consider and find it broken, what practical function remains for this guide? Hopefully, to establish a SEO catch-all for such users from a non-automated source less associated with the project than the official apps list. Those for whom Mastodon is still an unfamiliar subject should find the collected imagery intriguing, hopefully. @@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ Dag Ågren‘s [Toot!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/toot/id1229021451) is not o Toot! is extremely beautiful (despite its unfortunate name,) and I am quite superficial in my taste. It’s Obsidian theme (which may or may not be related to the topical notetaking system of the same name) is especially gorgeous. In my [cacophonous attempt](https://mastodon.social/@DavidBlue/106302686196643266) to compare the notifications of all available Mastodon apps simultaneously, it's worth noting that Toot!'s always came first. Its [charming custom audio alerts](https://whyp.it/t/toot-ios-app-custom-sounds-92997) also make them my favorite by far. @@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ https://twitter.com/JPEGuin/status/1354854403124178947 ![Amaroq for iOS](https://i.snap.as/JV5vzmky.png) -### [Amaroq](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amarok-for-mastodon/id1214116200) +### [Amaroq](https://web.archive.org/web/20210114192741/https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amarok-for-mastodon/id1214116200) The Original… Genesis… If Amaroq was not the first Mastodon app on the App Store, it’s certainly the oldest to survive. Its GitHub Repository’s [first commit](https://github.com/ReticentJohn/Amaroq/commit/9648ebdecf8ab20819ba10fe18b6317a8026fd86) dates back to April 17th, 2017. While you’re there, you might note that it’s the only one of these entries coded entirely in Objective-C - the near-40-year-old language originally underpinning iOS before Swift’s birth in 2014. Amaroq was the first Mastodon app I used and remains the strongest free option for iOS users. It’s been nearly a year since its last update, so its missing a few narrower functions like Bookmarking and Polls, but the core features it *does* include are rock solid. The only wild card: what the fuck is Awoo Mode??? @@ -118,17 +118,17 @@ Daniel Nitsikopoulos' [Mercury](https://onmercury.app) represents yet another en Mercury for iOS - Negative App Store Reviews -Unfortunately, the state of Mercury's App Store reviews prompt yet another essential economic/editorial consideration. The one in the very center of the image embedded, above - from "FeralDandelion" - is the singular one I will allow myself to address. It is true that Mercury straight up refuses to authenticate or federate with a substantial amount of specific Mastodon servers, but it is **exhaustively explicit about this from very get-go**. Its [single-page Help document](https://onmercury.app/help) includes a detailed, up-to-date table of every single blocked instance and *the specific justification- for each respective instance's presence on it: +Unfortunately, the state of Mercury's App Store reviews prompt yet another essential economic/editorial consideration. The one in the very center of the image embedded, above - from "FeralDandelion" - is the singular one I will allow myself to address. It is true that Mercury straight up refuses to authenticate or federate with a substantial amount of specific Mastodon servers, but it is **exhaustively explicit about this from very get-go**. Its [single-page Help document](https://onmercury.app/help) includes a detailed, up-to-date table of every single blocked instance and *the specific justification* for each respective instance's presence on it: > Mercury takes a zero tolerance stance on abuse and harassment and as such does not support many instances that promote abuse and harassment. -Let me be clear: the practical manifestation of this position is **exclusively positive**. The Mastodon project has long outgrown the sort of fixation on ideology for ideology's sake that even Lucky Linus himself has no patience for. Instead, *thank Gourd- Mercury's developers took the time to better your social experience! In response to statements like the pullquote above, I expect ---only- thumbs in the air*- from this point, forward. +Let me be clear: the practical manifestation of this position is **exclusively positive**. The Mastodon project has long outgrown the sort of fixation on ideology for ideology's sake that even Lucky Linus himself has no patience for. Instead, *thank Gourd* Mercury's developers took the time to better your social experience! In response to statements like the pullquote above, I expect *only* thumbs in the air from this point, forward. ![Metatext for iOS](https://i.snap.as/w7PTFpTf.png) ### [Metatext](https://apps.apple.com/app/metatext/id1523996615) -Metatext is perhaps the buzziest of all these apps - well-praised in every space I could find conversation on the subject. It's developed under [Justin Mazzocchi](https://mastodon.social/@jzzocc)'s software studio, [Metabolist](https://metabolist.org/) and is as [Open Source](https://github.com/metabolist/metatext) as it gets! (As per my hardware keyboard shortcuts crusade, I added [my own issue](https://github.com/metabolist/metatext/issues/40) requesting support.) [u/GummyKibble](https://www.reddit.com/user/GummyKibble/) noted that "it looks like a native app on both iOS and iPadOS." This term - *native- - seems inextricably linked with Metatext. I vaguely understand what it means, and I do agree, but it's worth noting that I speak with some privilege, having compared all of these apps on the top performing handset Apple currently has to offer. In many ways, it is the most frugal of the new offerings, especially, yet it strikes a keen balance between function and delight. I think "native" can be translated as *generally of a stout, sturdy disposition*, thanks to the care put into honing said balance. +Metatext is perhaps the buzziest of all these apps - well-praised in every space I could find conversation on the subject. It's developed under [Justin Mazzocchi](https://mastodon.social/@jzzocc)'s software studio, [Metabolist](https://metabolist.org/) and is as [Open Source](https://github.com/metabolist/metatext) as it gets! (As per my hardware keyboard shortcuts crusade, I added [my own issue](https://github.com/metabolist/metatext/issues/40) requesting support.) [u/GummyKibble](https://www.reddit.com/user/GummyKibble/) noted that "it looks like a native app on both iOS and iPadOS." This term - *native* - seems inextricably linked with Metatext. I vaguely understand what it means, and I do agree, but it's worth noting that I speak with some privilege, having compared all of these apps on the top performing handset Apple currently has to offer. In many ways, it is the most frugal of the new offerings, especially, yet it strikes a keen balance between function and delight. I think "native" can be translated as *generally of a stout, sturdy disposition*, thanks to the care put into honing said balance. ## Less-Than-Sanctioned @@ -136,30 +136,30 @@ Metatext is perhaps the buzziest of all these apps - well-praised in every space ### [Tootle](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tootle-for-mastodon/id1236013466) -I'm not entirely positive which Mastodon app was *actually- the first on my iPhone, back in 2017, but I know for sure it was either Amaroq or the dearest, infinitely-colorful Tootle. Its [App Store Page](https://mastodon.cloud/@tootleapp) Version History suggests it has not been updated in 14 months, yet the app - which was apparently "Designed for iPad" - appears to be working just fine. There are some overlapping UI elements, but they're barely noticeable. Were it not for the new dev-facing store search tool mentioned above, I would have assumed this app long gone, to be honest, but using it again has somehow managed to genuinely twinge my nostalgia nerve. +I'm not entirely positive which Mastodon app was *actually* the first on my iPhone, back in 2017, but I know for sure it was either Amaroq or the dearest, infinitely-colorful Tootle. Its [App Store Page](https://mastodon.cloud/@tootleapp) Version History suggests it has not been updated in 14 months, yet the app - which was apparently "Designed for iPad" - appears to be working just fine. There are some overlapping UI elements, but they're barely noticeable. Were it not for the new dev-facing store search tool mentioned above, I would have assumed this app long gone, to be honest, but using it again has somehow managed to genuinely twinge my nostalgia nerve. -In my search for any extra-App Store representation other than [Tootle's Mastodon Account](https://mastodon.cloud/@tootleapp) (which last posted the day after my birthday, last year,) I discovered [Tootle... for Linux](https://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2020/11/tootle-l-gtk3-mastodon-client-linux/). Since I am a dedicated and thorough person, these days, I spent several hours messing around with Linux Virtual Machining until Lubuntu finally functioned *just- so I could show you what it looks like. Below is a screen capture of Tootle bordered by the most Macish LXQ desktop bars included in Lubuntu and *even- wearing the new official Apple System Font, SF Pro. Still, I think you'll agree... Tootle for Linux is not related to Tootle. +In my search for any extra-App Store representation other than [Tootle's Mastodon Account](https://mastodon.cloud/@tootleapp) (which last posted the day after my birthday, last year,) I discovered [Tootle... for Linux](https://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2020/11/tootle-l-gtk3-mastodon-client-linux/). Since I am a dedicated and thorough person, these days, I spent several hours messing around with Linux Virtual Machining until Lubuntu finally functioned *just* so I could show you what it looks like. Below is a screen capture of Tootle bordered by the most Macish LXQ desktop bars included in Lubuntu and *even* wearing the new official Apple System Font, SF Pro. Still, I think you'll agree... Tootle for Linux is not related to Tootle. ![Tootle for Linux](https://i.snap.as/Rx3Eu9GA.png) -Personally, I find this a profound shame - I think more apps should be as colorful - and as color *configurable- - as this little, mysterious Mastodon app. I created the theme you see represented in the frames embedded above using *The Psalms- colors, naturally, and the whole process took less than five minutes. Play around with it as I remember doing, all those years ago, and you'd be surprised how hard it is to create an unusable color theme. What I find *most- shame in, though, is that Tootle appears to be completely invisible in regular app store searches, now. (And by "*most- shame," you know I really mean *entirely fucking unacceptable*.) +Personally, I find this a profound shame - I think more apps should be as colorful - and as color *configurable* - as this little, mysterious Mastodon app. I created the theme you see represented in the frames embedded above using *The Psalms- colors, naturally, and the whole process took less than five minutes. Play around with it as I remember doing, all those years ago, and you'd be surprised how hard it is to create an unusable color theme. What I find *most* shame in, though, is that Tootle appears to be completely invisible in regular app store searches, now. (And by "*most* shame," you know I really mean *entirely fucking unacceptable*.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBZtmOqyk8c ![Tusker on iOS](https://i.snap.as/82RtZcyl.png) -### [Tusker](https://testflight.apple.com/join/wtB7HYvG) +### [Tusker](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tusker/id1498334597) -I found my way to the only *currently in-development- entry on this list thanks to my Mastodon friend [wakest](https://social.wake.st/@liaizon). iOS developer [Shadowfacts](https://social.shadowfacts.net/users/shadowfacts) (who also maintains [*shadowfacts.net*](https://shadowfacts.net/)) is working on their considerate, distinct app, Tusker in [this self-hosted Repository](https://git.shadowfacts.net/shadowfacts/Tusker). In [#tusker](https://mastodon.social/web/timelines/tag/tusker) on Mastodon, you'll find a few poignant praises from [Pixelfed](https://pixelfed.org/) founder and principal developer [Dan Sup](https://mastodon.social/@dansup), which - from my perspective - are especially high, indeed. +hI found my way to the only *currently in-development* entry on this list thanks to my Mastodon friend [wakest](https://social.wake.st/@liaizon). iOS developer [Shadowfacts](https://social.shadowfacts.net/users/shadowfacts) (who also maintains [*shadowfacts.net*](https://shadowfacts.net/)) is working on their considerate, distinct app, Tusker in [this self-hosted Repository](https://git.shadowfacts.net/shadowfacts/Tusker). In [#tusker](https://mastodon.social/web/timelines/tag/tusker) on Mastodon, you'll find a few poignant praises from [Pixelfed](https://pixelfed.org/) founder and principal developer [Dan Sup](https://mastodon.social/@dansup), which - from my perspective - are especially high, indeed. -![Tusker Landscape Mode!](https://i.snap.as/jZudSEdQ.png) + -Tusker's color customization options are technically... well.. *not infinite*, like other apps here, but the end result of their (obviously, very considered) selection will be a net win for 100% of users over that alternative, I believe. It is definitely of a similar philosophy to Metatext, but unquestionably more ambitious. Out of the lot, testing Tusker was the singular instance in which I found myself considering a "replacement" for Toot! You, yourself can use Tusker *right this very minute- via Apple's beta distribution system, [Testflight](https://testflight.apple.com/), via [**this invite link**](https://testflight.apple.com/join/wtB7HYvG). +Tusker's color customization options are technically... well.. *not infinite*, like other apps here, but the end result of their (obviously, very considered) selection will be a net win for 100% of users over that alternative, I believe. It is definitely of a similar philosophy to Metatext, but unquestionably more ambitious. Out of the lot, testing Tusker was the singular instance in which I found myself considering a "replacement" for Toot! You, yourself can use Tusker *right this very minute* * via Apple's beta distribution system, [Testflight](https://testflight.apple.com/), via [**this invite link**](https://testflight.apple.com/join/wtB7HYvG). ![Roma for iOS](https://i.snap.as/oBYO4T1e.png) ### [Roma](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/roma-for-pleroma-and-mastodon/id1445328699) -Installing Roma for the first time led to a puzzling quest with a particularly pleasant end. I noticed fairly quickly that the iOS app was a re-branded release of what used to be Mast. My first instinct upon this discovery was to DM Mast's original developer, [Shihab Meboob](https://twitter.com/JPEGuin), on Twitter, but frankly, I've already bothered him enough there over the years, so it's understandable that I didn't hear back. When I downloaded the desktop app I found on [Roma's web page](https://www.roma.rocks/#desktop) and noticed its similarity to [Whalebird](https://whalebird.social/en/desktop/contents), I decided to use the site's contact form to [inquire](https://github.com/extratone/bilge/blob/main/correspondence/Roma%20Inquiry.md) about what exactly was going on as gingerly as I could. Happily, I received a reply just *minutes- later from Leo Radvinsky, head of [Leo.com](https://leo.com/), "a Florida-based boutique venture capital fund that invests in technology companies:" +Installing Roma for the first time led to a puzzling quest with a particularly pleasant end. I noticed fairly quickly that the iOS app was a re-branded release of what used to be Mast. My first instinct upon this discovery was to DM Mast's original developer, [Shihab Meboob](https://twitter.com/JPEGuin), on Twitter, but frankly, I've already bothered him enough there over the years, so it's understandable that I didn't hear back. When I downloaded the desktop app I found on [Roma's web page](https://web.archive.org/web/20220208022947/https://www.roma.rocks/) and noticed its similarity to [Whalebird](https://whalebird.social/en/desktop/contents), I decided to use the site's contact form to [inquire](https://github.com/extratone/bilge/blob/main/correspondence/Roma%20Inquiry.md) about what exactly was going on as gingerly as I could. Happily, I received a reply just *minutes- later from Leo Radvinsky, head of [Leo.com](https://leo.com/), "a Florida-based boutique venture capital fund that invests in technology companies:" > Hi David, > @@ -221,14 +221,14 @@ Truly diabolical design, there. For better or worse, Oyakodon doesn’t really w I very vaguely remember happening upon StarPterano in my very first moments on Mastodon, so finding it still published on the App Store - buried as it was - brought me a particular sort of joy. If I’m not mistaken, it holds a special personal accolade as the only iOS app which has caused me to involuntarily shriek. This might sound like an insult, but it is actually the peak of my praise. I believe my knowledge of iOS development safely allows me to suppose that StarPterano was built with complete disregard for any established UI element libraries. That is, the familiar toggles and buttons developers rely on to standardize the iOS experience were cast aside entirely in favor of handbuilt, translucent buttons of a sort of neon quality which call menus and text entry fields no less alien to the platform. The most astonishing bit, though, is that it *works*. On my 12 Pro Max, it’s exceptionally smooth, in fact. I would imagine those *real* iOS developers among you should find [StarPterano’s GitHub Repository](https://github.com/pgostation/StarPterano-iOS5) particularly interesting, considering. In the interest of preservation, I have [forked it](https://github.com/softwarehistorysociety/StarPterano) as well, and fully intend to dive in to its code, one of these days. The audio player embedded above cites a three-second .mp3 file in the repository which perhaps once accounted for the “Sounds” toggle still found in the Settings menu of StarPterano’s current build. I couldn’t get the app to reproduce it, which is actually what set me on the hunt that led to the repo. ![Ore2 for iOS](https://i.snap.as/Ln2L96Qa.png) -### [Ore2](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ore2-for-twitter-mastodon/id1107176601) +### [Ore2](https://web.archive.org/web/20221109100758/https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ore2-for-twitter-mastodon/id1107176601) Ore2 is another (apparently) non-English-native Mastodon client focused on consolidating Mastodon and Twitter within a single space. Alongside Stella, it's the second of the first two apps I've come across in a very long time which allows one to post to both services simultaneously. Considerable work was obviously done on making its timeline-based tabs switchable with touch. Personally, I very much prefer my current crossposting configuration via [this (generously-public) web tool](https://crossposter.masto.donte.com.br), but I am all but certain those users exist who will find Ore2’s setup preferable. @@ -246,26 +246,26 @@ Obviously, I very much appreciate Zhiyuan writing publicly about his thoughts on ## Get Bent, Big Social -A few universal truths among these apps stand out as obligatory mentions. First - in comparison with their Proprietary, Big Social counterparts - they are all *ridiculously* **frugal**. Not a one weighs over 40mb, while minor (unexplained) updates to the official Twitter app [often exceed 100mb](https://twitter.com/NeoYokel/status/1393294957352468494). They are all astonishingly **robust*- - I did not experience a single crash in the course of normal testing these "alt" social apps- even from the beta builds - while I distinctly remember the official Twitter app crashing several times over this period, even after I deleted and reinstalled it (an accepted maintenance requirement for anyone using it heavily for its entire history.) Also, on the topic of the platform, itself, they are also made absurdly **interoperable*- by the ActivityPub standard. My [PixelFed](https://pixelfed.social/DavidBlue) posts show up seamlessly on their timelines among content from [Diaspora](https://diasp.org/), [Pleroma](https://pleroma.social/), and Mastodon, itself. +A few universal truths among these apps stand out as obligatory mentions. First - in comparison with their Proprietary, Big Social counterparts - they are all *ridiculously* **frugal**. Not a one weighs over 40mb, while minor (unexplained) updates to the official Twitter app [often exceed 100mb](https://twitter.com/NeoYokel/status/1393294957352468494). They are all astonishingly **robust** - I did not experience a single crash in the course of normal testing these "alt" social apps - even from the beta builds - while I distinctly remember the official Twitter app crashing several times over this period, even after I deleted and reinstalled it (an accepted maintenance requirement for anyone using it heavily for its entire history.) Also, on the topic of the platform, itself, they are also made absurdly **interoperable** by the ActivityPub standard. My [PixelFed](https://pixelfed.social/DavidBlue) posts show up seamlessly on their timelines among content from [Diaspora](https://diasp.org/), [Pleroma](https://pleroma.social/), and Mastodon, itself. https://twitter.com/NeoYokel/status/1393294957352468494 -The overwhelming impression I was left with after testing these apps was one of unwavering competence, cleverness, and true innovation. How many different ways can I possibly conjure forth in order to communicate this? I, David Blue - the vain fucker with a precollection for the most superficial variables of software design *so- healthy that I have on multiple occasions designed whole, years-long workflows around specific applications *entirely because of their available color palettes*... **It is I who requires you to take a good fucking look**, because this list of decentralized, largely open source, federated social software is a goddamned fashion show. +The overwhelming impression I was left with after testing these apps was one of unwavering competence, cleverness, and true innovation. How many different ways can I possibly conjure forth in order to communicate this? I, David Blue - the vain fucker with a precollection for the most superficial variables of software design *so* healthy that I have on multiple occasions designed whole, years-long workflows around specific applications *entirely because of their available color palettes*... **It is I who requires you to take a good fucking look**, because this list of decentralized, largely open source, federated social software is a goddamned fashion show. ## Continuing to Explore Social Ownership ![Mastodon Account Wordcloud](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/43663476/122717470-43f08a00-d231-11eb-890f-dfa3ff33b65d.png) -This couldn't be "just" an app guide - I think I have thoroughly accepted this, by now, just in time for some conclusionary remarks. Somehow, the subject I originally tackled specifically because I thought it would be quick, rudimentary, and straightforward has become yet another personal journey. It'd feel a bit preposterous to declare any one of these apps to be *life-changing*, but - in every sense of the term, in contemporary, inevitably social media-informed life, they do indeed constitute a form of radical, ideological wellness. Each of them managed to remind me of a different minute delight found within a developer-user dynamic made up of thoughtful and effective minds working to contribute original and valuable experiences, first. Most noteworthy of these little freedoms: the realization that the upcoming "official" Mastodon app along with any future new options are exclusively a positive thing *for the user*... None of these apps were conceived to gobble up market share because the market is fundamentally, inevitably, uncompromisingly *infinitely shared*. I don't know anything about business, but I *do- know that relief from the burden of considering proprietary multivectored development intentions has been personally breathtaking. I can only hope the reciprocal compensation is happening at even a fraction of what it "should" be. +This couldn't be "just" an app guide - I think I have thoroughly accepted this, by now, just in time for some conclusionary remarks. Somehow, the subject I originally tackled specifically because I thought it would be quick, rudimentary, and straightforward has become yet another personal journey. It'd feel a bit preposterous to declare any one of these apps to be *life-changing*, but - in every sense of the term, in contemporary, inevitably social media-informed life, they do indeed constitute a form of radical, ideological wellness. Each of them managed to remind me of a different minute delight found within a developer-user dynamic made up of thoughtful and effective minds working to contribute original and valuable experiences, first. Most noteworthy of these little freedoms: the realization that the upcoming "official" Mastodon app along with any future new options are exclusively a positive thing *for the user*... None of these apps were conceived to gobble up market share because the market is fundamentally, inevitably, uncompromisingly *infinitely shared*. I don't know anything about business, but I *do* know that relief from the burden of considering proprietary multivectored development intentions has been personally breathtaking. I can only hope the reciprocal compensation is happening at even a fraction of what it "should" be. -From another essential direction, I hope I have communicated that they're far from curious, "niche" or vanity side projects, now. When I used the term "mature" in introducing this little arena, I very much meant it - these "alt" social clients developed almost exclusively within single-person-led projects now make the Twitter for iOS app look ugly *and- fucking broken. "Giving social networking back to you" has never been more resonant. Yes, it really is Toot!'s "take a break" blue screen, Amaroq's mysterious Awoo mode toggle, iMast's music app integration, Mercury's configurable timelines, Metatext's native solidity, Tootle's custom colors, Tusker's Digital Wellness controls, DUDU's elemental readability, Roma's quiet resurrection of Mast's UI bravado, Stella's utterly bizarre visual departures, Fedi's odd animated UI behaviors, Tootoise's consideration of *pace*, B4X's unfathomable elements, Ore2's parallel timelines, tooot's development story, and Oyakodon's adorable rough edges that have made my online life *measurably*... *immensely- better, these past weeks. At the forefront of this perception is undoubtedly the comparatively extensive *control- over my social experience as a user offered by the diversity of mobile experiences these applications offer. +From another essential direction, I hope I have communicated that they're far from curious, "niche" or vanity side projects, now. When I used the term "mature" in introducing this little arena, I very much meant it - these "alt" social clients developed almost exclusively within single-person-led projects now make the Twitter for iOS app look ugly *and* fucking broken. "Giving social networking back to you" has never been more resonant. Yes, it really is Toot!'s "take a break" blue screen, Amaroq's mysterious Awoo mode toggle, iMast's music app integration, Mercury's configurable timelines, Metatext's native solidity, Tootle's custom colors, Tusker's Digital Wellness controls, DUDU's elemental readability, Roma's quiet resurrection of Mast's UI bravado, Stella's utterly bizarre visual departures, Fedi's odd animated UI behaviors, Tootoise's consideration of *pace*, B4X's unfathomable elements, Ore2's parallel timelines, tooot's development story, and Oyakodon's adorable rough edges that have made my online life *measurably*... *immensely* better, these past weeks. At the forefront of this perception is undoubtedly the comparatively extensive *control* over my social experience as a user offered by the diversity of mobile experiences these applications offer. -Those of you who haven't yet signed up for Mastodon: ==you are missing the fuck out==. I am being *actually- pampered, now, in World Wide Web terms. You are [*so- welcome](https://bit.ly/dbmastodon) whenever you're ready - the water is nice and warm, as they say. +Those of you who haven't yet signed up for Mastodon: ==you are missing the fuck out==. I am being *actually* pampered, now, in World Wide Web terms. You are [*so* welcome](https://bit.ly/dbmastodon) whenever you're ready - the water is nice and warm, as they say. ## ...Party One ![Mastodon for iOS](https://i.snap.as/sHTDx8AV.png) -Yes, you are looking at the currently in-development **"*Official*" Mastodon app on iOS**, coming very soon to the Awful App Store. You can join me in testing the app right this very moment by contributing to [the Mastodon Project's Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/mastodon). Though I do plan to publish [**a dedicated review**](https://bilge.world/mastodon-ios-app-review) on its release date, what I'll say for now is that it's very cute, includes *the- most gorgeous media player I've ever seen on an iOS app, and is as distinctly clever as any of the third-party family we've just visited, all whilst maintaining an expert's aim at its evangelist purpose. +Yes, you are looking at the currently in-development **"*Official*" Mastodon app on iOS**, coming very soon to the Awful App Store. You can join me in testing the app right this very moment by contributing to [the Mastodon Project's Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/mastodon). Though I do plan to publish [**a dedicated review**](https://bilge.world/mastodon-ios-app-review) on its release date, what I'll say for now is that it's very cute, includes *the* most gorgeous media player I've ever seen on an iOS app, and is as distinctly clever as any of the third-party family we've just visited, all whilst maintaining an expert's aim at its evangelist purpose. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD8GQvNrE7E @@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ The surprise that threw me over the edge to a genuinely pitiful extent: the offi - The dedicated [GitHub List/Repository](https://github.com/extratone/mastodon-ios-apps) - Direct link to [the Full List in the Repository](https://github.com/extratone/mastodon-ios-apps/blob/main/README.md) - [All collected documentation](https://github.com/extratone/mastodon-ios-apps/tree/main/documentation) -- My [personal notes document for this guide](https://github.com/extratone/bilge/blob/main/notes/APP%20Notes%20-%20The%20State%20of%20Mastodon%20Clients%20on%20iOS.md), as is +- My [personal notes document for this guide](https://github.com/extratone/bilge/blob/main/archive/notes/Notes-MastodonforiOS.md), as is #### Video