Proposal for Jetpack and Gravatar Integration with Fediverse

[Jiwoon-Kim]

Fediverse is revolutionizing the way websites and users interact through decentralized social networks. WordPress and Jetpack's initiative to integrate with Fediverse is a welcome development, but it faces several usability challenges. Here, we outline a proposal for Gravatar and Jetpack integration that addresses these challenges and optimizes user experience.

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1. The Need for Modern Fediverse UI/UX

Misskey.io serves as a benchmark for intuitive and user-friendly Fediverse UI/UX. WordPress can enhance its integration by adopting similar principles:

Simplified Account Management and Switching: Allow seamless site and Fediverse account switching within the Jetpack app.

Clear User-Site Interaction: Differentiate between user-following and site-following, similar to Misskey.io's approach.

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2. Streamlined User Account Management

A major challenge is managing duplicate accounts when operating multiple WordPress websites. Users may need to create separate Fediverse accounts for each site, leading to inefficiencies.

Proposed Solutions

Gravatar as a Unified Fediverse Profile:

Enable users to convert their Gravatar profile into a Fediverse-standard profile.

Allow one Gravatar profile to manage Fediverse activity across multiple sites while maintaining distinct activities for each site.

Enhanced Jetpack Integration:

Link Jetpack's existing site-switching functionality with Fediverse account management, enabling users to oversee all activity from one interface.

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3. Centralized Media and Data Management

Currently, WordPress stores uploaded files under individual domain subdirectories. This raises questions about managing Fediverse-related media across decentralized systems.

Proposed Solutions

Centralized Media Storage:

Utilize Gravatar profiles or Jetpack's centralized server to manage Fediverse media.

Offer options for site-specific media storage where necessary.

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4. Clarifying Following and Follower Management

A key issue in Fediverse integration is distinguishing between “user following” and “site following.” Without clear separation, users may find the system confusing.

Proposed Solutions

Structural Differentiation:

Separate user profiles (Fediverse profiles) from site profiles (Fediverse nodes).

Provide options to follow individual users or specific site activities (e.g., blog updates).

Misskey.io-Style Following Interface:

Design a UI that clearly differentiates user-following from site-following, ensuring clarity and simplicity for end-users.

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5. Gravatar and Jetpack Integration

Gravatar, as a globally recognized profile management system, offers a unique opportunity to integrate with Fediverse.

Challenges

When managing multiple WordPress sites, having separate Fediverse profiles for each site could lead to inefficiency.

Users may end up managing redundant profiles, increasing complexity.

Proposed Solutions

Gravatar as a Fediverse Management Hub:

Allow a single Gravatar profile to manage multiple WordPress sites’ Fediverse accounts.

Treat individual site profiles as sub-accounts under the main Gravatar profile.

Enhanced Gravatar Features:

Upgrade Gravatar to support Fediverse-standard profiles (ActivityPub).

Introduce a modern interface to manage multiple sites and profiles efficiently.

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6. Feature Requests

For Gravatar:

1. Support for Fediverse Profiles: Enable Gravatar profiles to function as Fediverse-standard accounts.

2. Multi-Site Management: Allow one Gravatar account to oversee Fediverse activity across multiple WordPress sites.

3. Clear Following and Follower Management: Separate user-following from site-following while maintaining unified control.

For Jetpack:

1. Enhanced Account and Site Switching: Link Jetpack's site-switching functionality with Fediverse account management.

2. Centralized Media Management: Integrate Fediverse-related data into Jetpack's centralized storage or Gravatar profiles.

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Conclusion

Integrating Jetpack and Gravatar with Fediverse presents an opportunity to expand the WordPress ecosystem's capabilities in decentralized social networking. By benchmarking against modern platforms like Misskey.io, WordPress can simplify user experience, optimize account and data management, and position itself as a leading communication platform.

This proposal highlights the path forward for making WordPress and its tools more powerful and accessible in the era of decentralized networks.