Thursday, May 31, 2007

Distributed LJ

Necessary to create a distributed blogging sturcture with different levels of access to posts:

  • Blogging software on a host
    • that can serve as OpenID validation (the 'home account')
    • that can authenticate readers with their OpenID identity (friends)
      • using cookies stored in the browser so friends don't have to log in every 20 minutes
    • that allows comments based on these identities
    • that allows posts based on these identities as moderated by the journal owner (communities)
    • that understands different authenticated OpenID readers have different access to posts based on groups (filters, friends groups)
    • that will show a different RSS feed to RSS readers that authenticate based on OpenID
    • that has an RSS reader page that can be pointed to other feeds and will authenticate itself when asked (friends page)


  • A central page that lists
    • how to download and install this blogging software on your own domain
    • which hosters will host this blogging software for you, and a brief overview of what their access, bandwidth, acceptable use, and suspension polices are -- preferably with one-click selection and install (choose name of your blog, accept TOS, blog is now hosted on provider of your choice)
      • fee-based or ad-supported hosters available for different users


Pleasant to also have: a protocol for user-icons in this distributed blogging network so that leaving a comment with my OpenID will also point to the icon hosted on my blog / site with the right mood. Polls. Voice posts. Good integration with picture hosting, or its own.