Hi, I’m hoping to switch entirely to micro.blog for posts that syndicate out to the other platforms with the typical POSSE approach of IndieWeb. My previous solutions allowed me to write some text, post it, and the syndicated version on the other platforms would have a link back to my original post.
My dream scenario, which I have working elsewhere, is:
I own 2 domains, 1 is for short links.
I write a post, which gets it’s own permalink and permashortlink.
That post syndicates out to the other platforms but with a permashortcitation added on the end.
Is anything like this possible with micro.blog? Any plug-ins I’ve missed? I guess it’s a double question because including the link back to the original post is one thing but having it also work with short links is another. And sending it in a citation format rather than link so it doesn’t annoy people (unless it’s a long-form post then a link is preferred).
For comparison I’m thinking about features you can find using WordPress by installing plug-ins like Syndication Links.
There is a link back to the original post if the post is a “long” post (has a title or more than a certain number of characters based on system). That link back cannot use a separate domain “short link” but is the permalink to your blog.
I think we would need to add special support for the concept of short permalinks in our cross-posting. That’s not something a plug-in can currently extend. It’s an interesting idea!
I’ve thought in the past about Micro.blog including a built-in link shortener, but it always felt like short links were falling out of favor since Twitter / X added its own t.co shortener. I think it is worth exploring again because newer platforms tend to be strict with their character counting again.
If we did this, I’m imagining there would just be a setting on your blog for a second domain name to use for permalinks.
Yes @manton that’s how I would imagine it working and it’s how my solution works for WordPress. I own two domains, the plug-ins are aware of them. Then I use a plug-in that creates a permashortcitation which is the permashortlink without “/”. Example: the short URL xxx.xx/xxxx becomes xxx.xx xxxx in brackets at the end of each Note. It doesn’t add this to the end of the original Note itself but only to the syndicated copies that get posted to the other platforms. If it’s a longer post, the permalink or permanshortlink is used rather than the citation, so people can read more. Basically I really like the philosophy that your syndicated post should point back to the original post but if there’s no extra content at the original then it’s obnoxious to your friends on other platforms to put links in every post.
I understand this is an ambitious feature or features to add. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing some functionality that already exists. If I were to request all this as a dream feature to be added to micro.blog it would be:
Add domain and short domain
Each post gets a permalink and permashortlink
Can toggle whether you want permalink or permashortlink to be added to posts syndicated elsewhere
Can toggle which posts use which (short uses one or none, long uses another)
Can instead use permashortcitation for some types of posts (e.g. I would want permashortcitation on short notes and permashortlink or permalink on longer posts)
The logic behind the shortening can be based on something like Tantek’s algorithmic shortlinking. In http://ttk.me/tSSSn or http://ttk.me/b/SSSn the SSS is sexagesimal epoch days, the b or t stands for blog post or text note and the n is the nth post of that type on that day. The permashortcitation becomes (ttk.me tsssn) posted in brackets at the end of the syndicated short note.
Yes I’m glad for that feature and it’s what I’m used to on my WordPress solution. I like the philosophy of the IndieWeb POSSE approach where an actual link back is included if the original has more content or context (e.g. you’re only seeing a title, summary, or snippet of a larger post so please follow this link to see more) but a permashortcitation is provided on smaller notes where little extra context exists in the original. For my friends sticking to other silos, this is less obnoxious and misleading than sticking a link in every post but it still provides a trail back to the original if desired and marks the content as a copy of the original.