The Programmer's Fulcrum: 17 April, 2026

This article originally appeared on [The Fulcrum](https://www.thefulcrum.dev/the-programmers-fulcrum-17-april-2026/).

Welcome to this week's The Programmer's Fulcrum.

It's your weekly review of the essential news in the Open Media Network and Fediverse development communities with a focus on devastating big tech via Techno Anarchism. **We aim to provide actionable content you can use to destroy Techno Feudalism each week.** It has the additional benefit of weakening authoritarianism.

IMHO, the best way to do that is to use tools from the [Techno Anarchist Manifesto](https://battalion.mobileatom.net/techno-anarchist-manifesto/) to build your own site(s) to participate in the [Open Media Network](https://hamishcampbell.com/open-media-networking/). Then you should share it (them) via Real Simple Syndication (RSS), the Fediverse, and possibly a newsletter or podcast. This approach is similar to what some call the IndieWeb and its POSSE philosophy.

The second best strategy is to have accounts on the Fediverse and use the hell out of them. And do the same with a RSS feed reader.

We publish TPF on Fridays so you can enjoy it over your weekend.

There's good stuff in all of our categories, so please take the time to enjoy and bookmark the items most relevant to your goals. We hope you are inspired to create new ones.

Or you can jump straight to your favorite section.

- [Sites/Blogs/CMSs](#cms)
- [Tools](#tools)
- [Programming](#programming)
- [ActivityPub](#activitypub)
- [Fediverse](#fediverse)
- [More](#more)



**FYI, my opinions will be in bold. And may involve cursing. Because humans. Especially tech bros. And fascists. Fuck ´em.**



* * *

## Featured Item(s)

**Jan Wildeboer has:**

[Conway: Think Networks First, Actors Second](https://jan.wildeboer.net/2026/04/Conway-Networks/)

Or why we need to work together to find the right language, terms, tools to understand what is happening and how to fix it in better ways. Together, not as lone geniuses.

It’s an invitation to think and discuss. To agree on a framework to help us all progress, The Open Way.

**Alexi asks us to:**

Go create a website, start blogging, sign up to an independent forum, maybe create your own forum, or support those that do any of the above. Of course this is a bit of an ask, you'll have to learn quite a few things if you are intending to run something of your own, but my goal isn't to convince everyone.

I am just trying to convince some people to help their community local or not and to eventually help the independent web thrive.

More of the internet has to be independently run again if we want to stand any chance of regaining what we've lost. Create a space that you own, where you can display what you want, how you want. Link it up to other people using webrings and buttons. Just have fun!

[openweb.md](https://cyrneko.eu/openweb.html)

**Great advice.**

Conjure Utopia has a review:

[Cables of Resistance: the numbers don't add up](https://write.as/conjure-utopia/cables-of-resistance-the-numbers-dont-add-up)

**In a good way!**



---



Open Media Network - Site/Blog/CMS



Joost de Valk opines:

[Defending the open web is not enough](
https://joost.blog/defending-open-web-not-enough/)

**Personally, I view the Small Web, Indie Web, TAM, and OMN as Foundationesque efforts for a future after the techno fall or similar to the role of Islamic scholars preserving the knowledge that allowed the renaissance. The hard part will be open hardware. And electricity.**

Speaking of, DevShrine explores:

[Surfing the IndieWeb in 2026](https://devshrine.net/blog/small-web/)

Pika announces:

[Micropub API with iA Writer and Drafts Support](https://pika.pika.page/posts/micropub-api-with-ia-writer-and-drafts-support)

PureBlog explores:

[Ignoring Files During Updates](https://pureblog.org/ignoring-files-during-updates)

Jim Nielsen shares:

[Fewer Computers, Fewer Problems: Going Local With Builds & Deployments](https://blog.jim-nielsen.com/2026/fewer-computers-fewer-problems/)

**This is DIY. :)**

I ran across Faircamp this week:

[Surfing the IndieWeb in 2026](https://simonrepp.com/faircamp/)

**If you are a muscian or band with recordings you may want to check into it.**

### Bear

Field Notes examines:

[Integrating Bubbles with BearBlog](https://www.wmprkr.xyz/integrating-bubbles-with-bearblog/)

Here’s how to add it universally:

[Embed the Bubbles vote count](https://bubbles.town/embed)

### Ghost

Murat Corlu built the:

[Ghost Theme Editor](https://muratcorlu.com/ghost-theme-editor/)

**Useful.**

Right on cue Magic Pages announces:

[Edit your theme directly in Ghost Admin](https://www.magicpages.co/roadmap/edit-your-theme-directly-in-ghost-admin/)

**Although, it looks like you have to upgrade from the Starter to Pro plan to use this (as you will now have a "custom theme"). Disappointing.**

### Publii

Matt Sayar explains:

[Cutting GitHub from my site's deployment workflow](https://mattsayar.com/cutting-github-from-my-sites-deployment-workflow/)

### Micro.blog

MicroBlog announces:

[Micro.blog 3.6.6 for iOS](https://news.micro.blog/2026/04/12/microblog-for-ios-has-been.html)

Back to top 👆🏼



---



Techno Anarchist / OMN Tools



France announces:

[Souveraineté numérique : l'État accélère la réduction de ses dépendances extra-européennes](https://www.numerique.gouv.fr/sinformer/espace-presse/souverainete-numerique-reduction-dependances-extra-europeennes/)

The Guardian reports:

[Now you can break up with big tech at a bar: ‘cybersecurity disguised as a party’](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/16/big-tech-breakup-parties)

The Open Shelf reports:

[Amazon Is Cutting Kindle Store Access on Pre-2013 Kindles. Your Device Isn’t Dead — Here’s How to Keep Reading.](https://medium.com/@theopenshelf/amazon-is-cutting-kindle-store-access-on-pre-2013-kindles-a7b495cb51ee)

Dries Buyaert asks:

[What does 'Buy European' even mean?](https://dri.es/what-does-buy-european-even-mean)

### Small Web

Here are a few curation resources I ran across recently:

[ʕ-ᴥ-ʔ Bear Roll](https://bearroll.dev/)

[Bear's Discovery feed](https://bearblog.dev/discover/)

[Bubbles](https://bubbles.town/?cat=tech)

**I found these via Kagi’s Small Web app which is a great source on its own.**

### Chat

XWIKI has a case study:

[ChatEurope: trusted news via collaboration software and chatbot integration](https://xwiki.com/en/Blog/building-ChatEurope-with-collaboration-software/?language=en)

### Browsers

Servo announces:

[Servo is now available on crates.io](https://servo.org/blog/2026/04/13/servo-0.1.0-release/)

Matt Smith reviews:

[Kagi – a paid search engine that supports the small web](https://mattcasmith.net/2026/04/12/kagi-search-small-web)

**I have been using Kagi for search, translation, and browsing the small web for awhile. It's worth the small amount of money to remove a lot of bullshit from your life.**

Mohamed Alashri says:

[JSON formatting in browser is useful](https://blog.melashri.net/posts/json-formatter/)

### Cloud

Nextcloud has:

[Nextcloud Ethical AI rating: A transparent approach to privacy-first AI](https://nextcloud.com/blog/nextcloud-ethical-ai-rating/)

**Of course, you can be 1,000% private, ethical, and moral by not using it.**

[Dutch education system and municipalities strive for digital sovereignty](https://nextcloud.com/blog/nextcloud-enterprise-day-utrecht-2026-dutch-educations-system-and-municipalities-digital-sovereignty/)

Tuta announces:

[Tuta Drive launches in closed beta! A milestone in the development of Tuta’s post-quantum secure cloud.](https://tuta.com/blog/tuta-drive-in-beta-launch)

### Writing

Toni Notes notes:

[A small publication needs an operating model, not just good posts](https://toninotes.cc/a-small-publication-needs-an-operating-model-not-just-good-posts)

### Creative

Scribus announces:

[Scribus 1.7.3 Released](https://www.scribus.net/scribus-1-7-3-released/)

[Scribus 1.6.6 Released](https://www.scribus.net/scribus-1-6-6-released/)

I just ran across this:

[Ubuntu Studio](https://ubuntustudio.org/)

### Linux/Open Android

Linux announces:

[The 7.0 kernel has been released](https://lwn.net/Articles/1067279/)

Linuxiac reports:

[FLX1s Meets the Big Screen](https://furilabs.com/blog/flx1s-meets-the-big-screen/)

**This is looking more and more likely to be my next phone.**

Hackster reports:

[MNT Research Brings the Open-Hardware Reform to a Whole New Form Factor: Ultra-Slim Desktops](https://www.hackster.io/news/mnt-research-brings-the-open-hardware-reform-to-a-whole-new-form-factor-ultra-slim-desktops-684c929502ed)

**And this could be my next "desktop".**

9to5Linux reports:

[Zorin OS 18.1 Boosts Windows App Support by 40%, Improves Window Tiling](https://9to5linux.com/zorin-os-18-1-boosts-windows-app-support-by-40-improves-window-tiling)

**Zorin is the distribution I use as it's the only one I've ever been able to install. It's on an old iMac.**

[Linux Mint Will Adopt a Longer Development Cycle Starting with Linux Mint 23](https://9to5linux.com/linux-mint-will-adopt-a-longer-development-cycle-starting-with-linux-mint-23)

Linuxiac reports:

[France Launches Government Linux Desktop Plan as Windows Exit Begins](https://linuxiac.com/france-launches-government-linux-desktop-plan-as-windows-exit-begins/)

**Tres, tres bon!**

### _This week's featured OMN tool_

#### Inkscape

Inkscape is a Free and open source vector graphics editor.

[Inkscape](https://inkscape.org/)

Back to top 👆🏼



---



OMN Programming



### Git

Schalk Neethling explores:

[Pushing to GitHub and Codeberg Simultaneously with Git](https://schalkneethling.com/posts/pushing-to-github-and-codeberg-simultaneously-with-git/)

Henry Catalini Smith examines:

[Lessons learned from the Forgejo v15 release blocker](https://henry.catalinismith.se/2026/04/15/lessons-learned-from-the-forgejo-v15-release-blocker/)

Speaking of, Forgejo announces:

[Forgejo v15.0 is available](https://forgejo.org/2026-04-release-v15-0/)

### Markdown

Axolotl Thoughts looks at:

[Personal wikis](https://blog.possiblyaxolotl.com/2026/04/11/personal-wikis/)

### HTML

Accessibility is Political has:

[Old advice – Hiding Content Has No Effect on Accessible Name or Description Calculation](https://html5accessibility.com/stuff/2026/04/07/old-advice-hiding-content-has-no-effect-on-accessible-name-or-description-calculation/)

Squarespace Engineering shows us:

[How To Use Standard HTML Video & Audio Lazy-Loading on the Web Today](https://engineering.squarespace.com/blog/2026/how-to-use-standard-html-video-and-audio-lazy-loading-on-the-web-today)

### CSS

Karl Koch explores:

[On scroll-driven reveals](https://karlkoch.me/writing/on-scroll-driven-animations)

CSSence examines:

[Animating emojis](https://cssence.com/2026/animating-emojis/)

**Witty blog name.**

CSS Tricks looks at:

[7 View Transitions Recipes to Try](https://css-tricks.com/7-view-transitions-recipes-to-try/)

**I like most of these. Of course, it may because I'm also a video editor.**

Frontend Masters explores:

[Building a UI Without Breakpoints](https://frontendmasters.com/blog/building-a-ui-without-breakpoints/)

Webkit examines:

[Name-only @container queries: a solution to the naming wars](https://webkit.org/blog/17923/name-only-container-queries-a-solution-to-the-naming-wars/)

### Web Components

Mozilla looks:

[Under the hood of MDN's new frontend](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/blog/mdn-front-end-deep-dive/)

**AKA reason 9,768 that React is absolute shit.**

Schalk Neethling is:

[Introducing masonry-gridlanes-wc: A Native-First Masonry Web Component](https://schalkneethling.com/posts/introducing-masonry-gridlanes-wc-a-native-first-masonry-web-component/)

### AI

The Komoy Noise Research Unit advises:

[Antagonize yerself!](https://knru.polin.ski/antagonise-yrself/)

**This is the same reason I went through the pain of coding bootcamp as a journalist/content creator.**

NerdyDev explains:

[Why AI Sucks At Front End](https://nerdy.dev/why-ai-sucks-at-front-end)

**To be fair, most “programmers” suck at frontend and most frontend frameworks are shit. And AI’s building off the garbage it stole from them.**

### _This week's featured programming tool_

#### Pears

Unleash the Power of P2P.

[Pears](https://pears.com/)

Back to top 👆🏼



***



ActivityPub



Ben Werdmuller notes::

[One size fits none: let communities build for themselves](https://werd.io/one-size-fits-none-let-communities-build-for-themselves/)

**Yep.**

Dominik Chrástecký opines:

[ActivityPub: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly](ttps://chrastecky.dev/technology/activity-pub-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly )

ActivityPub for WordPress announces:

[8.0.0 — Smash That Like Button](https://activitypub.blog/2026/03/05/8-0-0-smash-that-like-button/)

**WordPress is making better progress on ActivityPub integration than Ghost is.**

Ben W is:

[Shipping v0.1.0 for bookwyrm.koplugin!](https://mastodon.llyxx.me/@BenDoubleU/116381096116873032)

David Revoy explores:

[Unified Vs Split-panels: experimenting with publishing digital comics on the Fediverse](https://www.davidrevoy.com/article1138/unified-vs-split-panels-experimenting-with-publishing-digital-comics-on-the-fediverse)

### _This week's featured ActivityPub featured tool_

#### Platform 6

It's more of a resource this week, but Platform 6 supports crowdsourcing for co-operative development.

[Platform 6](https://platform6.coop/)

Back to top 👆🏼



---



Fediverse



Hamish Campbell shares:

[EU taking the open web path?](https://hamishcampbell.com/eu-taking-the-open-web-path/)

Paths and Patches announces:

[Apps for Change: four flavours](https://www.blog-pat.ch/apps-for-change/)

**This is a great service for non-profits and more organized communities.**

Technically Good has:

[A Blast from the Past: "Looks just aren't as Important Online as IRL"](https://technically-good.ca/blog/2026-04-08-a-blast-from-the-past-looks/)

Holos has:

[Federation & Moderation Policy](https://discover.holos.social/federation-policy)

[Holos will update its E2EE model to align with the shared spec](https://mastodon.social/@HolosSocial/116416045056891863)

FediLab announces:

[E2EE is coming to the Fediverse. Every effort will be made for Fedilab to be among the first Android clients to support it.](https://toot.fedilab.app/@apps/116416256000371982)

[Fedilab 3.38.1 has been published!](https://toot.fedilab.app/@apps/116415322323707624)

[HolosDiscover now uses IFTAS denylists for moderation](https://toot.fedilab.app/@apps/116382150060845267)

Speaking of, IFTAS exposes:

[Suspected Portal Kombat Accounts](https://about.iftas.org/library/suspected-portal-kombat-accounts/)

Mastodon has:

[Trunk & Tidbits, March 2026](https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2026/04/trunk-tidbits-march-2026/)

[Sovereign Tech Agency funding](https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2026/04/sovereign-tech-agency-funding/)

**90,000 of this will go to efforts with other ActivityPub platforms.**

Connected Places has more:

[FR159 – Sovereign Tech Agency funds Mastodon](https://connectedplaces.online/reports/fr159-sovereign-tech-agency-funds-mastodon/)

Kelson Reviews Stuff reviews:

[RSS Parrot](https://kvibber.com/reviews/web/rss-parrot/)

Back to top 👆🏼



* * *



More



Matrix shares:

[This Week in Matrix 2026-04-10](https://matrix.org/blog/2026/04/10/this-week-in-matrix-2026-04-10/)

### RSS

ReadBeanIceCream has:

[Manage Your Own Attention with RSS](https://readbeanicecream.surge.sh/2026/04/05/manage-your-own-attention-with-rss/)

[RSS Gets You Off the Platform; Curation Gets You Off the Drug](https://readbeanicecream.surge.sh/2026/04/10/rss-gets-you-off-the-platform-curation-gets-you-off-the-drug/)

Matt Duggan notes:

[You can absolutely have an RSS dependent website in 2026](https://matduggan.com/you-can-absolutely-have-an-rss-dependent-website-in-2026/)

**Absolutely true.**

Ale Hsu says:

[Your RSS posts might only live half as long as everyone else's](https://alexhsu.com/en/publish-date)

Death and Gravity announce:

[Reader 3.22 released – new web app](https://death.andgravity.com/reader-3-22)

### Other Federated Social Media

Euronews reports:

[Eurosky: Europe aims to rival Big Tech with its own social media ecosystem](https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/04/16/eurosky-europe-aims-to-rival-big-tech-with-its-own-social-media-ecosystem)

Eurosky is:

[Introducing Portal](https://eurosky.leaflet.pub/3mjkwiee2ds27)

**It's great that you no longer have to go through Bluesky!**

Connected Places reports:

[On ATProto's verification and coordination authority](https://leaflet.connectedplaces.online/3mjhqq22ynk2f)

Underreacted shares:

[ATProto made simple: granular permissions](https://underreacted.leaflet.pub/3mjfozhlhys2z)

Steve Simkins examines:

[Indexing Standard.site](https://stevedylan.dev/posts/indexing-standard-site/)

A Warm Space explains:

[page.parts dev log 1](https://awarm.leaflet.pub/3mj662txrs22p)

Nick Gerakines is:

[Introducing attested.network: Proof of Payment for ATProtocol](https://ngerakines.leaflet.pub/3mjf4hflwg22j)

Steve Woodson looks at:

[Adding Bluesky Activity to an Eleventy Blog](https://stevenwoodson.com/blog/adding-bluesky-activity-to-an-eleventy-blog)

### Democracy Tech

Free Knowledge has:

[Democratic Technology: Building Alternatives to Techno-Authoritarianism](https://freeknowledge.eu/democratic-technology-building-alternatives-to-techno-auhtoritarianism)

### eMail / Newsletters

Ghost announces:

[Welcome email design settings](https://ghost.org/changelog/welcome-email-design-settings/)

**Good stuff and we've updated ours.**

Spectral Web Services is:

[Introducing the newsletter digest builder!](https://www.spectralwebservices.com/blog/introducing-the-newsletter-digest-builder/)



***



## CTAs

- That’s it for this week. Please share The Programmer's Fulcrum.
- Follow us [on Flipboard](https://flipboard.com/@mobileatom/the-fulcrum-coding-for-democracy-and-the-omn-5g0jmckdz) or at [@thefulcrum@thefulcrum.dev](https://ghostverse.link/@thefulcrum@thefulcrum.dev) on the Fediverse or at [thefulcrum.eurosky.social](https://bsky.app/profile/thefulcrum.eurosky.social) for daily coverage.
- Read, live, and share [The Techno Anarchist Manifesto](https://www.thefulcrum.dev/techno-anarchist-manifesto/)!



**And please build something for a community!**



***



## Blasts from the past

[Previous Battalion Posts](https://battalion.mobileatom.net/?page_id=251)

[Previous Symfony Station Posts](https://symfonystation.mobileatom.net/weekly-communiques)