Love to see how fast there is a new community popping up here and how active @hongminhee is in making it happen. Curious if anyone has tried to take the software and build a different community with it!

서문 (동기)

아래와 같은 Hackers' Pub 글을 보았습니다:

이제 프로필의 링크에 인증 여부가 보이게 됩니다. 링크를 인증하기 위해서는, 링크된 페이지 측에서도 Hackers' Pub 프로필을 rel="me" 속성과 함께 링크해야 합니다. Mastodon이나 GitHub 같은 경우 프로필에 링크를 추가하면 rel="me" 속성이 추가되게 되어 있으니, Mastodon이나 GitHub 프로필 링크를 추가하면 인증은 자동으로 될 겁니다. 개인 웹사이트가 있으신 분들은 Hackers' Pub 프로필을 rel="me" 속성과 함께 링크하면 인증이 됩니다.

참고로 인증은 프로필 설정을 저장할 때 이뤄집니다. 이미 Mastodon이나 GitHub 프로필을 링크해 두신 분들은 인증 표시가 안 뜰 수도 있는데, 그럼 프로필 설정에 들어가셔서 저장 버튼을 한 번 눌러주시면 인증 버튼이 붙을 겁니다.

from https://hackers.pub/@hongminhee/0195ad00-50db-7bb1-b0a0-edaf9ce73515

그래서 Hackers' Pub 설정으로 들어가서 GitHub 링크를 추가하고 저장버튼을 눌러봤지만 체크 표시가 나타나지 않았습니다. rel="me"가 뭔지 잘 몰라서 https://github.com/moreal?rel=me 같이 추가해봤는데 이것도 아니라서 (아닐 것 같았지만) 찾아본 내용을 가볍게 메모로 남깁니다.

본문

rel="me"를 검색하니 MDN 문서가 반겨주었습니다. HTML <link rel="stylesheet" ... 할 때 rel 속성이었습니다. <link rel="me" 혹은 <a rel="me" 같은 느낌으로 사용할 수 있는 것 같았습니다.

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Attributes/rel/me

GitHub 프로필 설정에서 https://hackers.pub/@moreal 소셜 링크를 추가하면 아래처럼 링크 a 요소에 rel="me" 속성을 추가하여 줍니다.

<a rel="nofollow me" class="Link--primary wb-break-all" href="https://hackers.pub/@moreal">https://hackers.pub/@moreal</a>

이 값을 활용하여 인증 마크를 표시하는 것으로 보입니다. (Hackers' Pub 링크 인증 소스코드)

결론

GitHub 등에서 https://hackers.pub/@<id> 를 연관 링크로 추가하고 Hackers' Pub 프로필 설정에서 다시 저장 버튼을 누르면 체크 표시가 나타납니다!

여담

함께 rel 속성에 달려있는 nofollow 같은 값은 검색엔진에게 주는 힌트처럼 보입니다. 해당 링크와 연관이 있음을 보장하지 않음, 같은 의미 같습니다. 일단 지금 하려던것과 무관하니 더 찾아보지는 않았습니다.

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Attributes/rel#nofollow

그리고 Hackers' Pub이 오픈소스라서 실제로 어떻게 인증마크를 표시하는지 확인할 수도 있었습니다!

Hackers' Pub의 숨겨진 기능 중 하나는 Graphviz의 DOT 언어를 지원한다는 것입니다. 예를 들어, 다음과 같은 다이어그램을 그릴 수 있습니다:

SimpleActivityPub server_a 서버 A (Mastodon) server_b 서버 B (Hackers' Pub) server_a->server_b ActivityStreams 데이터 전송 (HTTP POST) server_b->server_a 응답 및 상호작용 (HTTP POST)

Graphviz를 이용하는 법은 간단합니다. Markdown의 코드 블럭 문법 안에 DOT 언어로 다이어그램을 기술하신 뒤, 코드 블럭의 언어 태그에 graphviz를 붙이시면 됩니다. 위에서 예를 든 다이어그램은 Markdown에서 아래와 같이 쓰면 됩니다:

```graphviz
digraph SimpleActivityPub {
    graph [rankdir=LR, fontname="sans-serif", bgcolor="white"];
    node [fontname="sans-serif", shape=box, style="rounded,filled"];
    edge [fontname="sans-serif"];
    
    server_a [label="서버 A\n(Mastodon)", fillcolor="#AED6F1"];
    server_b [label="서버 B\n(Hackers' Pub)", fillcolor="#A3E4D7"];
    
    server_a -> server_b [label="ActivityStreams 데이터 전송\n(HTTP POST)", color="red"];
    server_b -> server_a [label="응답 및 상호작용\n(HTTP POST)", color="blue"];
}
```

참고로 Graphviz는 긴 게시글 뿐만 아니라 단문에서도 똑같이 지원합니다.

Hackers' Pub is a community-focused platform where programmers and technology enthusiasts share knowledge and experiences. As an ActivityPub-enabled social network, it allows users to connect with others across the broader fediverse ecosystem, bringing technical discussions and insights directly to followers' feeds.

In the fediverse landscape, your username is typically set in stone once chosen. Most ActivityPub-powered platforms like Mastodon, Pleroma, and others enforce this permanence as a fundamental design principle. However, Hackers' Pub is charting a different course with a more flexible approach to digital identity.

One-Time Username Change: Freedom with Responsibility

Unlike most fediverse platforms, Hackers' Pub now allows users to change their username (the part before the @ in your Fediverse handle) exactly once during the lifetime of their account. This policy acknowledges that people grow, interests evolve, and the username that seemed perfect when you joined might not represent who you are today.

This one-time change limit strikes a careful balance—offering flexibility while maintaining the stability and reliability that's essential for a federated network.

Username Recycling: New Opportunities

When you change your username on Hackers' Pub, your previous username becomes available for other users to claim. This recycling mechanism creates new opportunities for meaningful usernames to find their most fitting owners, rather than remaining permanently locked to accounts that no longer use them.

For newcomers to the platform, this means a wider selection of desirable usernames might become available over time—something virtually unheard of in the traditional fediverse ecosystem.

Link Preservation: Maintaining Digital History

Worried about broken links after changing your username? Hackers' Pub has implemented a thoughtful solution. All permalinks containing your original username will continue to function until someone else claims that username. This approach helps preserve the web of connections and conversations that make the fediverse valuable.

This temporary preservation period gives your connections time to adjust to your new identity while preventing immediate link rot across the federation.

The Technical Foundation: ActivityPub Actor URIs

What enables Hackers' Pub to offer username changes while other fediverse platforms can't? The answer lies in how actor identities are implemented at the protocol level.

Hackers' Pub uses UUID-based actor URIs that don't contain the username. For example, a user with handle @hongminhee has an underlying ActivityPub actor URI that looks like https://hackers.pub/ap/actors/019382d3-63d7-7cf7-86e8-91e2551c306c. Since the username isn't part of this permanent identifier, it can be changed without breaking federation connections.

This contrasts sharply with platforms like Mastodon, where a user @hongminhee has an actor URI of https://mastodon.social/users/hongminhee. With the username embedded directly in the URI, changing it would break all federation connections, which is why these platforms don't allow username changes.

This architectural choice gives Hackers' Pub the technical flexibility to implement username changes while maintaining account continuity across the fediverse.

GitHub-Inspired Approach

Those familiar with GitHub might recognize this model—Hackers' Pub has adapted GitHub's username change policy for the fediverse context. This approach brings the best of both worlds: the option for identity evolution from centralized platforms and the federation benefits of the fediverse.

What This Means for Users

For Hackers' Pub users, this policy offers a significant advantage over other fediverse instances:

• You can correct an unfortunate username choice
• Your online identity can evolve as you do
• Your content history remains intact during the transition
• You maintain your social connections despite the change

The Future of Fediverse Identity

Hackers' Pub's username policy represents an interesting experiment in the fediverse—testing whether more flexible identity management can coexist with the stability needed for federation. If successful, we might see other platforms adopt similar approaches, creating a more adaptable yet still interconnected social web.

For now, users should consider this policy a compelling reason to choose Hackers' Pub as their fediverse home, especially if username flexibility matters to their online experience.

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Hackers' Pub is currently in invitation-only beta. If you're interested in trying out the platform and its unique username policy, please leave your email address in the comments below. We'll add you to the allowlist, enabling you to sign up directly on the website. Note that this doesn't involve sending invitation emails—your address will simply be approved for registration when you visit the signup page.