Just weeks after Automattic – the company behind WordPress.com – announced updates to the ActivityPub 1.0.0 plug-in for WordPress sites, it has now added support for its own hosted sites.
WordPress.com customers can now use the ActivityPub plug-in to integrate their blogs with the fediverse, including platforms like Mastodon, Pleroma, Friendica, and more.
Although not as popular as conventional social networks, the fediverse has gained popularity in recent months amid controversy surrounding X, which led to many unhappy users.
The fediverse is made up of multiple independent websites or servers that together create an interoperable social network, but because they can operate individually, fediverse users have greater control over their data and can even create their own servers.
The ActivityPub plug-in works by connecting your WordPress.com (or any compatible WordPress hosting platform) blog to the fediverse, enabling fedi users to follow you on their preferred platform.
It works two ways, so fediverse replies from your audience are translated to WordPress comments so that you don’t have to run two separate systems in isolation.
The plug-in is available for all WordPress.com users, including free account holders, and a new toggle has been added to the account settings.
WordPress.com reckons giving users the tools to get started on the fediverse will revolutionize blogging. The platform also envisions plenty of benefits, like extending your blog’s reach, connecting with diverse audiences, and creating engaging dialogs.
In reality, federated platforms are nowhere near as popular as conventional social media and many are put off over a lack of technical know-how, but as consumers continue to seek alternatives to everyday solutions, uptake may rise and WordPress.com’s early start may be enough to give it the upper hand.