Manton and Daniel talk about the fallout from Austin’s ice storm and preparing rationally for unexpected emergencies. Manton gives an update on Micro.blog enabling Mastodon support for more users, the impending Twitter API shutdown, and whether Manton should pay Twitter to postpone an inevitable removal of Twitter integration from Micro.blog.
Daniel quits Twitter! Manton and Daniel talk about how everybody has a “last straw” when they quit Twitter. They compare Manton’s frustrations with Twitter 10 years ago and the new problems with Elon Musk’s Twitter. Is Mastodon a viable alternative to Twitter, and how is Facebook evil different than Twitter evil? Then they think about what kind of leader would have to come in to potentially save Twitter in the way that Steve Jobs came back to Apple.
For the first show of the new year, Daniel and Manton talk about themes vs. resolutions, follow up bug fix updates to the MarsEdit 5 release, and book goals in Micro.blog. They reflect on the virtue of making things rather than merely consuming them, and Daniel’s lack of an enthusiastic desire to work on “just one app”. What is the likelihood of MarsEdit becoming “the thing”?
Daniel and Manton talk about Micro.blog trying to get more serious about marketing. How do we actually measure the success of advertising campaigns, and should we aim to attract more “influencers” to our products? Manton tries to be conscious of wrapping up high-pressure work in time to take it easy for the holidays. Finally, Daniel gives an update on his continuing efforts to get MarsEdit 5 approved in the Mac App Store.
Manton and Daniel talk about payments from the Small App Developer settlement against Apple. Why does Manton refuse to accept free money, and are there valid reasons to opt out of the settlement? Then they reflect on the wave of opportunity from Twitter’s drastic downfall, and whether Manton and Daniel can “catch it”. Finally, Manton remembers the IndieWeb principles about plurality and monoculture, and they discuss how that might relate to Mastodon.
Manton returns from the road while Twitter continues going off the rails. What is the company’s viability as they bewilder users and advertisers, and how much should Manton react to the opportunities that might exist? Daniel and Manton discuss Twitter, whether Jack Dorsey stands to gain even if Twitter fails, and the nihilistic tendencies of certain leaders. Finally, Manton checks in with Daniel on progress toward MarsEdit 5.
Daniel and Manton talk about everything Twitter. Elon Musk officially taking over the company, Manton’s 10-year anniversary of not posting to twitter.com/manton, Twitter’s open source Bluesky initiate and the AT Protocol, social media network effects, and how Twitter may or may not change in the coming months.
Daniel and Manton review Manton’s latest progress with the Indie Microblogging book. They talk about the need to get into a groove when working on a long-running project, and not to promise too much when setting goals for yourself or others. Finally, Daniel shares plans for a new “micro posting” UI for MarsEdit.
Daniel and Manton talk about the Meridian announcement, check-in apps, and the potential for a new “place marking” infrastructure. Daniel reiterates an earlier point on the podcast about how specialized features like Micro.blog’s bookshelves could be generalized for new types of data and workflows. Finally, Daniel pre-announces his new blogging app that is just for pizza posts. 🍕
