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Trump’s upcoming social network app is using Mastadon.

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-accused-ripping-code-s...

Not trying to get political, but this site is obviously going to be the biggest Mastadon showcase.




Anil Dash made a great point earlier today in this tweet thread:

https://twitter.com/anildash/status/1451209739141066756

"My wish is that media gives proportionate attention to the many thriving, interesting, well-moderated, non-fascist Mastodon servers that are enabling healthy communities across the web before focusing on one doddering fascist's vaporware social network.

Given that this is unlikely to be a request that media honors, at the very least make sure your story gives equal emphasis to the violent fascist agenda, and countless deaths, that the person behind the new social network enabled, before delving into its photo sharing features.

And by contrast, the wonderful @tinysubversions has, for years, been leading a movement to create healthy, supportive, pro-human, independent social networks with efforts like https://runyourown.social that are home to thousands of thriving communities. Each deserves coverage."


Gab already forked Mastodon, and it's not clear whether Truth Social would surpass Gab in popularity.

Unlike Truth Social, Gab actually complies with Mastodon's AGPLv3 license by publishing its source code, though in an obnoxious way (password-protected archive file):

https://code.gab.com/gab/gab-open-source


Last update was 7 months ago, either gab didn't do any chance if this timeframe or they are also violating the license.


If they did update their production code since their last source code release, then you're right, it would be a license violation. I don't know if this is the case. Either way, it is much better to make occasional source code releases than to not release any code at all, when the code is under a copyleft license.


Honest question:

There is a lot of talk about Truth Social violating the AGPL license.

If it it a work in progress and not yet public, do they need to share their source code, or do they need to share it once they launch?


If Truth Social is running Mastodon-based code on a server, even if it is a private beta, the source code needs to be made available under AGPLv3 to anyone who can access the service.

> d) Convey the object code by offering access from a designated place (gratis or for a charge), and offer equivalent access to the Corresponding Source in the same way through the same place at no further charge. You need not require recipients to copy the Corresponding Source along with the object code. If the place to copy the object code is a network server, the Corresponding Source may be on a different server (operated by you or a third party) that supports equivalent copying facilities, provided you maintain clear directions next to the object code saying where to find the Corresponding Source. Regardless of what server hosts the Corresponding Source, you remain obligated to ensure that it is available for as long as needed to satisfy these requirements.

https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.html


Is there any evidence that supposed beta testers are not receiving the source code?


The FSF has a somewhat relevant answer about this: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.en.html#StolenCopy

It depends on if the accidentally public instance could be considered a trade secret.


I guess they heard you because now it's "last updated 50m ago".


So basically Truth Social can do the same thing and be compliant?


Yes. The other major requirement is that Truth Social must also be licensed under AGPLv3.

> c) You must license the entire work, as a whole, under this License to anyone who comes into possession of a copy. This License will therefore apply, along with any applicable section 7 additional terms, to the whole of the work, and all its parts, regardless of how they are packaged. This License gives no permission to license the work in any other way, but it does not invalidate such permission if you have separately received it.

https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.html


It's a fork that violates the GPL and is already being filled with troll posts despite not officially being launched. It's not going to last, just like the other 2? 3? attempts.


It's not really clear that it will be a showcase if it hides its Mastadon roots and doesn't connect to the Fediverse.


A large segment of the Fediverse has already blocked Trump's domain due to incompliance with the license.


Yours right that it's been a mostly blocked, but the license issues is not the reason.

Gab got blocked very quickly as well, and they complied with the license.


Nothing obvious about it. It's only "obvious" if you get political.

Trump has started a couple of other alt megaphones for himself since he got booted off Twitter and they failed. He's tried email and he's tried blogs and he doesn't get enough attention on them, so he quits. This one has already started ridiculed and with poor security and moderation practices before it's even gotten off the ground. I am not sure how Parler, which caters to the same audience, is faring nowadays, but I don't get the impression it's really the alt social media juggernaut its proponents have hoped for. Gab also is for the maga crowd and it hasn't been a large crowd. The fediverse at large isn't that large either, for that matter.

So, let's see how Trump does this time.


> this site is obviously going to be the biggest Mastadon showcase

why?


The media will cover it.


Hm I can see that but I don't think that aspect will receive all that much attention and it looks like the site as a whole has already sunk beyond repair and is sizzling out pretty fast even before the launch.




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