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Add draft for FEP-f1d5: NodeInfo in Fediverse Software
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cjslep
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---
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authors: CJ <cjslep@gmail.com>
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status: DRAFT
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dateReceived: 2020-12-11
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---
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# FEP-f1d5: NodeInfo in Fediverse Software
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## Summary
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NodeInfo is a protocol intended to standardize upon a way to provide
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server-level metadata to the public. This enables tools and clients to utilize
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this metadata to assess server health or facilitate end-users choices about
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servers and software to use on the Fediverse.
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## History
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NodeInfo was developed prior to the ActivityPub protocol targeted for use by
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diaspora, friendica, and redmatrix software [ActivityPub]. Some of the original
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protocols it encapsulated include diaspora, pumpio, and gnusocial.
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The NodeInfo specification is incredibly strict in its schema, often requiring
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regex-validation and a closed set of enumerated possible values. As an objection
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to this, the NodeInfo2 fork was created as a form of criticism by removing some
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validation of views and with some logical restructuring of the metadata
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[ServiceInfo]. Building off of NodeInfo and NodeInfo2, ServiceInfo was briefly
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explored [ServiceInfoRepository].
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This FEP does **not** attempt to document the specific protocol details. For
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that, see the [NodeInfoRepository] and [NodeInfo2Repository]. It attempts to
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clarify the history and identify shortcomings with the current approaches, to
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bring context to developers of Fediverse Software.
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## Requirements
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The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD",
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"SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this specification are to
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be interpreted as described in [RFC-2119].
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Fediverse software SHOULD implement NodeInfo [NodeInfoRepository].
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## Caveats
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At the time of this FEP's writing, the current objections to the current state
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of NodeInfo that have been identified by the community are:
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* The `software.name` regex is unnecessarily strict. For example, no uppercase
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letters, no spaces, no non-English-alphabet, and no special characters besides
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hyphen are permitted.
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* The `inbound` and `outbound` elements are specified as a closed set of enums
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instead of a simple string. Protocol versioning manifests as renaming, having
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to add a new enum, which results in unclear version management.
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* The Fediverse software MUST have an `openRegistrations` concept due to it
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being required.
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* Lacks an extendable method for identifying and versioning other features, such
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as HTTP Signatures, webfinger, or OAuth. Whereas the specification is very
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strict, the `metadata` is too lax.
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* The `users.usage` is not denormalized, such that implementations can provide
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custom pairs of (activity counts, time period in days) that make sense for the
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software.
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* The `activeHalfyear` and `activeMonth` are ill-named properties for describing
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the time periods of 180 days and 30 days, respectively. A "half of one year"
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is roughly 182.5 days, 75% of the time. A month is 30 days, 33% of the time.
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* The `localPosts` and `localComments` are not denormalized into pairs of
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`(kind, counts)` for software that, for example, hosts audio files, hosts
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videos, or software that does not have comments, or does not have posts.
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* The `localPosts` and `localComments` are required, which is problematic for
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software that does not have comments, or does not have posts.
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## Implementations
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### Servers
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* Mastodon
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* Matrix
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* Pleroma
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* PeerTube
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* WriteFreely
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* Friendica
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* Diaspora
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* PixelFed
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* Misskey
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* Funkwhale
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* Plume
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* GNU Social
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* lemmy
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* zap
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* Socialhome
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* epicyon
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* apcore
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... just to name a few.
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### Clients
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* [The-Federation.Info](https://the-federation.info/)
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* [Pod Uptime](https://podupti.me/)
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* [Hello Matrix Public Servers](https://www.hello-matrix.net/public_servers.php)
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## References
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- [ActivityPub] Christopher Lemmer Webber, Jessica Tallon, [ActivityPub](https://www.w3.org/TR/activitypub/), 2018
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- [NodeInfoRepository] Jonne Haß, [jhass/nodeinfo](https://github.com/jhass/nodeinfo), 2014
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- [NodeInfo2Repository] Jason Robinson, [jaywink/nodeinfo2](https://github.com/jaywink/nodeinfo2), 2016
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- [ServiceInfo] Jason Robinson, [ServiceInfo - specification for service metadata](https://talk.feneas.org/t/serviceinfo-specification-for-service-metadata/99), 2019
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- [ServiceInfoRepository] Jason Robinson, [feneas/serviceinfo](https://git.feneas.org/feneas/serviceinfo), 2019
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- [RFC-2119] S. Bradner, [Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2119.html
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## Copyright
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
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To the extent possible under law, the authors of this Fediverse Enhancement
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Proposal have waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this
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work.
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