Bonfire

Public Interest Social Networks

Bonfire is built by communities, for communities. Rooted in autonomy, mutual care, and collective power. Co-create your tools, reclaim your data, and resist manipulation by shaping your own federated digital spaces.

Posts by [@ivan](@ivan@bonfire.cafe ) and [@mayel](@mayel@bonfire.cafe )

Previously at Moved to @bonfire@bonfire.cafe (npub1lzd…urpr)

website: https://bonfirenetworks.org
Location: Gaia

Last Notes

2026-08-26 12:34:57 UTC

A tiny Bonfire feature that we’ve grown quite fond of 🌱
Instance admins can define their own set of default avatars, which are randomly assigned to people who haven’t uploaded a profile picture yet.
It sounds like a very small thing and technically, it is.
But after experimenting with it on the Jacobin community, we noticed how much these little details can contribute to giving an instance its own visual identity and fostering a sense of belonging to a shared digital place.
Not every feature that shapes a community needs to be big. Sometimes it’s just a bunch of tiny avatars 😊
Read more about our work with Jacobin in our case study: [bonfirenetworks.org/case-stu...](https://bonfirenetworks.org/case-studies/jacobin/)
https://bonfire.cafe/files/redir/local/data/uploads/01JSHXHVD56ZFCS6K7VP952TP5/images/01M0Z120CPQN1KDXZNSJAATXRB.png
https://bonfire.cafe/files/redir/local/data/uploads/01JSHXHVD56ZFCS6K7VP952TP5/images/01M0Z1206739EEP7GWHSZ9JWFT.png

2026-07-01 12:42:16 UTC

Bonfire Social 1.0.5 is out! 🔥
**Archipelago mode** means instead of open federation (connect to everyone, then play whack-a-mole blocking bad actors), you can now choose to **federate** ***\*only\**** **with a hand-picked allow-list of trusted people or servers**. Communities can link up into an "archipelago" of like-minded "islands" with shared rules, ideal for tight-knit groups, neighbourhoods, assemblies, co-ops, or orgs that want to connect with each other but not necessarily the whole internet.
We also added new admin throughput controls as our latest take on "calm empowerment": simple defaults first, curated overrides next, and full advanced control behind an explicit gesture. In practice, you can keep a busy instance responsive by picking a speed preset, prioritising certain kinds of activity, or fine-tuning each background task queue, no config files or restarts needed.
Also new in 1.0.5:
* Faster search, now powered by Sonic
* Broadcast announcements to everyone on your instance
* Embeddable widgets: put your pinned posts on any website
* PGP-encrypted system emails
* Plus lots of improvements and fixes (federation, polls, media, accessibility, mobile)
Blog post and changelog: [bonfirenetworks.org/posts/bo...](https://bonfirenetworks.org/posts/bonfire-social-1-0-5-archipelago/)

2026-06-20 16:51:29 UTC

🔥 The Bonfire Social 1.0.5 release candidate is out!
This one brings archipelago mode (opt-in, allow-list federation for tightly-knit communities and networks), a more lightweight search backend (see changelog for migration steps), broadcasting announcements, another embeddable widget, PGP-encrypted emails, and many UX improvements and fixes.
If you're running an instance and want to give it a go, please let us know if you run into any issues.
Full changelog: [docs.bonfirenetworks.org/cha...](https://docs.bonfirenetworks.org/changelog.html)

2026-05-15 18:43:24 UTC

We just released Bonfire Social 1.0.3 🔥
Blog post with all the details: [bonfirenetworks.org/posts/bo...](https://bonfirenetworks.org/posts/bonfire-1-0-3-stability-clarity-and-federated-publishing/)
It comes with dozens of bug fixes and UX improvements, plus:
* Federated comments embeddable on any web page.
- Deep Ghost integration: SSO, membership tier sync, and automatic article import.
* New dashboard widgets: spotlight, polls closing soon, top discussions.
- \#CalmEmpowerment: a new design pattern that starts with a few sensible defaults, offers a middle layer of common adjustments, and reveals the full options only when you need them. Boundaries and post permissions got this treatment first, more to follow...
- Modular community rules: a first step in bringing research and co-design with students and researchers at @npub1cr8…dnek into Bonfire, so governance becomes something communities can better define and share, and that others can fork and adapt.
 <a class="hashtag" rel="tag ugc" href="https://bonfire.cafe/hashtag/Bonfire">#Bonfire</a> <a class="hashtag" rel="tag ugc" href="https://bonfire.cafe/hashtag/Fediverse">#Fediverse</a> <a class="hashtag" rel="tag ugc" href="https://bonfire.cafe/hashtag/ActivityPub">#ActivityPub</a> <a class="hashtag" rel="tag ugc" href="https://bonfire.cafe/hashtag/Ghost">#Ghost</a> <a class="hashtag" rel="tag ugc" href="https://bonfire.cafe/hashtag/CommunityRules">#CommunityRules</a>

2026-05-06 22:30:27 UTC

- reply

those are just placeholders, our goal is maximum interoperability while also extending what is possible, and we're participating in the W3C groups task force to define how things should work, please weigh in there if you have any suggestions: [github.com/swicg/groups/issues](https://github.com/swicg/groups/issues)

2026-05-06 14:24:40 UTC

Our @npub1cza…d6az demo is up! 🔥
We showed off [Bonfire Mosaic](https://bonfirenetworks.org/mosaic/) and our ongoing work on federated groups and new publisher tools we’ve been co-designing with [jacobin.de](http://jacobin.de), including federated discussion threads that can be embedded on their existing website.
Built on our modular framework for community-governed digital spaces.
Watch 👉 [spectra.video/w/hV9wzGzsXvNj...](https://spectra.video/w/hV9wzGzsXvNjgXtVg3uS2i)

2026-01-31 23:08:36 UTC

- reply

definitely! we're doing a presentation at the decentralised communication FOSDEM room tomorrow with that goal in mind!
@npub17gp…nrxn @npub1m9z…whzq @npub1gw6…2up6

2026-01-30 12:34:33 UTC

🚄 The Bonfire team is rolling into Brussels for FOSDEM 2026!
Come find us at one of Europe’s biggest free software gatherings, with over 8,000 people, dozens of devrooms, and all things open source. We’re giving two talks this weekend (and both will be livestreamed at the links below, so you can join from anywhere, with recordings up afterward):
**Building Modular, Consentful, and Federated Social Networks**\
🎥 [Social Web devroom](https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/track/social-web/) \
🗓️ Saturday, Jan 31st, 17:20–17:40 CET\
🌐 [Local time where you are](https://time.is/1720_31_Jan_2026_in_Brussels)
**Modular Communication Tools on the Open Social Web**\
🎥 [Decentralised Communication devroom](https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/track/decentralised-communication/) \
🗓️ Sunday, Feb 1st, 14:45–15:15 CET\
🌐 [Local time where you are](https://time.is/1445_1_Feb_2026_in_Brussels)
We’ll be sharing more about the why and how of Bonfire and our ecosystem, hands-on demos, announcing new alliances, and real stories from communities using Bonfire today.
We can’t wait to connect with the open source and fediverse crowd, swap ideas, and meet anyone passionate about building healthier, more flexible, and consentful digital spaces. Whether you’re a developer, community organiser, or just fediverse-curious, come say hi!

2026-01-19 12:38:02 UTC

Hi everyone! We’re excited to share some updates:
**Bonfire 1.0.1 is out!** 🎉\
This release is all about making your social web experience livelier, more connected, and truly yours. It brings features like following hashtags, scheduled posts, dashboard widgets, and more. This is the very first delivery from the maintenance work funded by your incredible support. Thank you for helping us reach this milestone and keep Bonfire thriving!
For details about the release see our latest blog post: [Bonfire 1.0.1: Building Momentum](https://bonfirenetworks.org/posts/bonfire-1-0-1-building-momentum/)
**What’s next for crowdfunding?**\
\
If you're an existing backer, the pledge manager is now open. Please keep an eye out for updates there so we can start preparing rewards for you.
The campaign is open again for the next month. With core maintenance funded, every new pledge (or increased pledge from existing backers) now goes directly toward our first stretch goal: federated groups. [Support or share our extended campaign](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bonfire/community?refcode=3kLzeeiBFkiUQfFE4dHjyg) to help fund community-owned, cross-instance spaces for real collaboration and self-governance.
**Bonus good news:** Thanks to a new grant, [end-to-end encrypted messaging in Bonfire is now funded](https://socialwebfoundation.org/2025/12/19/implementing-encrypted-messaging-over-activitypub/) and in development!
Thank you once again for being part of the Bonfire movement! Your feedback, support, and community spirit make all of this possible. If you have questions or want to get involved, reach out or come say hello at [FOSDEM](https://fosdem.org/2026/) if you’re in Brussels at the end of January!
With gratitude,\
The Bonfire Team

2025-07-08 13:43:02 UTC

We’re pleased to announce Bonfire Social 1.0 Release Candidate 2! This update is all about refining and polishing the experience, fixing bugs, and making Bonfire more enjoyable and reliable for everyone. These improvements come directly from your feedback, bug reports, and real-world testing.
 
Of course, we couldn’t help ourselves and also snuck in some exciting new features—like long-form article publishing and more feeds customisations, plus plenty of interface refinements for both desktop and mobile.
 
A huge thank you to everyone who has set up a Bonfire instance, or joined the [campground](https://campground.bonfire.cafe) (our local-only testing space) to try out the app. Your suggestions and bug reports have been invaluable as we approach version 1.0. Please keep testing, sharing feedback, and helping us shape the future of federated social spaces!
 
## ✨ What’s new and improved?
 
* **Long-form publishing:** Going beyond beyond short posts to [read and write in-depth articles](/post/01JYRX7HCGME693BGCZF6AGGK1), ideal for essays, announcements, or detailed content. Article feeds are now available for RSS readers.
* **Smarter feeds:** New feed options for **events**, **books**, and **articles** help you discover what matters to you most. You can now also filter out your own activities from your feeds when desired.
* **Multi-profiles overview**: A new navigation menu can display all your profiles with notification indicators, allowing quick profile switching.
* **Private by default:** New Bonfire instances start as invite-only, giving admins control over membership from day one.
* **Interface improvements:** We've refined the user experience, enhanced notifications and ensured posts display properly across mobile devices.
* **More reliable:** Tons of fixes for authentication, media uploads, mentions, moderation, and other core features.
 
Additional improvements include:
 
* Better translation and localization workflow
* Smoother OAuth/OpenID login and SSO support
* Updated documentation and guides for admins and contributors
* Enhanced S3 integration for uploads
* Lots of small bug fixes on comment threads, messaging, settings, and more
For a comprehensive list of changes, see the [full changelog](http://localhost:4000/post/changelog.md).
 
## 🎪 Community contributions and other initiatives
* We hosted our first [install party](https://indieweb.social/@bonfire/114737730812193211) using [coop-cloud](https://coopcloud.tech/), with all participants who followed along successfully deploying their own Bonfire instances.
* Seperately, ozoned from [Fireside Fedi](https://social.firesidefedi.live/@firesidefedi) [livestreamed their installation attempt](https://video.firesidefedi.live/w/sXNGDdqurg59cE3syZ3svU), surfacing valuable setup challenges. This highlighted the need to simplify Docker deployment and improve documentation. Contributors are welcome to help make this easier!
* Sciety deployed a Bonfire instance as part of their [pre-print review project](https://blog.sciety.org/weeknotes/sciety-product-news-01-07-2025/).
* @npub10s2…upyn [published an article](https://spark.box464.social/post/01JZDM9H4148XRMW2XH7PQNNSC) on how to add a weather widget in Bonfire.
## 🌍 Localisation: Bonfire in your language!
Bonfire Social is built to be diverse and welcoming, which means making it accessible in as many languages as possible. Thanks to our amazing translators, Bonfire is now available in several languages.
 
### 🏅 Top translated languages
\- **Portuguese (Brazil):** 100% translated & reviewed 🎉
\- **French:** 98.9% translated, 69.4% reviewed
\- **Italian:** 96.7% translated, 54% reviewed
\- **German:** 98% translated
\- **Spanish:** 57% translated
\- **Vietnamese:** 20.9% translated, 11.1% reviewed
\- ...and several more, including **Catalan**, **Cantonese** and **Taiwanese**.
 
Want to help Bonfire speak your language? Please [join us](https://app.transifex.com/bonfire) and make a difference for communities worldwide!
 
## 🤝 Help needed
As we push toward 1.0, we're facing some specific challenges where community support and contributions would make a real difference:
* **DevOps expertise**: We need help streamlining the Docker installation process to make Bonfire more accessible to new users. If you have experience with containerisation and deployment workflows, your contributions would be invaluable.
* **Elixir developers**: Join us in improving Bonfire's stability and performance. We're focused on eliminating bugs and enhancing the core extensions' reliability.
* **Financial support**: As a small team of two working full-time on Bonfire, we need community support to sustain development. You can contribute through our [Open Collective page](https://opencollective.com/bonfire-networks).
* **Federation testing**: We're seeking users willing to set up Bonfire instances and try out federation and interoperability with other fediverse platforms. Your real-world testing helps ensure Bonfire works seamlessly across the fediverse.
* **Translation**: Please [join us](https://app.transifex.com/bonfire) or share this with your multilingual friends!
These are our most pressing needs as we approach 1.0. If you can help with any of these areas, please get in touch via the [fediverse](/@Bonfire), [Matrix chat](https://matrix.to/#/#bonfire-networks:matrix.org), or [GitHub](https://github.com/bonfire-networks/bonfire/issues). Every contribution, big or small, helps make Bonfire better for everyone.
 
## 🙏 Thank you!
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed translations and reviews. You are lighting up Bonfire for people everywhere! Here are some of our awesome translators:
 
> Gilles Dutilh, Ahmad Dakhlallah, Lamparina Coletivo, alan ptm, Antonio Irre, Zulfikar A, CDN, cranio\_is\_thinking, Steven Bond, Diego KehrleSousa, Vrlo Vazno, Ed, Andrei Guliaikin, Hendra Wahyu T, Hippie Gschpängschtli, House of Olivier EU, Ivan Minutillo, Juan García, Lapineige, Pascal Schmid, Martin Frost, Duy, Mayel de Borniol, Sovversivo Anonimo, Peter Kvillegård, Poesty Li, Sergio Guidoux, Vaclovas lntas, Williams Melgar, and many more!
 
We really appreciate your work! 💜
 
And a massive thank you to everyone who contributed code, ideas, testing, translations, and support—including @npub10s2…upyn , @npub1drf…fpxa, @npub1j2w…40wu , @npub1xyu…eep0 , @npub1jvs…9663 , @npub13c7…3szn.
\
Thanks to those that are taking time to test drive Bonfire on our [demo instance](https://campground.bonfire.cafe/) and provide feedback, such as @LiquidParasyte, @Rincewind, @youronlyone, @coyote...
\
Thanks to @npub1n8y…l96n for supporting the Bonfire development, all our Open Collective donors and our amazing community as a whole.
 
Bonfire is a collaborative project, and [we’re grateful to build it with you](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wxI4KK9ZYo\&list=RD9wxI4KK9ZYo\&start_radio=1) .
 
\---
 
**Ready to try Bonfire 1.0 RC2?**
\- [Get started](https://bonfirenetworks.org/start/)
\- [Try our demo instance](https://campground.bonfire.cafe/)
\- [Provide feedback](https://github.com/bonfire-networks/bonfire/issues)
\- [Chat with us on the fediverse](/@Bonfire): @npub14rp…za3l
\- [Chat with us on Matrix](https://matrix.to/#/#bonfire-networks:matrix.org)
Let’s light up the fediverse together! 🚀