Latest news with #Bonfire
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bonfire's new software lets users build their own social communities, free from platform control
Bonfire Social, a new framework for building communities on the open social web, launched on Thursday during the FediForum online conference. While Bonfire Social is a federated app, meaning it's powered by the same underlying protocol as Mastodon (ActivityPub), it's designed to be more modular and more customizable. That means communities on Bonfire have more control over how the app functions, which features and defaults are in place, and what their own roadmap and priorities will include. There's a decidedly disruptive bent to the software, which describes itself as a place where "all living beings thrive and communities flourish, free from private interest and capitalistic control." In other words, its mission is to build social software where people get to make the decisions, not Big Tech platform makers like Meta or Google. The organization itself runs as a nonprofit funded by donations and grants, and it doesn't take venture capital. Its code is open source, and it works in collaboration with the communities and researchers that use it to build and enhance online digital spaces. Bonfire Social, now offered as a 1.0 Release Candidate ahead of the public release, is just one representation of what Bonfire offers. Bonfire calls it a "flavor." Each flavor is a preconfigured bundle of Bonfire extensions, features, and defaults, sort of like a starting template. When a community opts to run a particular "flavor," it gets to govern the app as it sees fit, adding its own extensions and determining its own roadmap for product changes. This puts the social software back under users' control, instead of being subject to the whims of a platform maker with ever-changing feature sets and algorithms. The organization is already developing other flavors, like Bonfire Community and Open Science, and the Bonfire software lets any other community create their own version. In Bonfire Social, users will recognize familiar features, like feeds and tools to follow users, share posts, create user profiles, flag or block content, and more. However, it also offers other tools and features that traditional social networks may not have, like tools for customizing feeds, support for nested discussions, the ability to host multiple profiles per user, rich-text posts, and access control features. Custom feeds are a key differentiation between Bonfire and traditional social media apps. Though the idea of following custom feeds is something that's been popularized by newer social networks like Bluesky or social browsers like Flipboard's Surf, the tools to actually create those feeds are maintained by third parties. Bonfire instead offers its own custom feed-building tools in a simple interface that doesn't require users to understand coding. To build feeds, users can filter and sort content by type, date, engagement level, source instance, and more, including something it calls "circles." Those who lived through the Google+ era of social networks may be familiar with the concept of Circles. On Google's social network, users organized contacts into groups, called Circles, for optimized sharing. That concept lives on at Bonfire, where a circle represents a list of people. That can be a group of friends, a fan group, local users, organizers at a mutual aid group, or anything else users can come up with. These circles are private by default but can be shared with others. Another unique feature on Bonfire Social is Boundaries, which let you control who can see or engage with your content. For instance, you could share a post with a number of your circles, but only allow one specific circle's members to comment. Bonfire also supports threaded conversations (nested discussions) where replies can branch out into their own sub-threads. This can be useful for communities where deeper discussions and collaboration are more valuable than those where everyone competes for attention. Plus, Bonfire users can customize the app using one of the 16 built-in themes, or they can design their own layout and pick their own colors and fonts. Accounts on Bonfire can also host multiple profiles that have their own followers, content, and settings. This could be useful for those who simply prefer to have both public and private profiles, but also for those who need to share a given profile with others -- like a profile for a business, a publication, a collective, or a project team. Other features available at launch include PWA support for mobile devices, community blocklists, custom emoji support, full-text search (with opt out), direct messages, private group discussions (also with nested threads), and more. Extensions, which add different features, can be enabled or disabled by both admins and users. Admins simply decide what the defaults are. That means users could turn on or off features they don't like, even core features such as likes or boosts (the federated version of the retweet/repost). Because Bonfire is built on ActivityPub, it also federates with Mastodon, PeerTube, Mobilizon, and others. The software is meant to be self-installed, though work to develop a hosting network is under way. For those who just want to kick the tires, a demo instance is available. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bonfire's new software lets users build their own social communities, free from platform control
Bonfire Social, a new framework for building communities on the open social web, launched on Thursday during the FediForum online conference. While Bonfire Social is a federated app, meaning it's powered by the same underlying protocol as Mastodon (ActivityPub), it's designed to be more modular and more customizable. That means communities on Bonfire have more control over how the app functions, which features and defaults are in place, and what their own roadmap and priorities will include. There's a decidedly disruptive bent to the software, which describes itself as a place where "all living beings thrive and communities flourish, free from private interest and capitalistic control." In other words, its mission is to build social software where people get to make the decisions, not big tech platform makers like Meta or Google. The organization itself runs as a nonprofit funded by donations and grants, and it doesn't take venture capital. Its code is open source, and it works in collaboration with the communities and researchers that use it to build and enhance online digital spaces. Bonfire Social, now offered as a 1.0 Release Candidate ahead of the public release, is just one representation of what Bonfire offers. Bonfire calls it a "flavor." Each flavor is a preconfigured bundle of Bonfire extensions, features, and defaults, sort of like a starting template. When a community opts to run a particular "flavor," it gets to govern the app as it sees fit, adding its own extensions and determining its own roadmap for product changes. This puts the social software back under users' control, instead of being subject to the whims of a platform maker with an ever-changing feature sets and algorithms. The organization is already developing other flavors like Bonfire Community and Open Science, and the Bonfire software lets any other community create their own version. In Bonfire Social, users will recognize familiar features, like feeds and tools to follow users, share posts, create user profiles, flag or block content, and more. However, it also offers other tools and features that traditional social networks may not have, like tools for customizing feeds, support for nested discussions, the ability to host multiple profiles per user, rich-text posts, and access control features. Custom feeds are a key differentiation between Bonfire and traditional social media apps. Though the idea of following custom feeds is something that's been popularized by newer social networks like Bluesky or social browsers like Flipboard's Surf, the tools to actually create those feeds are maintained by third parties. Bonfire instead offers its own custom feed-building tools in a simple interface that doesn't require users to understand coding. To build feeds, users can filter and sort content by type, date, engagement level, source instance, and more, including something it calls "circles." Those who lived through the Google+ era of social networks may be familiar with the concept of Circles. On Google's social network, users organized contacts into groups, called Circles, for optimized sharing. That concept lives on at Bonfire, where a circle represents a list of people. That can be a group of friends, a fan group, local users, organizers at a mutual aid group, or anything else users can come up with. These circles are private by default but can be shared with others. Another unique feature on Bonfire Social is Boundaries, which let you control who can see or engage with your content. For instance, you could share a post with a number of your circles, but only allow one specific circle's members to comment. Bonfire also supports threaded conversations (nested discussions) where replies can branch out into their own sub-threads. This can be useful for communities where deeper discussions and collaboration are more valuable than those where everyone competes for attention. Plus, Bonfire users can customize the app using one of the 16 built-in themes, or they can design their own layout and pick their own colors and fonts. Accounts on Bonfires can also host multiple profiles that have their own followers, content, and settings. This could be useful for those who simply prefer to have both public and private profiles, but also for those who need to share a given profile with others -- like a profile for a business, a publication, a collective, or a project team. Other features available at launch include PWA support for mobile devices, community blocklists, custom emoji support, full-text search (with opt out), direct messages, private group discussions (also with nested threads), and more. Extensions, which add different features, can be enabled or disabled by both admins and users. Admins simply decide what the defaults are. That means users could turn on or off features they don't like, even core features such as likes or boosts (the federated version of the retweet/repost). Because Bonfire is built on ActivityPub, it also federates with Mastodon, Peertube, Mobilizon, and others. The software is meant to be self-installed, though work to develop a hosting network is under way. For those who just want to kick the tires, a demo instance is available.
The Independent
30-04-2025
- The Independent
The crowd-free island getaway that won't break the bank this summer
On one side, there are the mountains: the towering Roque del Condé with its distinctive flat top sits among countless other remarkable volcanic rock formations edging towards the scattered clouds above. On the other, there's the Atlantic Ocean: fresh, blue, serene. And in the middle, there's me, reclining on a sun-soaked lounger on my private patio beside the pool, sipping a glass of champagne, gently warmed by the balmy April sun. Quiet luxury is the name of the game at Royal Hideaway Corales Villas, a new hotel in southern Tenerife. Guests are encouraged to 'leave the world behind', indulging in a holistic itinerary of wellness activities, gastronomical experiences, and tranquil relaxation inspired by the Canarian surroundings. The hotel also shows how this kind of luxury doesn't have to cost the earth, with rooms at this five-star property starting at €221/£188 per night. Its small size, intimate facilities and stylistic devotion to tranquillity and serenity – not least the fact that most rooms boast a private pool – makes it stand out in a crowded field. My first day at the Royal Hideaway Corales Villas begins with an early morning yoga class. I'm not usually a morning person, but when I open my blackout curtains to a glittering blue pool outside my swim-up room, the similarly sparkling ocean in the distance being gently warmed by the rising sun, I instantly feel energised and ready to stretch out muscles sore from travelling. A short walk from my suite (a swim-up, sea view junior suite starting at €287/ £244) – takes me to Land House, the hotel's wellness centre which conceptually focuses on the simplicity of nature and earth-inspired rituals. Here, I join fellow yogis in a plant-filled courtyard to begin a gentle morning session adapted to our abilities and goals. Rooms in the same building host tranquil therapeutic massages and other treatments, with a sauna and a sun-soaked courtyard poised to peacefully adjust back to reality after my rejuvenating back massage. What's left after all of that relaxation other than to treat my taste buds and stomach with the same care and attention? A priority for me when I'm travelling is sampling the local cuisine, an experience the Royal Hideaway Corales Villas offers in droves. The à la carte restaurant Bonfire offers a wide range of Spanish and Canarian dishes from fresh fish and meat to tantalising vegetable plates, beautiful dry rice paella to salty seafood delicacies. A highlight from my dining experience is the fresh oyster, served with a delicate dose of caviar (€9/£7) and the mushroom dry rice paella (€27/£23 per person) – both rich, flavoursome and wholesome, crafted with care and attention. I am a pescatarian and am travelling with some vegetarian diners, and the restaurant is more than accommodating to our dietary requirements without sacrificing a drop of the quality and devotion given to our meat-eating counterparts. My second evening is spent at fine dining restaurant Cráter. Canarian chef Eduardo Domínguez's philosophy is to explore the history, traditions and ingredients of the eight Canary Islands, honouring each distinct island with its own carefully crafted tasting menu. The restaurant has opened with a menu focused on La Palma, the fifth largest of the eight main Canary Islands. Every 15 to 18 months, a different island will take the spotlight. There are currently two tasting menus on offer: La Danza del Minué (€85/£72 per person) and La Danza de los Enanos (€105/£90 per person), the latter being larger than the former, but sharing some of the same dishes. Personal highlights include la pimienta palmera – bigeye tuna with pickled red mojo marinade (a local Canarian staple); la Judía Mantecosa, a fragrant and salty bite of butter beans, moray eel and coriander; and el caldero de Fuencaliente – wreckfish, seaweed, green pepper and Marciala potatoes. Those who enjoy the history and culture of food will certainly get a kick out of a night at Cráter, where each and every dish has a story. Whether it's the inclusion of rare, endemic ingredients, dishes that are inspired by the staple foods eaten by locals, or innovative table setting and plating based on local traditions, these menus are a love letter to Canarian cuisine. The restaurant is working towards a Michelin star, following in the footsteps of its One Star neighbour Il Bocconcino at sister hotel Royal Hideaway Corales Suites, just down the road in La Caleta. While the thumping basslines of nearby popular party town Playa de las Américas don't even register as a whisper on the breeze out at the Royal Hideaway Corales Villas, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy a delicious artisanal cocktail or two. Materia Elemental Bar is the place to go for a sophisticated, well-balanced drink, situated on a terrace that's nothing short of blissful at sunset. Classic recipes are reimagined here with a modern twist, all based around the four elements – earth, water, fire and air – and crafted entirely with Canarian products. Head bartender Yonathan Mesa is Spain's Cocktail Champion 2023, so I know I'm in good hands as I sip on an earthy, beetroot take on my favourite classic cocktail, the Negroni. This is a real cocktail-lovers bar, with short, strong drinks – though those who prefer a non-alcoholic tipple are certainly not left out, with a personal favourite booze-free cocktail being a Seedlip Grove alcohol-free spirit with honey, strawberries and grapefruit served in a sleek coupe glass. For anyone looking to sample local living in Tenerife, the hotel runs shuttle buses to nearby fishing village La Caleta, where visitors can enjoy the rocky beaches and turquoise water, boat excursions, and a tranquil amble through the streets. Far from the busy beaches and boisterous bars that have made this Canarian island so popular in the past, the Royal Hideaway Corales Villas is a destination not to be missed: a dream escape where you really can leave the world behind. How to plan your trip
Los Angeles Times
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Krysten Ritter may have witnessed a crime on vacation. She turned it into a novel
Krysten Ritter remembers the moment the idea for her new book came to her. She was vacationing with a good friend at a beach resort in Mexico about 13 years ago, enjoying some long-deferred 'me time,' when a man on a bike approached her. He was looking for his partner, who had rented a bike earlier in the day. She was gone. Vanished. The man gave Ritter and her friend a physical description: Did they happen to see anyone who matched the profile? 'I was thinking, 'Oh, my God, this guy is planting an alibi,'' says Ritter from her L.A. home. 'Like this is some crazy s— happening; this guy might have murdered his partner, some story is developing.' Ritter continued her vacation but mentally filed away the incident in her 'fat folder' of ideas when she returned. Back in L.A., life continued as usual. Ritter resumed her day job as an actor, taking on her biggest role to date: the titular ex-superhero in the Marvel series 'Jessica Jones.' Ritter did eventually sit down to write a novel, based on an entirely different idea: 2017's psychological thriller 'Bonfire.' Six years later, Ritter's muse finally latched onto that wisp of a notion and it is now a full-blown 'hall of distorted mirrors' thriller called 'Retreat.' The con artist in Ritter's novel is a young woman with a murky past and visions of absconded riches who is ensnared in an elaborate swindle that recalls David Mamet at his most labyrinthine. Ritter's novel, which she co-wrote with Lindsay Jamieson, is all clever misdirection and twisty sleight of hand, as identities dissolve and mutate, and the big score is an elusive mirage. Ritter first came to writing as an ambitious young actor trying to generate story ideas for herself. She sold a screenplay 20 years ago and had been toying with the idea of writing fiction for a number of years before the idea for her first novel came to her. 'I'm resourceful, I'm a go-getter,' says Ritter. 'When something compels me, whether it's a new acting role or an idea for a book or a screenplay, I dive in. I'm not afraid to hear no, and I hear it all the time.' As a crime fiction fan, Ritter has a sweet tooth for the unsolved and seemingly unsolvable mystery, perpetrated by a criminal who is also a shape-shifter of sorts. Liz Dawson, 'Retreat's' crafty con artist, switches identities to stay ahead of her misdeeds like a wolf covering its tracks. The player gets played only when Dawson is challenged by a trickster even more devious than her. Dawson, whose troubled backstory is a source of shame, is in some ways the 'breaking bad' version of Jessica Jones — a crusader looking for answers about her traumatic past. 'Not everyone comes from perfect places,' says Ritter. 'I do find myself drawn to dynamic characters with many layers to peel back, deliciously complex, multifaceted characters — unpredictable, a little bad, a little wounded.' 'Bonfire' came relatively quickly; 'Retreat' was a tougher undertaking. 'I had taken a bit of a break from writing since 'Bonfire' came out because I was just nonstop shooting,' she says. She was also starting a family with her partner, the War on Drugs frontman Adam Granduciel. 'It was taking a long time to get 'Retreat' cracked, and I was a little stuck.' She had written '70, maybe 100' pages when her agent introduced her to Jamieson, who cottoned to Ritter's story immediately and offered suggestions on her pages. A vigorous back-and-forth between the writers commenced in earnest. 'It was exhilarating and energetic,' says Ritter of collaborating with Jamieson. 'In all areas of entertainment, you never work in isolation,' she says. 'So collaboration is second nature to me. When you find the right creative partner, it's just on fire. I've had that with [TV showrunners] Melissa Rosenberg and Nahnatchka Khan, and now with Lindsay.' Jamieson worked quickly, and the mechanics of the plot began to pleasingly coalesce. 'Lindsay elevated the project so much — she had big ideas and helped make it bigger and better than I could have done on my own. She's also so fast and so smart, and our tastes really clicked.' Ritter thinks of herself as her own ideal audience for her book. 'Reading for work is something I do daily, but I love it when I get to read for pleasure,' she says. 'I have a pile of thrillers on my nightstand right now. I'm trying to get through them before work once again takes over my life.' Although there are plans afoot for a possible TV or film adaptation of 'Retreat,' Ritter is content to let her novel speak for itself. 'Psychological thrillers are total candy to me, and I will devour a good one. I write in this genre because it's what my taste is as a consumer. I live for a popcorn thriller that you can't put down.'
USA Today
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
After Hollywood success, actors tell us what's it like pivoting to novel writing
After Hollywood success, actors tell us what's it like pivoting to novel writing Krysten Ritter thought she had the perfect pitch: a successful lawyer returning home to a small town scandal. A cold case disappearance. A disturbing ritual. But it was a hard sell as a TV series, the 'Jessica Jones' actor tells USA TODAY. Back at the drawing board, she pitched it as a novel instead. Her idea became 'Bonfire,' a 2017 thriller blurbed even by Gillian Flynn of 'Gone Girl' literary fame. Now, Ritter has added regular novelist to her accolades. Her next novel, 'Retreat,' comes out next week. Actors turning to diverse entrepreneurial ventures is nothing new – between haircare, liquor brands, travel and luxury wellness campaigns, your favorite star's career likely extends beyond the screen. When it comes to writing books, most actors turn to memoirs. After all, it bolsters an already impressive career built off of celebrity. But what about the growing number of actors including Tom Hanks, Keanu Reeves and Ed Burns who are writing fiction instead? Actors USA TODAY spoke to said publishing novels has given them a new outlet for creativity away from the screen. 'What took me so long?': Longtime actors find freedom in fiction For years, Sonya Walger – known to many as Penny from the 'Lost' TV series – was scared of writing a book. She's been an avid reader as long as she can remember. As an only child, books were her 'siblings,' she tells USA TODAY. Now, her debut novel 'Lion,' about a daughter's reflection of her larger-than-life addict father and unconventional childhood, is out in the world. Her second book is on its way and she's currently writing her third. 'I'm such a snob about good literature and I just had felt like I don't want to write a bad book,' Walger says. 'I wrote screenplays ... short stories and kept journals my whole life, and I didn't dare write a book until COVID.' Writing screenplays didn't scratch the same itch that writing a novel does, Walger says. With more words to spend and luxurious prose to wax, novel writing is 'symphonic.' She's particularly enjoyed describing setting in more imagination and nuance and exploring what's left unsaid. The biggest shift, she says, is going from days on packed sets to writing alone in her office – a beautiful writing shed in the garden she lost when her home was destroyed earlier this year in the Los Angeles wildfires. The whole process has made her realize she's more of an introvert than she previously thought. 'Acting requires and necessitates other people. To be a novelist is to work completely alone without anyone really caring what you're doing or when it's done,' she says. 'Nobody is tapping you on the shoulder being like, 'Where's that novel of yours?'' Ritter, on the other hand, says writing 'Retreat' with a co-writer has felt collaborative – a sort of 'two heads are better than one, and sometimes three, four, five, six heads are better than one' approach, she says. The quiet writing time has given the "Breaking Bad" star more time to spend with her son, an invaluable shift in her career. 'It's this amazing way for me to do all of the things that I love – character development, storytelling,' Ritter says. 'And being able to have a bit of a schedule where I can work from my office from home, versus be on set for 17 hours – as a mom, it's a way to do it all. And I'm not suggesting that I have that conquered, but it's really important to me to be with my son and also have creative satisfaction.' New ideas get a fresh perspective in the pages of a book Ritter didn't expect to turn into a bestselling thriller writer, for her it was always 'creativity first, medium second.' It's advice she wants to impart to other writers and artists: If you believe in your story, be relentless in your pursuit of bringing it into the world. ''Bonfire' turned out to be this totally outside-of-the-box approach on how to get something made,' Ritter says. 'That's where I fell in love with that medium and decided to continue in that avenue.' Now with her second book, 'Retreat' (out March 25), she's leaning all-in to the world of publishing. The new novel, about a beautiful con artist masquerading as a wealthy socialite, is 'a little bit older, sexier' with bigger twists, she says. Actor Diego Boneta ('Luis Miguel,' 'Rock of Ages') on the other hand, is marrying books and TV with his upcoming debut 'The Undoing of Alejandro Velasco.' Amazon Publishing is releasing Boneta's novel – described as 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' meets 'Match Point' – in May. At the same time, Amazon MGM Studios is adapting the novel into a series with Boneta starring as the main character. The starting idea was to write a screenplay, and it was Boneta's sister who suggested he turn it into a book instead of a script. 'It was a massive undertaking," Boneta says, laughing. "Few things give me more anxiety than a blank page." Boneta, a thriller reader, wanted to reach out to other writers for advice before he started. The best he heard? Don't treat the project like it's just another film or TV script. The process has been vastly different, he says, but one he would do again. 'Sometimes (in TV) you don't even have a script, you have a pitch, you have a couple of pages. … we've gotten stuff greenlit from literally a three-page document,' Boneta says. 'Here, it's really practicing the patience of no, no, no, a novel is not the same as a TV show or films.' Fiction deepens connection with fans Part of Boneta's goal with writing 'The Undoing' was to write about a place close to his heart. The novel is set it in San Miguel de Allende, a place the Mexico City-born calls 'the Florence of Mexico.' He tells USA TODAY he's excited for his fans to get a more intimate peek into his creative mind and experience the beloved city on the page. 'We've seen the 'Narcos' stories, we've seen the border crossing stories and that's part of Mexico, but that's not entirely what Mexico has to offer culturally,' Boneta says. 'We wanted to write from a place that we were close to, that we grew up going to because it's not just the place; it's the culture, it's the people, it's the family dynamics.' Ritter says her novels are another chance to explore the 'bad girls,' the unlikeable, morally questionable characters her fans know and love her for, like Jessica Jones and Chloe in 'Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23.' 'My fans roll deep,' she says. 'They know what to expect in my work, my oeuvre. It's very on brand.' Walger has appreciated a new kind of interaction with fans, one that has nothing to do with her onscreen roles. "Lion" is not a story for anyone who is looking for a tell-all from Penny from 'Lost' and Walger says fans are meeting her there. 'Vulnerability begets vulnerability in others,' Walger says. 'The response from people has felt open hearted and elicits the sort of the desire to share their stories, as I have shared mine and that's really, really lovely. It feels like the book is doing a tiny act of service in the world it's making other people open up.' Upcoming book-to-screen adaptations: 'Mickey 17', 'Running Man' and more 'Wicked' Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
