Patchwork Dashboard - patchwork-hub/patchwork_dashboard GitHub Wiki

Patchwork begins with the Dashboard.

This sits between a Mastodon server and the app that is used to access it, creating layers for plug-ins to modify the server and new experiences for the user. For now, Patchwork is only compatible with Mastodon, but our ambition is to be platform agnostic. Patchwork enhances a Mastodon server by modifying it with plug-in Ruby Gems, rather than creating a fork.

The Dashboard enables easy server setup from scratch and a user friendly control panel where Server Admins can manage their server with ease.

The Dashboard comes with some additional features pre-installed and ready for you to activate including Federation controls and guest sign-in. Others are available as plug-in Ruby Gems, like advanced post features and content filters.

You can build on top of the Dashboard with Patchwork's community features. This allows you to create dedicated channels in your server with their own rules.

Enhanced server settings

Spam & moderation filters

Spam & moderation filters can be enabled by installing the Content Filters Gem. This Gem is also required for Federation controls.

Installation instructions can be found here

Create custom lists of filtered keywords to control what content from the wider network federates and appears on your server. Or activate one of our pre-set lists - Spam, Crypto, NSFW and Hate Speech.

Sign-up challenge

You can also add an option for new users to answer a simple question, such as “What colour is grass?” so spam bots can’t easily sign up.

Federation controls

Federation controls can be enabled by installing the Content Filters Gem. This Gem is also required for Spam & moderation filters.

Installation instructions can be found here

Decide which parts of the social web you want to be connected to - opt in or out of connections to Bluesky, Threads, the Fediverse & nostr.

Federation choices are listed publicly on your server home page, helping new users decide which server they want to join.

These controls won’t affect your IFTAS blocklists or connections within the Fediverse at first, but we’re hoping to integrate IFTAS services down the road.

Enhanced end user experience

Guest sign in

Allow anyone with a Mastodon account to participate on your server with guest sign-in. You can control their access and permissions in each Channel, creating levels of engagement and participation.

Advanced post features

Additional post features can be enabled by installing the Post Gem.

Instructions for installing the Post Gem can be found here.

Quote posts

Enable or prevent users from being able to add their thoughts as they share someone else’s post.

Local posts

Allow users to publish posts just to your server, fostering a greater sense of community.

Long posts

Set a custom character limit for posts on the server.

Markdown

Make all text within the server, including user’s posts and bios, are visible to search. Users are able to opt-out if they choose.

Full text search

Make all text within the server searchable including posts and bios.

Patchwork Channels

Make and display local, server-run Channels, creating dedicated spaces with their own rules for certain conversations and topics. These can be populated with content from the wider Fediverse and social web, using hashtags and relays.

You can control access & permissions of custom Channels, for example by not allowing Guests to post or making all posts from end-users local only.

Curated content

You can select relevant hashtags from the wider federated network to populate your Channels, as well as specific accounts (key contributors) to include all of the content they post.

You can fine tune your selections by choosing whether federated content includes reposts, replies or only original posts.

Screen out the noise by using keyword filters to block specific content from taking over your Channel, and choose specific accounts to mute.

Two timelines

Each Channel supports users in navigating and organising content with two timelines: All & For You.

The All timeline includes all the federated content and local posts specific to that Channel.

The For You timeline is a collaboration between you and the user. It only displays posts from Key Contributors and any users or hashtags in the Channel the user has opted to follow.

Broadcast

You can also choose to broadcast your Channel to the social web - allowing users on other Patchwork enhanced servers to discover and participate from their own server. See the sections on the Discovery Hub and Channels for more detail.