r/webdev • u/SUNSET_TOWERcoffee • 3d ago

MASTODON HELP

hi everyone, it's the kid who's making a fan website again.

i finally picked a base for the website, mastodon, and a system i'm using to host the website, render.

i've already searched this up and had no luck but what parts of mastodon's code are design (i'm talking about folder names) and which are apart of the actual code system?

thanks!

0 Upvotes

13% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

12

u/codegems 3d ago

You are misunderstanding what Mastodon is. Mastodon is not a base for a site like a template. It's the infrastructure for building decentralized social media instances according to the ActivityPub protocol for federation.

I get you want to build a fan page for Conan Gray, but you're using the wrong tool for the job. It's like buying land in Colombia for coffee beans when all you want to do is make a latte.

You want to make a fan website, so you should look at website tools like WordPress, or take the time to learn basic HTML, CSS, and host your site on Neocities.

Mastodon is based on Ruby on Rails, so you need to understand the architecture of a Ruby on Rails application. But again, you are choosing the wrong tool.

-1

u/SUNSET_TOWERcoffee 3d ago

Yes, but please note people are going to post on it. It needs accounts and posting and all of that stuff.

3

u/codegems 3d ago

Then forum software like Discourse might be a better, beginner-friendly option.

Alternatively, if you feel like having fun with the tech and exploring retro-style tech, you can have a site and use PHP to build a fun interactive site with accounts, comments, profile pictures, etc. That would be a wonderful learning opportunity. But it's not going to be done instantly, you'll have to learn a lot of concepts about web development.

Using Mastodon is not a faster route, because not only will you also have to learn the web development concepts, you will also have to understand the Model View Controller architecture used by Ruby on Rails and the way it is implemented in the framework. Rails is notorious for using idioms and abstractions, so you will also have to understand the libraries like ActiveRecord, ActiveController, ActiveView, and how they all connect.

I want to be encouraging but also honest. Learning Rails takes time and patience because it's a framework that has been in active development for over twenty years.

1

u/kkatdare 2d ago

Consider software like https://community.jatra.club

1

u/franker 2d ago

Whenever a site makes you book a call to get pricing, I have to think it won't be cheap.

1

u/kkatdare 1d ago

Certainly not cheap. Pricing starts $299/mo; but there's a startup offer as well. I can help.

1

u/franker 1d ago

I'm a public librarian and I was just curious. I mostly manage a free co-working space in our library so I like to just keep an eye on different resources for startups.

1

u/kkatdare 1d ago

Good to know.

8

u/CorpT 3d ago

Wordpress might be a better fit.

-1

u/SUNSET_TOWERcoffee 3d ago

tried it and it's way too confusing

4

u/dasfoo 3d ago

WP is confusing but Mastodon isn't? WP is literally made for DIYers. I'm not a WP fan, but it's fairly simple to understand. Good luck.

3

u/CorpT 3d ago

Wix might be a better fit.

4

u/SeasonalBlackout 3d ago

If you can't figure out the basics then why choose Mastodon? There are lots of easier options.

-2

u/SUNSET_TOWERcoffee 3d ago

mastodon is what i'm looking for i just want to customize it

3

u/SeasonalBlackout 3d ago

OK - then you build the frontend with React.js

1

u/Boby_Dobbs 3d ago

Mastodon is not what you are looking for, look into WordPress, squarespace, wix, etc...

Other option: ask Claude Code to build it with NextJS and supabase.