Automattic-owned running a blog web site and social platform Tumblr has financially backed Tapestry, the newly launched app designed to prepare feeds from throughout the open net, together with RSS, Mastodon, Bluesky, and others.
Launched as a Kickstarter challenge in January 2024, Tapestry went on to lift over $177,000 through crowdfunding for its app, which opened as much as the general public earlier this month with its App Retailer debut.
On Tuesday, the corporate behind the app shared that Tumblr had additionally backed its challenge with a grant. These funds will likely be used to construct a local macOS model of its app. (Within the meantime, the app’s iPad model can run on Macs.)
Tumblr’s curiosity on this area follows its 2019 acquisition by WordPress.com mum or dad Automattic, which is transferring Tumblr’s again finish to WordPress to streamline operations. Because of this transfer, Tumblr will get plugged into the fediverse, the open social net powered by ActivityPub, the protocol that powers Mastodon, Threads, Pixelfed, and lots of different apps.
Designed by The Iconfactory, finest recognized for its work on Twitterific, one of many authentic third-party Twitter apps, Tapestry permits customers to prepare quite a lot of sources — like weblog posts, information articles, and social media updates — into feeds of their very own creation.
The app helps sources like RSS (information feeds), YouTube, podcasts, Bluesky, Mastodon, Reddit, Tumblr, Micro.weblog, GO Comics, and others.
The broader concept behind Tapestry is to provide customers extra management over how they obtain information and knowledge.
With the rise of the open social net particularly, folks can now higher management their on-line expertise. As an alternative of being beholden to a tech large’s algorithms, customers on apps like Bluesky are constructing their very own feeds, subscribing to specialised feeds constructed by others, and configuring their very own moderation providers.
Because of Tumblr’s backing, which we perceive was within the six-figure vary, Iconfactory says it additionally launched a sponsorship program in Tapestry, which permits advertisers to market their services and products to the app’s consumer base. As an alternative of utilizing conventional web adverts to help the app, the sponsorship characteristic is constructed with small, impartial creators in thoughts, Iconfactory notes.
“Our hope is that the community around Tapestry will want to know about exciting indie apps, blogs that are fueled by enthusiasm, and podcasts or YouTube channels that inform and entertain,” an Iconfactory weblog submit explains.
Tapestry is one in all a handful of apps that’s now trying to supply that very same stage of customization by constructing an aggregator centered on the broader net that’s constructed on open protocols, as a substitute of only a single social community, like Bluesky.
Others competing on this area embody Surf, Feeeed, and Reeder.
Tumblr and the crew at Iconfactory had been requested for touch upon the monetary grant. Tumblr confirmed the grant got here from it immediately, not from mum or dad firm Automattic, and was made to assist help the open social net.
Up to date with extra info on the grant after publication.
