Q & A

What is OStatus?

OStatus' goal is to help you to follow people on different social networks. It is a specification and usage of several web standards to allow this functionality, technically. This is most useful for sending status updates to friends around the world in your networks (but often different companies' networks).

Who is developing OStatus?

OStatus is an open standard and the process for updating the specification should take place on this list. Since StatusNet's technology needed a standard for communicating between different networks, most of the initial work has been contributed by StatusNet. However, the gitorious repository is available for hacking and this new community is the place to discuss OStatus.

How does OStatus relate to the original OpenMicroblogging (OMB) specification?

OpenMicroblogging is the original specification written by Evan Prodromou that allowed status updating websites to inter-operate. It served its purpose but its function needed some larger changes. OStatus is the result of these efforts.

Why isn't OStatus OpenMicroBlogging (OMB) 2.0?

OStatus, while intended to attack the same problem as OMB, approaches the problem rather differently. First, rather than being a stand-alone spec it builds upon several existing (and evolving) open web standards including: PubSubHubbub, Webfinger, ActivityStreams and Salmon. OStatus serves more as a usage profile than a brand new spec. As to the naming specifically, there is nothing inherently "micro" about the protocol (or it's usage), and it's a term we're consciously trying to outgrow.

I wrote an OStatus compliant software. How may I participate in this project?

Join our mailing list and help spread the word about OStatus! Tell your favorite social network providers to implement the standard and we will help as much possible to support usage of OStatus.

How can I help spread the OStatus love?

We have released, and will continue to release cool graphics you can use anywhere in the world! Please use them freely! Spread them to your favorite websites, software applications, t-shirts, hats, and pretty much anywhere you can think about putting the awesome graphic. Get your OStatus graphics now.