Bonfire’s new software lets users build their own social communities, free from platform control

Launched during the FediForum online conference, Bonfire Social introduces a revolutionary framework for community building on the open social web. This federated application harnesses the same foundational protocol as Mastodon (ActivityPub) but takes customization and modularity to a new level. Users of Bonfire Social can tailor their community's features, governance, and development roadmap, ensuring that the software aligns with their specific needs rather than the whims of large tech corporations like Meta or Google. Bonfire Social champions a vision where communities can thrive independently, free from the constraints of corporate interests. Operating as a nonprofit, Bonfire is funded through donations and grants, avoiding venture capital influences, and its open-source code invites collaboration from users and researchers alike. The recent 1.0 Release Candidate showcases just one of the many configurations Bonfire offers, each termed a 'flavor'. These flavors serve as preconfigured bundles of Bonfire extensions and features, allowing communities to exercise governance over their app's functionality, while also being able to add personalized extensions. Bonfire Social is designed to return control to users, moving away from traditional social media's often unpredictable feature changes. The platform includes familiar functionalities such as user feeds, post sharing, profile creation, and content moderation tools. However, it also introduces innovative features like customizable feeds, nested discussions, and the capacity for multiple user profiles—an appealing option for users wanting separate identities for personal and professional interactions. A standout feature is the ability to create custom feeds without any coding knowledge, allowing users to filter content based on various metrics. Bonfire's 'circles' concept, reminiscent of Google+ groups, enables users to organize contacts into lists for optimized sharing, with privacy settings that can be adjusted per group. Additionally, the Boundaries feature provides granular control over who can view or comment on posts. Bonfire supports threaded conversations for deeper dialogue, along with 16 built-in themes for app customization. With PWA support and functionalities like community blocklists, custom emojis, direct messaging, and private group discussions, Bonfire Social aims to redefine how communities interact online. The platform is compatible with other federated services like Mastodon and Peertube, and while self-installation is encouraged, a demo instance is available for those interested in exploring its capabilities.