From ecececcf099407fa77346de8c95fc93e120e6693 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: tobi Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2025 17:39:46 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] [docs] Update docs to differentiate between `Service`, `Person`, and `Application` actor types, add FEDERATION.md linking to docs (#4566) # Description > If this is a code change, please include a summary of what you've coded, and link to the issue(s) it closes/implements. > > If this is a documentation change, please briefly describe what you've changed and why. Just realized our docs were out of date for the different actor types we use. This fixes that, and adds a FEDERATION.md document pointing to the online docs + markdown files in the repo. Relates to https://codeberg.org/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/issues/4565 ## Checklist Please put an x inside each checkbox to indicate that you've read and followed it: `[ ]` -> `[x]` If this is a documentation change, only the first checkbox must be filled (you can delete the others if you want). - [x] I/we have read the [GoToSocial contribution guidelines](https://codeberg.org/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/src/branch/main/CONTRIBUTING.md). - [x] I/we have discussed the proposed changes already, either in an issue on the repository, or in the Matrix chat. - [x] I/we have not leveraged AI to create the proposed changes. Reviewed-on: https://codeberg.org/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/pulls/4566 Co-authored-by: tobi Co-committed-by: tobi --- FEDERATION.md | 5 +++++ docs/federation/actors.md | 8 +++++--- 2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) create mode 100644 FEDERATION.md diff --git a/FEDERATION.md b/FEDERATION.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..b1d1209c8 --- /dev/null +++ b/FEDERATION.md @@ -0,0 +1,5 @@ +# Federation + +Please see the [Federation](https://docs.gotosocial.org/en/latest/federation/) section of the online documentation. + +You can view the Markdown files that this documentation is built from [here](./docs/federation/). diff --git a/docs/federation/actors.md b/docs/federation/actors.md index a6098f160..bdb81ef72 100644 --- a/docs/federation/actors.md +++ b/docs/federation/actors.md @@ -1,12 +1,14 @@ # Actors and Actor Properties -## `Service` vs `Person` actors +## `Service` vs `Person` vs `Application` actors GoToSocial serves most accounts as the ActivityStreams `Person` type described [here](https://www.w3.org/TR/activitystreams-vocabulary/#dfn-person). -Accounts that users have selected to mark as bot accounts, however, will use the `Service` type described [here](https://www.w3.org/TR/activitystreams-vocabulary/#dfn-service). +Accounts that users have selected to mark as bot accounts, however, will use the `Application` type described [here](https://www.w3.org/TR/activitystreams-vocabulary/#dfn-application). -This type distinction can be used by remote servers to distinguish between bot accounts and "regular" user accounts. +The "instance service" account, which occasionally makes requests to remote endpoints on the instance's behalf, uses the `Service` type described [here](https://www.w3.org/TR/activitystreams-vocabulary/#dfn-service). Typically, remote instances will only see this actor making http-signed requests for media files. + +If desired, this type distinction can be used by remote servers to distinguish between "regular" user accounts and other types. Typically, this is done using a "bot" flag on the web and/or client API. ## Inbox