Flipboard’s new ‘websites’ help publishers and creators tap into the open world

Flipboard Thursday he announced social media, a new way for designers and publishers to build their own online presence.

This social media sites it is built around the discussion already taking place on the open web, which includes platforms such as Mastodon and Bluesky, as well as other online platforms.

The site combines social networks, videos, podcasts, newsletters, and other discussions into one place that creators manage, Flipboard says. You can combine profiles and articles from Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads, YouTube, podcasts, blogs, and RSS feeds in one place.

Flipboard sees websites as a new form of social interaction, where communities have multiple owners and control how content and discussion is organized. The company, which has been hosting social media for the past few years, is now looking to make it easier for publishers and developers to use the open web.

“Social media platforms help audiences, creators and publishers build communities around their work and curate their experiences, including algorithms,” Flipboard CEO Mike McCue said in a statement. blog post. “Instead of starting a group, creators can use social media to gather people and conversations that are already happening in their podcasts, videos and online newsletters.”

The establishment of social networking sites is the first sign of an increase in the Internet SwimmingFlipboard is a reading app that allows users to browse and review the open web. The company says that websites are powered by Surf feeds.

Flipboard has previously partnered with publishers and developers who have built their own websites. Publishers, including Seaside, Wired, Rolling Stone, 404 Mediaand The Oregonian have created social media sites where readers can follow journalists, podcasts, videos, and discussions in one place. Creator David Rushing created it All Neta social network for NBA fans that brings you basketball discussion, league news, videos, and real game commentary.

To create a Surf feed, users must go to surf.social, log in, and click “+ Create Feed” in the sidebar. They need to track what they’re adding to add sources, share a community hashtag, and set filters to adjust their consumption.

Once the feed is set up, the owner can share the area you choose through the three-dot header menu to create a website that can be shared with others. Flipboard says social networking sites are designed to go beyond Surf, as they can be shared across the web.

“By combining content and discussion from many websites, Surf’s social media becomes a place to store everything you need,” explains Flipboard. “And this is just the beginning. More customization tools are on the way, including custom themes, colors and other feed controls.”