Björn Stenberg

Help, how do I read toots my preferred way?

I want to see all toots in my timeline, in chronological order. And I want my app/webpage to remember and bring me back to the toot I saw last when I open it again.

I had that working well on twitter using the wonderful Flamingo app. What should I use for mastodon?

I know I can get an rss feed from each individual account I follow. That's not what I want to do.

I use Tusky on my phone today. Can I bend it to my will somehow?

Dec 19, 2022 at 8:35amWeb
Show threadBjörn StenbergDec 19, 2022

Generally, I would like to ask application authors to treat the last-read point information more carefully. It should not be easily reset by mistake, such as by clicking on "Home".

Imagine deleting the bookmark of a book you're reading if you open it "the wrong way", and then you have to leaf through the pages of the book trying to find the point where you last stopped reading.

Show threadBjörn StenbergDec 19, 2022

I wrote some thoughts in a timeline ticket on Tusky's github project about keeping my bookmark in the ever-expanding book that is my timeline:

https://github.com/tuskyapp/Tusky/issues/2788#issuecomment-1357579109

Timeline improvements · Issue #2788 · tuskyapp/Tusky

This issue is for collecting the various wishes users have about timelines. This way we can think about them together. Patching single issues will lead us nowhere. For some users the current timeli...

GitHub
Show threadIslandUsurper Dec 19, 2022
@bjst I can think of at least one way to open a book that does this. 😏 But to answer your question, Metatext on iOS does a good job at keeping at your last-read position.
Show threadCarlos PereiraDec 19, 2022
@bjst I use the Mastodon app and Metatext on iOS and they both behave the way you describe.
Show threadAdolphDec 19, 2022
@bjst You can, but you'll need to modify the app to remember the list's position when you leave the app. It doesn't do that by default.

Husky will have that in future releases, although Tusky devs are more active than me, maybe they can help you with that or it's being implemented at this moment in a PR, who knows 
Show threadJono FergusonDec 19, 2022
@bjst I'm using Tusky, I thought that was how it worked 😳
Show threadBjörn StenbergDec 19, 2022
@jonoabroad For me it pops me into some random point in my timeline when I return to it, but I never feel it is where I left off.
And with no indication of number of unread toots I always feel lost. Should I scroll up or down to get to my last-read-point?
Show threadV MartínDec 19, 2022

@bjst @jonoabroad Tusky does a decent job at that if there's not a long queue of posts waiting for you (the dreaded "Load More" button). Also, if you are using 2 devices (phone and tablet) you will easily get it out of sync.

So, yeah, the functionality is there but is not reliable.

Show threadBjörn StenbergDec 19, 2022
@sharponlooker @jonoabroad Right, that matches my impression. It somewhat tries, but so often fails that I cannot trust it.
Show threadV MartínDec 19, 2022

@bjst @jonoabroad No hard feelings on Tusky, still lot of bang for the buck. The "Load more" issue can usually be circumvented the same way as in the birdsite by quickly scrolling down to the "last visited" post while the rest is loading.

Kräver snabba fingrar dock 😉

Show threadEd RossDec 19, 2022
@bjst
Not sure if Tusky preserves your resting point in the timeline but I know Fedilab does, so you might want to try that app instead.
Show threadBjörn StenbergDec 19, 2022
@edaross Thank you, I will try that.
Show threadEd RossDec 19, 2022
@bjst
You are welcome. It also has a lot of other power features, such as being able to add tabs to follow other instances (and even Twitter accounts so you don't need to go back there), and lots of customisation options
Show threadxiffyDec 19, 2022
@bjst
I read bottom up, so chronological and that's why i choose fedilab, tusky was annoying as hell when it came to location preserving.
Fedilab let's you choose your anchor, either scroll up or stay here while loading a fresh batch.
@edaross
Show threadMark GardnerDec 19, 2022

@bjst The #Mastodon server software supports this feature. I don’t know if the third-party @Tusky app uses it.

I do know that the official #iPhone and #iPad Mastodon app sets a poor example by not using this feature and others despite being published by the same development organization that develops the server.

Show threadberkes 🐝 🚐 🏄 🌱Dec 19, 2022
@bjst it may be a good feature request for pinafore. Pinafore is an alternative web cliënt for Mastodon.
So it might solve it for you when on desktop and/or in a browser.
Show threadAsta McCarthyDec 19, 2022
@berkes @bjst Your wishes are the default behaviour of Tusky.
https://f-droid.org/packages/com.keylesspalace.tusky/
F-Droid - Dépôt d'applications pour Android libres et open source

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Show threadBjörn StenbergDec 19, 2022
@AstaMcCarthy @berkes As I wrote, I'm using Tusky already. And it doesn't do this well at at all.
Show threadAsta McCarthyDec 19, 2022
@bjst @berkes What goes wrong then? To me the behaviour you describe is exactly what Tusky is doing. Could it be server related? .social is running 4.0.2 .pirateparty.be is running v4.0.0rc2+glitch
Show threadBjörn StenbergDec 19, 2022

@AstaMcCarthy @berkes I think it might be the "load more" button that throws me off the most, since it moves my point to the newest loaded toot.

This ticket on the Tusky github is a nice summary and path forward: https://github.com/tuskyapp/Tusky/issues/2788

Timeline improvements · Issue #2788 · tuskyapp/Tusky

This issue is for collecting the various wishes users have about timelines. This way we can think about them together. Patching single issues will lead us nowhere. For some users the current timeli...

GitHub
Show threadberkes 🐝 🚐 🏄 🌱Dec 19, 2022

@AstaMcCarthy @bjst not OP, but several things (I should probably add them to the issues)

* When i switch accounts, I always loose the position
* Fast moving timelines have a "read more" in the middle, clicking that makes it loose the position (which, I guess, is obvious, but also a reason why this "pagination" method is not the one for me)
* Opening the app from a notification makes it loose the position.

Show threadBjörn StenbergDec 19, 2022
@berkes @AstaMcCarthy Yes! Thank you. I feel a bit bad for griping in public without having more firm details of the problem, but these are definitely on the list of problems that make me feel I just can't "trust" the app.
Show threadJosh AndersDec 19, 2022
@bjst Haven't used Tusky. I'm using the official Mastodon app (from @fdroidorg), and it seems to do what you want by default.
Show threadJoolsDec 19, 2022
@bjst that happens automatically for me - I access it through the Android Chrome browser.
Show threadBjörn StenbergDec 19, 2022
@Jools The webpage (mastodon.social) always shows me the latest toot. Could this be different for different instances?
Show threadJoolsDec 19, 2022
@bjst ah, maybe that's it, sorry.
Show threadJohnny ChaddaDec 19, 2022
@bjst works well with Metatext, however, I don’t think it’s being actively developed currently. apps.apple.com/app/id1523996615
Metatext App - App Store

Download Metatext by Metabolist on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more apps like Metatext.

App Store
Show threadnullpointerDec 19, 2022
@bjst Metatext app on iOS follows and takes this quite seriously
Show threadBjörn StenbergDec 19, 2022
@nullpointer What happens when you "load more"? Does it show you the post by @mmayo or @feditips?
Show threadRobin StockerDec 20, 2022

@mmayo @bjst @nullpointer
feditips. Note the arrows pointing upwards, meaning new posts will load up.

If you scroll up and then down, you’d see the arrows change to point down, and if you clicked new posts would load at the bottom (and mmayo would show).

Show threadnullpointerDec 20, 2022
@robinst @bjst what Robin said is correct
Show threadDominikDec 19, 2022
@bjst The (old) Twidere App can do this for you. Settings > Content > Remember position. :)
Show threadDmitry TantsurDec 19, 2022
@bjst Tusky is considering more options: https://github.com/tuskyapp/Tusky/issues/2788
Timeline improvements · Issue #2788 · tuskyapp/Tusky

This issue is for collecting the various wishes users have about timelines. This way we can think about them together. Patching single issues will lead us nowhere. For some users the current timeli...

GitHub
Show threadle dekDec 19, 2022
@bjst
I read my timeline the same way you do, I use Fedilab on Android for that 🙂
Show threadKushal Das   🇸🇪Dec 19, 2022
@bjst @bagder I see @tootapp doing that
Show threadHugo SalgadoDec 20, 2022
@bjst
I have the same methodology. Tried several clients until got to Fedilab. In timeline settings you can use "remember last position" and you can continue from the last toot you read before!
Show threadBjörn StenbergDec 20, 2022
@huguei
Thank you. Fedilab seems to be the preferred client for people with my reading preferences, so I have now switched to it.