#HolosDiscover 1.7.4 is available. This release fixes an issue where common words returned very few results when sorting by relevance, and it improves search quality for those words. It also makes searches faster for both rare and frequent terms.
holosdiscover
Next #Holos release will use Bloom filters (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom_filter) for sync. The relay filters activities, only sending those from accounts you follow and from the local timeline.
The filter is sent each sync and never stored. The relay still has no knowledge of your followings.
Test: 26 followings, 32k pending activities filtered down to a hundred (99.7% reduction).
The public timeline goes away as a result. #HolosDiscover will replace it with content tailored to your interests.
#HolosDiscover 1.1.0 has been released.
The trending algorithm now uses time decay so recent content gets more weight. Older posts don't dominate the results anymore.
A privacy page has been added: https://discover.holos.social/privacy
There's also an API documentation page with interactive testing: https://discover.holos.social/api-docs
API keys are only needed for server-side apps (same IP for all requests). Mobile and desktop apps don't need one, rate limits are per user IP.
We published #HolosDiscover 1.2.5, this release fixes RSS issues on some readers:
https://discover.holos.social/feeds
Also, for more transparency, we added a real-time stats page showing processed #ActivityPub activities, blocked instances and more.
RE: https://mastodon.social/@HolosSocial/116166995091607292
We will introduce the #HolosDiscover API in #Fedilab. It allows to tailor a timeline with up to 20 tags. It can be really useful for small instances.
However, unlike the #Holos app where posts from blocked or muted accounts are filtered out, Fedilab won't be able to apply these filters.
I am at a stage with #HolosDiscover where I wonder if I should make it a separate project with its own server, or just clean up the DB from old messages. Of course, all messages are removed or updated as soon as the OP makes the action, but keeping such an amount of data impacts the infra I run alone for all my services. I have no way to track how it is used, so your feedback matters.
What's your opinion?
Options: (choose one)
#HolosDiscover now allows filtering results by multiple languages (for instance French + English). You can create timelines with up to 20 hashtags. You might be surprised to discover small accounts sharing hobbies you enjoy.
The #HolosSocial app already uses it. If you are an app developer, don't hesitate to use the API:
#HolosDiscover has a "More" button, but it might make some filters less obvious to find. The hidden options let you order results by relevance (the default), most recent, or most popular. You can also filter by language and by a minimum number of likes or boosts.
#HolosDiscover also has a script running in the background to detect instances that have blocked the actor or the domain. When an instance is identified, it is automatically blocked, which removes all indexed content from that instance. These instances are not displayed on the stats page.
What's Holosdiscover? https://discover.holos.social/how-it-works
#HolosDiscover just hit 3 million indexed posts.
What matters more than the number: 145k deletions processed, 83k edits tracked, and over 1k opt-outs respected, all in real time.
Respecting people is the priority and the only way to do it right is to be a full #ActivityPub participant, receiving deletions, edits, and opt-outs as they happen. Before indexing anyone, Holos Discover follows their account, so they know they are being indexed and can opt out.
I need help with the server hosting all my open-source projects: #Fedilab, #HolosSocial, #HolosDiscover, and more.
The current server costs €350/year but is no longer suited for the load. I often run out of disk space. I need to migrate to a more powerful one with expandable storage. Renewal is due in a few days.
I have set a goal of €500 on Ko-fi, cost unknown.
Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/tom79
Liberapay: https://liberapay.com/tom79
Sharing this post helps keep my open-source projects alive.
#Holos started at the end of 2025. A full #ActivityPub server now runs on your phone, with the ability to use your own domain as your identity, #E2EE DMs via Signal Protocol, zero-knowledge encrypted backup, #ActivityPub media served from your own cloud, a tailored timeline based on your interests thanks to #HolosDiscover, and the ability to switch views depending on your mood or the content you want to browse. Thank you for your feedback and support that helped to go through these steps.
RE: https://toot.fedilab.app/@apps/116263607720720768
Ten days ago, I asked for help with the server hosting #Fedilab, #HolosSocial, #HolosDiscover and more.
After comparing several options, I went with a dedicated server from #Hetzner. It's slightly above what I had in mind but much better suited for the load and future growth.
Specs for the curious: https://www.hetzner.com/dedicated-rootserver/ex44/
Migration is underway.
Thanks to everyone who donated or shared. It means a lot 🙏
#HolosDiscover now uses #IFTAS denylists for moderation. A script automatically imports both the DNI (Do Not Interact) and AUD (Abandoned & Unmanaged Domains) lists to block dangerous or unmaintained instances from indexing. I am in contact with IFTAS and will continue improving moderation.
Account: @iftas
More: https://about.iftas.org/
Blocked instances are automatically logged on the stats page.
Stats page: https://discover.holos.social/stats
#HolosDiscover will use the "web+ap" scheme to let #Fediverse apps open posts natively. If no app handles it, the link falls back to the browser. #Fedilab already supports this scheme. Any app developer can add support for it too.
Previously: https://github.com/tuskyapp/Tusky/issues/5027
#HolosDiscover can now follow #PeerTube channels that have the indexable flag set to true.
#HolosDiscover now indexes #PeerTube videos. You can find them in search and timelines, but the way they look still needs some work.
A video is not the same kind of #ActivityPub object as a normal post. A post is a short text made to be read in the timeline. A video has a title, a long description, and a media file, so it should be shown as a video card with a thumbnail and a link, not as plain text. That part is coming next.
#HolosDiscover now has a public federation and moderation policy page. It explains how instance blocks work (trusted denylists, manual blocks, automated bridge detection), how to report illegal content, and how instance admins can appeal a block. The full list of blocked instances is available on the stats page.
#HolosDiscover now displays #PeerTube videos correctly in search results.
Would you like to see #HolosDiscover as an app (Android and iOS)? It would offer some customisations and remember your choices. It could even notify you of new results, trending topics, and more.
https://discover.holos.social/
Options: (choose one)
RE: https://toot.fedilab.app/@apps/116722285369696704
The most common answer is people asking what #HolosDiscover is. It's a service that indexes messages across the #Fediverse and lets you search through the data. What makes HolosDiscover unique is that it's not a scraper. It has an account, several opt-outs that automatically remove data, and most importantly indexed messages are immediately removed or updated as soon as the owner makes a change.
Have a look at https://discover.holos.social
#HolosDiscover currently blocks #Bluesky accounts bridged via #BridgyFed, because AT Protocol has no equivalent to the indexable flag.
The bridge is opt-in, but bridged users cannot signal refusal of third-party indexing.
Standard opt-out mechanisms remain functional: block @HolosDiscover, #nobot or #noindex in bio, mention with "unfollow".
What's your opinion?
Options: (choose one)
Holos Discover added a couple of new filters to its API search - minimum likes and minimum boosts. Additionally, you can pass contentType=image|video|audio|text|all|none to the `/api/search` endpoint and it works.
Interesting combinations, which I took advantage of for the Open Web Image Gallery.
Edited 151d ago
I will investigate the issue with #HolosDiscover. Since another bot was launched on holm.community, I have been getting several complaints:
- NoIndex/nobot in bio not respected
- Locked accounts followed
- AP flag not honored
I contacted the maintainer to ask whether the code was changed. This should never happen. These complaints only started after that bot appeared.
I am taking this very seriously. If the problem is in my code, I will fix it immediately. Sorry about that.
I fixed a privacy bug in #HolosDiscover. If you asked not to appear in search through your bio, it did not always respect that because the #NoIndex tag in bios had a bug and the bot did not read profile fields.
In some cases discovery also fell back to the discoverable flag, which is now removed (that flag is about accounts, not posts).
Everything is fixed and I also cleaned up what was already stored. The database is clean. Sorry for that.