UNA Blog
100 D-Days Challenge
Today, we are starting a 100-day challenge to update and expand UNA CMS documentation. This is an open challenge for us. We are committed to completing it, and we ask you, the UNA community, to hold us accountable.Why?UNA Documentation is poor. It’s outdated and very limited. We need to make it exceptional. Not just OK, or good… it should be amazing.We are tuning an AI model to provide support for UNA operators and developers. A good model requires up-to-date reference data.As we work on the Docs, we test everything thoroughly. In 100 days, we should have a stable release of UNA 14 ready, and this time around, it must be very well-tested.With community involvement, we will be able to not jus
UNA 13.1
In UNA 13.1 we are focusing on improving general user experience, server performance and expanding UNA core API for the upcoming release of the new React/ReactNative frontend app.System Enhancements:Extended core and module API - #4148The API is extended significantly, providing new endpoints to securely share date with external apps. Over 250 commits dedicated to the API alone, covering everything from core settings, authentication and modules to design, navigation and languages.PUSH/Sockets server integration #4369The new WebSockets server based on https://soketi.app providing highly performant (under 100ms) message delivery for web socket events. For example in UNA+NEO pairing we use it t
UNA + NEO = PWA & Native Apps
Most users of popular social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, use their mobile apps. The majority of users across each platform access it via a mobile device, ranging from 80% to 98%. At least 70% of active users in professional networks use native apps, while at least 85% of activity in casual networks comes from native apps as well. Simply put, four out of five users prefer native apps over desktop or even mobile web apps. The native app experience is generally more seamless, intuitive, and fast.It is only natural to assume that a network that does not offer native apps would struggle to maintain engagement. Often, good conte
UNA 13 "Polaris" Released
Polaris, named after the North Star, symbolizes direction and guidance. When we announced the first Alpha release on November 21, we expected it to be the first part of a two-step cycle. At the time, it was primarily focused on UI overhaul, implementing TailwindCSS to style templates, and introducing new UX patterns.Now, 18 months later, we have the biggest feature update we've ever had. We've added six new modules, a new base template, and hundreds of improvements. Most notably, in v13, we've done more housekeeping than ever before: performance, security, accessibility - all the boring stuff that's often overlooked, but so important.But why "Polaris"? Those of you with keen eyes may have no
The Flexbox Holy Albatross in UNA Layouts
"Given everything we know about two of math’s most famous constants, 𝜋 and e, it’s a bit surprising how lost we are when they’re added together."Yeah... I feel the same about CSS layouts sometimes. 🤨You'd think that since we've been browsing the web on screens of all sizes for decades now the challenge of responsive layouts would have been solved ages ago. Instead, what we've got is a range of "solutions" that work for some cases and fail miserably for others. Often the simplest task becomes a mix of rational and transcendental considerations, just like the afore-quoted mystery of 𝜋+e, a mind-boggling juggle of numerous "what ifs". In most cases UI developers just give up and fall back on co
Tailored Solutions
Yasko.Studio (the UNA holding company) is offering custom implementation, development and consulting service for UNA. We generally take on 5-6 select projects every year and most of the time the waiting list is at least 4-5 months. Now, however, we have an opportunity to commit resources to 2-3 new projects as early as February. Moreover, this year we have a few completely new services to offer…🚀 NextJS App DevelopmentUsing UNA as a headless CMS we can now build a custom React/NextJS progressive web app UI for your site, creating experience and performance similar to apps like Netflix, TikTok and AirBnB. This UI is not available to general public yet, but we are already building custom imple
The Best Community Software: What to Look For
If you're on the hunt for the best community software, you may be asking the wrong question. It's not always about features, performance, design, or reputation. The best software is the one that fits your unique needs and idea. And don't be fooled - there are plenty of options to choose from. Basic groups on Facebook or LinkedIn, hosted SaaS platforms, closed-source proprietary enterprise solutions, open-source frameworks - the list goes on.The real question you need to ask yourself is: what's your long-term vision for your community, and how much control do you want to have while building it? Are you okay with a one-size-fits-all solution? Are you comfortable sharing your members' data with
UNA 13 Alpha 1 and Alpha 2
UNA 13 Alpha 1 and Alpha 2 now available for download with hundreds of fixes and improvements. Please, note that this is NOT A PRODUCTION-READY release and it recommended for testing and pre-production sites only. If you choose to use it, switch to Beta-channel in UNA Studio and both updates will become available automatically.We decided to release early builds now to keep UNA community informed and to allow time for developers to update/adapt their modules. UNA 13 and UNA 14 updates are planned to become two parts of a year-long UX-overhaul mission. We decided to go through every module, page, setting, language key... and revamp user-experience. The recent switch to TailwindCSS for styling
Who doesn't love a good whistleblower? Especially when they are spilling the dirt on our mates at Facebook. It is concerning stuff, Haugen’s document dump revealed what many suspected but couldn’t prove: that Facebook created more lenient secret rules for elite users, that Instagram made body issues worse for one in three teen girls, and that Facebook knowingly amped up outrage on its main site through an algorithm change in 2018, potentially leading to the January 6 storming of the US Capitol building. Her suggestion is greater transparency, with external observers and more investment toward internal guidance, looking to minimise harm as a highest priority. 
UNA Website on CNN
Here is a news story with an UNA website being mentioned on CNN this morning. It's not the best news for the owners of the website, lots of Australian expats stranded overseas because the Australian government won't let them come home - but it is great to see UNA being used to facilitate giving these people a voice in this difficult time.
UNA 12 "Antares" Released
Antares is a giant star, and UNA 12 is a massive update. It may well be the last feature release with so many changes, as we are looking to transition to shorter cycles with more focus on improving existing functionality. What's new in UNA 12 "Antares" *compared to UNA 11 AltairCoursesA learning-oriented context-type module that can be used to build a knowledge-based community. Members create free or paid courses with start/end time, mixed content and invitation lists. Courses can operate like groups and include multiple content type items and feeds.ClassesA content-type module that compliments Courses, allowing Course admins to create and manage educational content. Courses are grouped into
UNA 12.0.0-B1 (Antares) Released
So much happened in 2020. While there were not many blockbuster movies made, it seems that news and reality of life provided enough drama and entertainment to make up for it many times over. Global pandemic, global panic, global reshaping of the society - whatever you choose to call it - the world has changed, or at least started to change. We are community software developers. Wo create tools that power independent social networks and provide configuration services for startups with multi-user apps ideas. To us 2020 was the year that amplified the gravity of our mission to the point when it's no longer about building a financially successful business or having a good time coding together -
UNA 11.0.4 Released
UNA 11.0.4 is released in the production channel. This is a service update covering 87 bugfixes and minor improvements. As usual, all sites configured to production update channel and with auto-updates enabled will update automatically. This update is considered stable and recommended for all sites powered by UNA.  But what about UNA 12?UNA 12 development is now complete and we begin packages preparation tomorrow. This process usually takes 3-5 days, so we should fit somewhere between Christmas and NYE. The reason why we release 11.0.4 now is that UNA 12 will be in beta-channel for at least a few more weeks, so any sites that use production-channel only will benefit from a service update now
Mind your Notifications People!
Something to consider as your sites grow bigger & get busier, is monitoring the number of notifications that your site is sending to users. This is not a 'set and forget' feature, it is important for site operators to continually monitor all defalut site communications to ensure that we are striking that happy medium between engagement & overwhelm.Too few notifications: users aren't aware of or engaged in your community.Too many notifications: users become overwhelmed, will black list your site or unsubscribe to all notifications.Within UNA it's easy for users to manage their own notifications, but your new & casual users might not know that. And in the early days, it's really im
The Social Dilemma
This is really the film of our time. (The time being NOW).  If you scratch at the surface of any issues within the social fabric of today's society, the big tech & social media companies have a huge part to play in it, a complicit finger in every crisis.This documentary takes a stark view of the current situation, with many Silicon Valley players sharing some cold truths on the modus operandi of Big Tech. I watched it last night, at the recommendation of a few friends, it's a huge wake up call, I'd recommend you watch it if you can.As most of us here using UNA are in some way responding to this monopolisation of playing field and wilful corruption of the social fabric by these players -