moelholm / bot-javabubble Goto Github PK

TypeScript 98.46% JavaScript 1.54%

bot-javabubble's Introduction

bot-javabubble

Implementation of the "Java Bubble" Mastodon bot.

Architecture

The "bot" is implemented as an AWS Lambda function. It wakes up once in a while - as indicated by a signal from an Event Bridge Rule - and does the following:

Downloads the latest and greatest list of Java accounts from javabubble.org
Stores them in a local DynamoDB table
Sends out a toot* with the "new" accounts

Configuration

The lambda function loads it's configuration from AWS SSM parameter path /APPLICATION/BOT-JAVABUBBLE/**. This is where it expects to find a proper Mastodon API key, location of the javabubble source, bot author mastadon handle, and so on.

In local development mode all this info can be supplied as ordinary OS environment variables.

Development

The bot is developed as a normal NPM project. The code here is based on TypeScript and when run locally it maintains data in a local DynamoDB table. No connectivity to AWS - and also no connectivity to any Mastodon server.

The bot infrastructure code (lambda, dynamodb, etc) is developed as a normal AWS CDK project.

Relase and deployment to production

There's no CI/CD pipeline yet. So releasing and deployment is a bit manual... basically a 2-step process:

Generate a Lambda ZIP file from the app-javabubble directory
Deploy it with CDK from the iac-javabubble directory

or more; there is a limit on the number of characters allowed in a toot.. so a long list of new accounts may be split up into multiple distinct toots.

bot-javabubble's People

Contributors

Watchers

bot-javabubble's Issues

Add https:// prefix for aws bubble toots

Bot is posting out-of-date Fediverse handles

I updated my Fediverse handle about 8 months ago: marchof/javabubble@6e6ed96

The bot is still posting my old handle:
https://masto.ai/@javabubble/110836943227366961

add owner-notification support

Free account-service from gateway specifics

sanitize html entities from usernames

Update README to reflect new generic capability

The Bot is no longer "Java Bubble" only. The README, however, still only documents it in terms of Java.

Clean it up - documenting how it is used for the Java Bubble and AWS Bubble variants (and potentially other)

Add support for https://github.com/gunnargrosch/mastodon-lists

Convert use of ITEM_SOURCE into ITEM_SOURCES for the Java Bubble variant

With the AWS Bubble introduction a new property was introduced: ITEM_SOURCES. To streamline the configuration experience the Java Bubble variant should be updated to fetch its configuration source from that instead.

Announce: source

Source: Broadcast

Example:

TIP! You can download files with at least [x] mastodon accounts from [y]. They
are designed to be imported into your mastodon account as "Following lists". 
Importing a "Following list" is a very effective way to quickly build up a network
here on mastodon.

On behalf of the [a] community: A big thank you to [b] for maintaining this source 👏🏼

(I am using this source myself 🤗)

remove notification rules

Add aws-bubble IaC

Refactor solution to make it more generic

Prepare the solution for generic follower feeds.

Refactor "essentials of" javabubble-gateway.ts to "account-service.ts"

Make announce-functions generic

allow hyphen in mastodon handles

Delete lambda.ts

Link directly instead...

Implement safety mechanism that won't broadcast excessively

In case of an empty db the bot will broadcast all accounts received. If it receives 1000 accounts then that is what it will announce afterwards. It is clearly not the intention in a clean db - and also - it is likely not what we want for any large enough numbers (it could indicate an anormaly in the source).

Update the "announce new accounts" feature such that it only announces up until 20 accounts. Anything above should just be stored - but not tooted. Granted, more than this amount could be received ... but in that case we will survive without spamming the fediverse anyways.

Please deactivate the bot ASAP

Thanks for the development of this bot, @moelholm. But unfortunately nothing has been going on for several years and the bot is constantly spreading false information in the Fediverse (see #32). That's a shame, because if it didn't post outdated handles, it would be very helpful.

But by spreading false, outdated Mastodon handles, users get confused and subscribe to old, defunct accounts and think, this person or group is now inactive on Mastodon. But that is not the case. And they don't know it. As there are more and more people who have switched instances, more and more people are affected. The bot directs users to accounts that have been closed. So today, the bot is doing more harm than good.