TouchGrass aims to be a safe, non-addictive social network for real friends, with no algorithmic feed, videos, public like counts, or infinite scroll. ATProto- and ActivityPub-compatible, with a focus on real life, friends, portability & interoperability.

Hi guys I'm trying to build a very opinionated social network interface, on top of the existing Fediverse and ATProto protocols, meaning people who are already on Mastodon, Bluesky, Pixelfed, etc. can just link their accounts; but the interface is fully based on non-addictive patterns. It started because I was way too addicted to social media myself and found myself scrolling Reels for hours on end. So I had to delete Facebook and Instagram. But I do want to be able to follow the life of the people that are important to me. I researched "the perfect product" for me and found two avenues: the protocols and the niche networks. The protocols (ActivityPub/Fediverse & ATProto/Atmosphere) are very useful because they break silo's, but the interfaces currently built on them are not what I was looking for. They mimic Twitter and Instagram, while I was more interested in a true friend-focused, less content-focused interface. More classic Facebook, basically. Some niche apps were good too, but they just have too limited a user base, and I'll never be able to convince everyone to join one of those. I also have no clue where their development will go in the future. In the end, I did like early Facebook and Instagram. It's just the enshittified versions that I despise. so I was really looking at this in a way that if I get tired of the platform itself, I (and all users) can move, without having to lose my contacts and content again. So that's why I'm trying to build something where you can follow already existing Mastodon, Pixelfed, Bluesky, etc. accounts and see their content directly in your feed; without having to be too concerned about protocols and servers as a user, as this is clearly a blocking point for many people. So therefor: https://touchgrass.network If people want to try and join and give real user feedback, that would be extremely helpful. I feel like I'm too deep into it to really look at it with fresh eyes. Even if it's just the onboarding process. Any advice and feedback would be great. (Ignore the github link, the source code is on tangled, but producthunt wouldn't accept that by itself)

Love that you're building for real connection instead of engagement metrics. The decision to skip algorithmic feeds and like counts from day one takes real conviction.

Finally, a feed that doesn't feel like it's trying to keep me scrolling. Loved how clean it is and that my actual friends are front and center without all the noise.

genuinely love that you went with no infinite scroll and no algorithmic feed baked in from day one, that kind of discipline is rare and honestly kind of refreshing

Love the non-addictive, friend-focused take on social + the ATProto/ActivityPub interoperability. Congrats on shipping this, Niels!

Love that you're building for real connection instead of engagement metrics. The decision to skip algorithmic feeds and like counts from day one takes real conviction.

Finally, a feed that doesn't feel like it's trying to keep me scrolling. Loved how clean it is and that my actual friends are front and center without all the noise.

genuinely love that you went with no infinite scroll and no algorithmic feed baked in from day one, that kind of discipline is rare and honestly kind of refreshing

Love the non-addictive, friend-focused take on social + the ATProto/ActivityPub interoperability. Congrats on shipping this, Niels!

TouchGrass

Another social network

Another social network