Custom Feeds & Open Social Browser - Surf

Surf: Empowering Users with Custom Social Feeds

The recently launched app, Surf, developed by Flipboard, is designed to streamline the creation and discovery of personalized feeds centered around individual interests. Rather than being confined to algorithm-driven timelines dictated by social media platforms, users can now construct experiences focused on preferred subjects.

These subjects can range from beloved hobbies and competitive sports to thriving communities and any other area of interest one wishes to monitor.

Simplifying Feed Creation with Starter Sets

Surf’s introduction of Starter Sets on Thursday aims to simplify the process of building and personalizing custom feeds. Users even have the option to publish these feeds outside of the app itself.

This ease of creation allows a broader audience to regain control over their social media experience, shifting power away from large technology companies like Meta and Google.

A More Accessible Approach to Custom Feeds

While platforms such as Graze and SkyFeed already offer custom feed functionality for Bluesky users, these tools generally cater to a more technically proficient audience. Surf, however, is designed for mainstream social media consumers.

Starter Sets specifically target individuals who are interested in feed-building but may lack the initial know-how to get started.

From Curation to the Open Social Web

Surf, which entered a limited beta program late last year, represents the second phase of Flipboard’s original goal: web curation. The original Flipboard app enabled users to compile and organize content from blogs, news sources, and established social media platforms into personalized magazines.

However, restrictions imposed on APIs by social services like X prompted Flipboard to explore the open social web, ultimately leading to the development of Surf.

The app allows curation and exploration of feeds drawing from social networks utilizing open protocols, including Bluesky, Mastodon, Pixelfed, PeerTube, and even Meta’s Threads.

Content from blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, news websites, and any source with an RSS feed can also be incorporated.

Exploring Pre-Populated Starter Sets

The newly introduced Starter Sets, curated by the Surf team, are organized around popular categories and pre-populated with suggested sources.

For example, selecting the “Hobbies” category presents a range of subtopics, such as cycling, gaming, Legos, books, baking, hiking, dancing, guitar, comics, sailing, and many others.

Refining Feeds and Publishing Options

Users can integrate their Mastodon or Bluesky accounts and filter content based on the chosen topic. A search function allows for the addition of specific sources, with further filtering tools to ensure posts align with the feed’s focus.

This is particularly useful for individuals whose favorite commentators discuss diverse topics, allowing users to isolate content relevant to their interests.

A recent addition enables the publication of custom feeds directly to Bluesky.

By accessing the three-dot menu on the feed’s header and selecting “Publish to Bluesky,” the feed will become visible in the Feeds tab of the user’s Bluesky profile. It’s important to note that when viewed on Bluesky, the feed will only display Bluesky content.

Accessing Surf

Currently, Surf operates on an invite-only basis, but the platform is consistently expanding access from its waitlist.