Featured Posts RSSWed, 15 Oct 2025 11:15:29 GMTThe next major release, UNA 15 Vega is in active development and the first preview is available now. Unlike past versions that introduced large new features, UNA 15 is about consolidation and refinement. Highlights for this release include:Significant improvements in performance.Push towards better security.Overhauled DevOps workflows and policies. Streamlined User Experience. Improved API tooling for upcoming React/ReactNative SDK.Extended Payments functionality. Logging, observability and public demos.Reduced AI Agents (Automators) calls to the AI engine. PerformanceWith new content caching, additional DB cache, reduced SQL queries and refactored sessions most UNA pages show significant improvements in load time! Further gains anticipated as we populate new patterns to all modules and test more. Timing 4 simultaneous threads of 50 concurrent requests to each page on a sample site (online.me, running on a basic monolith cloud instance). Note the nearly 3x improvement in page load compared to UNA 14. The total number of MySQL queries for key pages - also showing 1.5x to 3x reduction across the board:We've identified further potential gains on complex pages like active profile feeds and contexts browsing. Working on those now, so expect those "chunky" routes to get a lot lighter. Note that our tests are done deliberately with pages that include multiple blocks and activity data, with loads exceeding "recommended" capacity of the test instances. For more optimised deployments it is quite possible have consistent sub-1s FCP/LCP and 0 blocking time.Security, Dependencies and DevOpsNow every commit we make to UNA core runs though a number of automated tests, AI-powered code reviews and scans.CodeRabbit code review, Snyk Scans and SonarCube checks. We scan commits and pull requests before merging and monitor the codebase daily for new vulnerabilities.DependaBot scans and monitoring. We scan dependencies for available updates and integrate AP... Read more

]]>Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:15:29 GMTNEO is in the final stages of refinement, tweaking the UI, polishing the edges. It's going to cause a small scale revolution in the UNAverse, of the very best kind. In the near future we will have very limited bandwidth for creating your customised UNA solution built on React (think fully featured Native Apps for less than $40K) if you've got a project and a budget, send me a DM, we can make magic happen.

]]>Fri, 13 Jun 2025 07:32:45 GMTMany here have been no doubt watching the evolution of NEO, our React App interface for UNA, with avid interest. As this project comes so very close to its fruition with a number of NEO based apps launching this week it seems timely to reflect on what might be the next steps in the evolution of the UNA-verse...As @Andrey Yasko reflected with me this afternoon, he and a good number of the UNA team have been developing the UNA codebase for 25 years. In any age, that's a long time, in internet years, that's millennia! Across this time, and particularly in that last decade since Dolphin evolved into Trident and then UNA, the UNA team, past and present have assembled an incredible suite of components that can be used to build almost any configuration or social community or membership based site.A Lego Set of Possibilities 🏗️UNA 14 offers an incredible system to build out almost any dream site, with a robust core of system modules, a multitude of performative modules and slick templating system, there is no limitation to what can be built with UNA. UNA has often been described as a Lego set of building blocks that will empower you to build the community site of your dreams, however...The Problem... 🤷‍♂️The challenge with UNA is that it is too good, too sophisticated and 'too much' for most mortals to easily grasp. Make no mistake, there are some incredible sites that have been built on UNA, however most of them have been created by skilled developers, and we have always struggled with what I describe as a 'retail product' something that mere mortals, the dreamers and doers can configure with limited time and resources. There have been significant efforts made to create 'opinionated' templates that give new builders an already evolved starting point, Spacenook being an excellent starting point, however we have known for a long time that we need more.Less is More 🎯One of the great challenges for UNA developers (UNA team included) is switching apps off. Especially with new c... Read more

]]>Tue, 06 May 2025 09:59:41 GMTWhat a journey! Took us well over a year this time. UNA 14 Final is released and now replaces 13.1 as a recommended stable. We call it Sirius - the brightest star.The early days of v14 were very much about compatibility with the new React/ReactNative SDK we developed, focusing on APIs, authentication compatibility, DB performance improvements and all the goodies a CMS needs to perform well as a "headless" application server. Then, AI hype hit and we add Agents, Assistant and created a reference for feeding AI all about UNA alerts and actions. We enabled support for InnoDB, integrated Grapesjs editor, added HTMX routing in tabs, cleaned up the default template and made hundreds of smaller improvements. This is still a very "fresh" release, mind you - it will need a a few iterations to make Agents effective and more tuning for the Assistant.Most importantly, UNA 14 Sirius opens the opportunity to release the React / RN frontend apps. We have them in production on a couple of projects now, and have 3 more scheduled for go-live in the next few weeks. Most of the core modules have been adapted, but we are actively updating them in preparation for public preview. Watch the 14.1 progress - NEO app will be released along with UNA 14.1.Major New FeaturesSubgroupsOne of the most anticipated features in UNA 14.0.0 is the introduction of Subgroups, allowing for more complex organizational structures within your community. This feature enables you to create hierarchical group relationships, making it easier to manage large communities with diverse interests.Timeline EnhancementsThe Timeline module has received substantial improvements:New Timeline Filters panel for better content discoveryEnhanced privacy controls for Timeline contentImproved handling of media content in TimelineBetter management of past events in TimelineFixed issues with followed groups in Timeline blocksAgents AppThe new Agents App introduces AI-powered assistants, automators and helpers to your UNA platform:... Read more

]]>Fri, 11 Apr 2025 06:24:25 GMTToday, 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 just write docs, but identify problems and work out new solutions.RulesEvery day of the next 100 days, including weekends, we will publish or update at least one new Docs page. On good days, we may be able to do more than one.Every day, we will start a discussion related to the published Doc and invite the community to suggest edits, ask questions, critique, and share opinions on the subject.Before publishing any new page, we will incorporate all relevant and useful updates posted in discussions into previously published docs.If you have recommendations for specific pages that need updating, or requests for docs on any specific topic, please post in replies to this discussion.It’s ON!

]]>Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:31:57 GMTIn 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 to update reaction counts in the feed without reloading the page or polling the server. In the Messenger we use it to exchange messages at scale.Service worker & site manifest file settings #4480Improved site manifest and caching mechanism enabling shipping UNA as a Progressive Web App.Icons for info fields in profile #4389Support for customisable icons for profile info fields.Connections page #4365The new Connections section with Friends Suggestions, Friends, Friend Requests, Requested Friendship, Who to follow, Followers and Following pages. Actions in cards for each section adapted to the context of the page.Comments: partially hide long comments #4471Counters in connection menu items #4550New setting: to change number of results in profiles search auto-suggestion #4537New setting: viewport metatag value setting in Developer module #4383New setting: number of results count in Live search #4359Meta title in Pages builder separately from page heading #4548Custom placeholder text for empty blocks instead of the default 'Empty' string #4370Custom cover title #4407“Updates” tab in Apps Market in Studio now requires authorization #4464Developer debug mode in header.inc.php #4544Forms: check ... Read more

]]>Tue, 05 Dec 2023 04:11:45 GMTMost 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 content or intriguing ideas may convince someone to join, but to keep them coming back, a social media site needs native apps.Mobile Apps OptionsGenerally there are a few ways you can target mobile. All come with pros and cons:Responsive Website. Traditional HTML / CSS pages with some JS sprinkles for interactivity. This approach is simple, SEO-friendly and easy to maintain. On the flip side, pages have to reload full when URLs change and even with aggressive caching browsing exprience can feel “choppy”. Users can instantly tell that it’s a website. Another downside is limited access to device features. The site is confined within a browser. *UNA produces responsive HTML pages dynamically, rendered on server.Single Page Application (SPA). Instead of loading entire new pages from the server every time a user navigates, an SPA loads data in the background and displays it in specific sections of the page without refreshing the whole page. This can make the web app feel more fluid and faster, more like a native desktop or mobile app. Standard SPA rendered within same URL is not SEO-friendly, however and may not be able to handle links sharing very well. An SPA is also confined within a browser. *Out of the box UNA doesn’t work as an SPA.Single Page Application (SPA) with Server-Side ... Read more

]]>Tue, 04 Jul 2023 12:54:51 GMTPolaris, 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 noticed the API overhaul and a handful of new options in Studio, pointing towards a certain "app." That's the groundwork for something even bigger we're working on - by far the most ambitious undertaking we've ever attempted. It's coming!What's new in UNA 13 Polaris*compared to UNA 12 AntaresArtificer TemplateThe new UNA default template, taking advantage of the TailwindCSS framework.StreamsA content module that enables live streaming capabilities for community engagement. Help ToursA step-by-step tour used to guide new members the first time they login to a UNA site. DonationsDonate money to the site as a one time donation or recurring donations. AttendantShows a popup to newly joined members with a list of featured groups, spaces, channels, events, organizations, and/or people that can be followed.Xero.com service integrationGenerate invoices Xero invoices for payments processed in UNA.Marker.io service integrationAn integration used for debugging, connected directly to Github. Users can report issues directly from the site to the connected repository.System enhancements:Quill editor was added instead of TinyMCE as default system editor #3252 #4022 #3670 #3612 #3797 #3826 #3783 #3959 #3955 #3957 #3952 #4203Age rating (PG, PG13, R) for content #1430Embeds for all content... Read more

]]>Tue, 30 May 2023 02:23:25 GMT"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 constraints, calling their solution "opinionated", which in this case really means "sorry, couldn't figure it out, so this will do".That's OK for a website, or an app, but it's not OK for a framework like UNA where containers customisation and responsive layout is the lex terrae. We have to wrestle with it until we win, or die trying. Let me explain...The GoalWe need to be able to position content cards vertically or horizontally, depending on the width of the parent container. In UNA these may be, say, Posts or People or Groups cards used on main browsing pages. Like so...Simple, right? If you are familiar with CSS you probably already have a few ideas, hoping for quick and easy solution. Now let's kill those hopes and ideas one by one.The @media Queries // uselessParent container has nothing to do with browser viewport. It's not just about desktop vs mobile. While on mobile phone viewport is usually small enough to always default to single-column layout, on other devices we may have more than one "cell". Layouts can have 2-3-4 columns and it may be rearranging between tablet to large desktop viewports. Layouts may have different column size combinations, like the "holy grail" layout with narrow sidebar, wide content area and medium-sized aside on the right.When you... Read more

]]>Tue, 14 Feb 2023 03:58:43 GMTYasko.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 implementations for our clients. 🤖 Specialised AI Models TrainingUnless you’ve been under a rock the last few weeks you know that AI revolution is here. Some say it’s likely to create bigger impact than the Internet has and the race is only starting. Now, if you’re launch a community startup or developing your existing network, there are numerous applications for specialised AI models, configured and trained with specific knowledge of your product, solving large-scale challenges that used to require numerous human operators. UNA happens to be a perfect match for sourcing AI training data, using the community feedback to reinforce training and then applying the model to achieve unique goals of your business, at scale. We can help you to get started with your own model training - do it now, or risk staying behind the AI race.🌐 Multisite Network SetupAnother big leap for UNA - we can now create multi-site configurations where each “community” runs on a subdomain or custom domains, yet still sharing a common database and allowing for a single login across all networks. You can launch your own specialised community SaaS or a network of niche communities based on interests, locales, departments or, say, regional clubs. Along with the new services, we would be happy to help you optimise the ... Read more

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