Emissary is a standalone "Social Web Toolkit" and Fediverse server designed for individuals, developers, and administrators to participate in the decentralized web.

Here is a summary of its principal functionalities:

Multi-Network Connectivity

• Fediverse Integration: It acts as a "good citizen" on the Fediverse by supporting the ActivityPub protocol.

• RSS & IndieWeb: It supports Real-time RSS via WebSub for following news and blogs, as well as IndieWeb standards like MicroFormats and WebMentions for personal websites.

Programmability and Customization

• App Assembly: Developers can assemble custom applications using tested components and remix existing themes or templates.

• Distribution & Deployment: Packages can be distributed via Git or .zip files, and the system allows for the deployment of vetted packages from trusted sources,.

Privacy and Security

• Data Ownership: A core focus is on personal agency, allowing users to own their data and their social graph.

• Safety Tools: It includes powerful rules and follower-only feeds to protect users and limit the impact of malicious actors.

• Tailored Experience: The platform is designed to provide user choice without causing "decision overload".

Scalability and Infrastructure

• DevOps Ready: It supports easy, repeatable builds and deployments.

• Clustering: Emissary is cluster-ready, meaning it can start from a command line, configuration files, or a shared database.

• Efficient Scaling: To help small sites scale, it utilizes shared services such as a cache, queue, and crawler, all while maintaining minimal dependencies to simplify the environment.

Project Status

• The tool is currently in a technical preview (version 0.6.0), primarily intended for app creators and core developers.

Emissary acts like a "Swiss Army Knife" for the social web: instead of being locked into a single social media "walled garden," it provides you with the tools to build your own digital home, connect it to various neighborhoods (like the Fediverse or RSS feeds), and ensure the doors are locked and the data stays yours.