# lobsters/lobsters

Computing-focused community centered around link aggregation and discussion

Repository: https://github.com/lobsters/lobsters
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/lobsters
Homepage: https://lobste.rs
Language: Ruby
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: ruby, rails, aggregator, forum, hacktoberfest
Last push: 2026-08-17T21:02:33+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 76/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5122, "days_push": 16, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 4818, forks 980 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:00.466885+00:00)

## What it is
Lobsters is the open-source Rails codebase that powers lobste.rs, a computing-focused link aggregation and discussion community. It is a self-hosted web application with a SQL (SQLite) backend, minimal JavaScript, and a philosophy of avoiding external dependencies.

## Use cases
- run a self-hosted link aggregation and discussion site
- create a Hacker News-style community forum
- study a long-running production Rails codebase
- fork the codebase to launch a sister community site
- contribute to an open-source forum platform

## When to choose
- you want a proven, production-tested link aggregator and discussion platform
- you prefer minimal dependencies and simple self-hosting with SQLite
- you want a Rails codebase with a long maintenance history to learn from or extend

## When to avoid
- you need a modern JavaScript-heavy SPA-style frontend
- you require extensive testing coverage for all features including moderation tools
- you want a plug-and-play forum with rich theming and plugin ecosystems

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: web-framework, http-server, search-engine, auth, middleware
- domain: web-development, self-hosted, social-media
- platform: ruby, self-hosted
- tags: link-aggregator, forum-software, rails, hacker-news-clone, discussion-site, community-platform, community, forums, web-server, linux

## Member repositories
- lobsters/lobsters (main) score 76

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:00.466885+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T18:18:33.778016+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/lobsters/lobsters (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:00.466885+00:00, sha ca1fe6f62262)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.