Underscore (http://undersco.re) is an alternative, modular, data-broker-resistant infrastructure stack and core ongoing R&D lab project administered primarily by The New Design Congress, with ongoing input from a number of aligned organizations.
Underscore is framed and developed entirely from a community-first perspective. This means that beyond data liberation, Underscore is unique in its implementation of community identity, and this simple reframing has significant effects on the usability, security, and dynamics of the stack.
To set up an Underscore account you must have a Discord, Google, Twitter, or Telegram account.
To access the settings, click on your user icon in the top right corner of the browser.
To change the language, navigate over to "Personal Info" which is the first tab on the left column.
Information about your account will appear. Under "Language" you can switch the current language to your preferred language.
The Activity Tab is a log of all activity made by you or others. You can see when someone in your contacts creates changes or uploads a document. If you share a document via a public link, you can also see how many times that particular link was accessed.
On the left side of the screen, you can select different kinds of activity logs to view.
The Files Tab is where all your files are stored.
Click on the '+' sign to create or upload a file.
To upload a file, click on the "Upload file" button. You will then be prompted to select the file from your local computer. You can select multiple files to upload, which can be done by holding the command/control key while selecting items.
To create a file, select any of the remaining options underneath "Upload file." You can create multiple types of files including:
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Folder
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Document
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Text Document (Markdown)
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Spreadsheet
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Presentation
After clicking on the desired file type, you will be prompted to name the file. Then, click on the right arrow in order to create the file.
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Share Via Link
To share a file, click on the share icon.
You can then generate a link by clicking on the '+' icon next to "Share link".
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Transfer Ownership
To transfer ownership of a file or folder, go to the settings tab located under your User Profile. Then under the Sharing tab, go to the "Files" section.
You can then select which files/folders you want to transfer and to which user you want to transfer these files/folders to. To complete the transfer request, click the "Transfer" button.
The Deck Tab is an area where you can keep track of and manage your work.
To create a board click on the "+ Add board" tab at the bottom of the left column.
After clicking, a prompt will appear that will allow you to name your board.
You can also change the color by clicking on the eyedropper icon to the left of the text field. Then, click on the arrow to finish creating the board. You can also cancel by selecting the X.
You can delete a board by clicking the three dots shown on the left column.
After creating a board, tasks can be organized into lists. To create a list, click on the plus icon in the top right corner of any board. You will then need to enter a name for the list and press the arrow button to create the list.
To add a card to a list on a board, go to any list on a board. In the top right corner of a list, click on the plus sign to add a card.
You will need to enter a task name for your card and press the arrow button to create the card.
You can add an event to the calendar by selecting the "+ New Event" button on the left column. You can then add an event title, an event duration, a location and a description. Clicking on the more button will allow you to add more details. You can then click save to save the event to your calendar.
The Photos Tab allows you to view all your photos and videos in one place. You can add photos by uploading them as files in the files tab.
The Contacts Tab is where all your contacts are stored.
To add a new contact, click on the "+ New contact" button at the top of the leftmost column.
This will open a contact called "New contact", which you can modify.
You can also and a contact to a Group using the "Add contact in group" button under "Groups." You can also add additional information by going over to the "+ New Property" section. Click on "Choose Property Type" to add notes to a contact, such as a nickname or a website.
These contacts are auto-saved, so there's no need to manually save any changes to a contact!
To create a group, click on the + icon to the right of the "Groups" tab on the leftmost column.
You will then be prompted to enter a name for your group. When you have finished, you can click the right arrow to create your group.
Circles allow you to create groups with other users on a Nextcloud instance and share with them.
To create a circle, click on the + icon to the right of the "Circles" tab on the leftmost column.
You will then be prompted to enter a name for your circle. Then, you can click the "Create Circle" button to finish.
You can also add additional details about your circle after you create the circle, by clicking on its name in the leftmost column.
You can also add members by clicking on the "+ Add members" button in the middle column.
This will bring up a search bar where you can look through your contacts to add members.
Undersco.re TV is an instance of PeerTube, a free and open-source, decentralized, federated video platform powered by ActivityPub and WebTorrent, that uses peer-to-peer technology to reduce load on individual servers when viewing videos.
You can read more about PeerTube here.
To upload a video, click on the "Publish" button on the upper righthand corner.
You can then select your method of upload and which channel the video will be uploaded to, and choose whether the video is private, public, or unlisted.
Click "Import" to upload the video.
You will then be directed to the info page for your video, where you can add a description and tags.
Remember to click "Update" in the bottom right corner once you are finished to save changes to your video.
By default, Underscore TV makes the first frame of the video the thumbnail. If you want a custom thumbnail, you can add an image under the "Advanced settings" tab. From there, under "Video preview" you can edit the photo to your desired thumbnail.
Note that the thumbnail must not exceed 4 MB and must be a .png, .jpg, .jpeg, or .webp file.
You can also modify whether viewers are able to leave comments or download your videos under the "Advanced settings tab. Simply check or uncheck the feature you want to enable or disable. By default, both of these features are enabled.
You can also add captions to your video. First click on the "Captions" tab. Then click on the "Add another caption" button in the top right corner.
You can then select the language of your caption and upload an SRT file of the captions.
To get the RSS Feed for a channel, navigate to their front page.
Underneath the Videos and Playlists tabs, click on the signal symbol.
From there you can select your desired format.
To get the JSON data for any playlist you can use the URL:
https://tv.undersco.re/api/v1/video-playlists/${playlist-id}/videos
Where "${playlist-id}" is the ID of the playlist.
Take this playlist as an example:
Here, the playlist ID would be 20f7d352-1a02-4d95-b931-74cf251f4cd7.
Underscore uses Mobilizon for event hosting and distribution. Mobilizon is a free-libre and open source software maintained and financed by the French not-for-profit Framasoft.
You can view their Github page here or read their documentation here.
Underscore uses Leaflet for maps. Leaflet is an open source JavaScript library used to build web mapping applications.
The Tasks tab allows you to create themed to-do lists (called decks)
Underscore uses a platform called Penpot for design and prototyping.
Penpot is the first Open Source design and prototyping platform meant for cross-domain teams. Non dependent on operating systems, Penpot is web based and works with open web standards (SVG).
You can learn more about their libraries and templates here.
Underscore uses a platform called Funkwhale to host podcasts.
Funkwhale is a community-driven project that lets you listen and share music within a decentralized, open network. Funkwhale is not only an audio server and player, it was designed to be a place for socializing around music and discovering new content.
You can read their documentation here.