Vox Pop

io.github.mushfique-dgistPublished by GitHub account mushfique-dgistv0.2.0Updated Oct 25, 2026

Search 9 public discussion platforms for real opinions. Semantic routing, no API keys required.

VerifiedSTDIODesktop onlyWeb Search & ScrapingKnowledge & MemoryAI & ML

Overview

AI-generated overview

Vox Pop searches 9 public discussion platforms to find real opinions on topics, providing context beyond standard search results.

What you can do
Search public discussion platforms for real opinions on a topic. Provide historical and recent perspectives on a subject. Dive into specific thread comments for deeper insight. List all available and healthy discussion platforms.
When to use it
Use this when you want to know what people actually think about a subject, rather than just what is written in formal articles or textbooks. It is ideal for gauging public sentiment on niche or controversial topics.
Requirements
Runs as a local process (PyPI package). Optional LLM keys (ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY, OLLAMA_HOST) can be set as environment variables for smarter routing.
Before you install
The tool accesses public discussion platforms. While it claims to only use public data, be mindful of the nature of the content found on forums and social platforms.

Installation

In SourceWeft

  1. Open Vox Pop in the dashboard and add it to a workspace.
  2. Enable the server for the chats that should use its tools.

Desktop only via STDIO. STDIO servers start a local process, so they need the SourceWeft desktop host.

Other MCP clients

Follow the launch instructions in the repository.

README


[VOX-POP]

Your LLM knows what textbooks say.
This tells it what people actually think.

9 platforms • Semantic routing • LLM intelligence layer • Works without API keys

[License: MIT] [Python 3.10+] [MCP Compatible] [No Keys Required]

Install • Quick Start • Platforms • How Routing Works • MCP Server • Claude Code Plugin • Roadmap


Why?

Without vox-pop

> How do I debloat my face?
Lymphatic drainage, reduce sodium,cold compress, drink water,sleep elevated...
(correct but soulless — same answer as every health blog since 2015)

With vox-pop

★ Searched: Reddit, 4chan /fit/, SE Fitness
Consensus (70%+ of threads): → Reduce sodium + 3L water/day → Sleep elevated on back
Controversial: → Gua sha: loved on Reddit,   mocked on /fit/ as placebo
What actually worked: → "Cut dairy for 2 weeks — face    visibly deflated" (847↑ r/SCA) → "Minox bloat is real, went away    month 3" (/fit/, recurring)
⚠ Some suggestions are unvetted.

Install

bash
pip install vox-pop

That's it. All 9 platforms work with zero API keys. Optional LLM key unlocks smarter routing (see How Routing Works).


Quick Start

CLI — search all 9 platforms in one command:

bash
vox-pop search "should I learn Rust or Go"

Perspective mode — see how opinions evolved over time:

bash
vox-pop search "rust vs go" --perspective --platforms hackernews,reddit
## hackernews — Then vs Now
Historical (1+ year ago):> "Rust vs. Go"  — hackernews | +481 points | 580 replies | 2017-01-18
Recent (last 6 months):> "Rust vs. Go: Memory Management"  — hackernews | +2 points | 2025-11-15
## reddit — Then vs Now
Historical:> "Experienced developer but total beginner in Rust..."  — reddit | +124 points | 34 replies | 2025-03-14
Recent:> "I rebuilt the same API in Java, Go, Kotlin, and Rust — here are the numbers"  — reddit | +174 points | 59 replies | 2026-03-19

The shift tells a story: 2017 was a flame war. 2026 is domain-specific pragmatism.

Standard search — flat results from all platforms:

bash
vox-pop search "should I learn Rust or Go" --limit 3
### hackernews (45 found)> "I am a full stack TypeScript dev looking to broaden my skill set..."  — hackernews | +78 points | 42 replies | by throwaway_dev  Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41907717
### 4chan /g/ (12 found)> "Rust is a mass psychosis. Go is boring but you'll actually ship..."  — 4chan /g/ | 129 replies | by Anonymous
### reddit (8 found)> "After 2 years with both: Rust for systems, Go for services..."  — reddit | +234 points | 87 replies | by senior_dev_42

Python — embed in your own tools:

python
import asynciofrom vox_pop.core import search_multiple, format_context, get_default_providers
async def main():    results = await search_multiple(        "best laptop for programming",        providers=get_default_providers(),    )    print(format_context(results))
asyncio.run(main())

Platforms

No tokens, no OAuth, no rate-limit headaches. Status is measured, not aspirational — vox-pop platforms --check re-runs this against live endpoints.

Reddit and Lobsters are currently blocked. Both sit behind Anubis proof-of-work interstitials that serve a challenge page instead of content. This is not a configuration issue and no header change defeats it. Reddit support is being moved to the official OAuth API; Lobsters now reports the block explicitly rather than returning an empty result.

PlatformStatusSourceTime FilterThreads
[HN]HackerNewsWorkingAlgolia Search APIYesYes
[Reddit]RedditBlockedPullpush + Arctic Shift + Redlib fallbackYes—
[4chan]4chanWorkingOfficial JSON API (since 2012)—Yes
[SE]Stack ExchangeWorkingOfficial API — 180+ communitiesYesYes
[TG]TelegramRecent onlyPublic channel web preview (t.me/s/)——
[Lobsters]LobstersBlockedlobste.rs JSON API + search scrapingYes—
[Lemmy]LemmyWorkingPublic REST API — federated instancesYesYes
[LW]LessWrongWorkingGraphQL APIYesYes
[Forums]XenForo ForumsFlakyHTML scraping (Head-Fi, AnandTech, etc.)——

How Routing Works

Queries can be anything — a single word, a paragraph, an essay-length D&D rules question. vox-pop understands them all through a four-tier routing system:

User query: "i was looking into a solid laptop for linux             something from hp, what would a savvy person pick"                                    │    ┌───────────────────────────────▼──────────────────────────────┐    │  Tier 1: MCP Hints                                           │    │  Calling LLM provides routing_hints directly                 │    │  (skips all other tiers)                                     │    ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤    │  Tier 2: LLM Query Rewrite          ← like Perplexity        │    │  Cheap LLM call rewrites query to search-optimized form      │    │  "hp laptop linux compatibility" + routes to communities     │    │  Supports: Anthropic, OpenAI, Ollama (local/free)            │    ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤    │  Tier 3: Semantic Embeddings         ← free, no API key      │    │  FastEmbed (33MB model) understands meaning, not keywords    │    │  Dynamic catalog: 77 4chan boards + 180 SE sites + static    │    │  "contradictory spell behaviour" → SE:rpg, r/DnD, /tg/       │    ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤    │  Tier 4: Broad Defaults                                      │    │  Search popular destinations everywhere                      │    └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘                                    │                                    ▼    Routes to: r/buildapc, r/linux, r/hardware │ /g/               SE:hardwarerecs, SE:askubuntu │ lemmy:[email protected]

Tier 2 works like Perplexity/ChatGPT Search — the LLM rewrites your conversational query into a clean search string and picks the right communities. Set any of these env vars to enable:

bash
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=...   # Uses Claude Haiku (~$0.0003/query)OPENAI_API_KEY=...      # Uses GPT-4o MiniOLLAMA_HOST=...         # Uses local Ollama (free)

Tier 3 runs entirely locally with zero API keys. A 33MB embedding model understands that "contradictory spell behaviour on a creature" means tabletop RPG rules — zero shared keywords needed. On first run, it fetches all 4chan boards and Stack Exchange sites dynamically, embeds everything, and caches to disk.

Cold startWarm startSingleton
Tier 3 timing~7s~1.3sinstant

No configuration needed. If an LLM key is set, Tier 2 is used. Otherwise Tier 3 handles it. If fastembed isn't installed, Tier 4 (broad search) still works.

Routing examples
QueryRoutes to
"best hp laptop for linux"r/buildapc, r/linux, r/hardware, /g/, SE:hardwarerecs, SE:askubuntu
"contradictory spell effects on a creature"r/dndnext, r/DnD, /tg/, SE:rpg
"best mechanical keyboard for programming"r/MechanicalKeyboards, /g/, SE:hardwarerecs
"what are the risks of yield farming"r/CryptoCurrency, SE:tezos, telegram:ethereum
"how to make authentic kimchi jjigae"r/Cooking, /ck/

MCP Server

Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and any MCP-compatible client.

json
{  "mcpServers": {    "vox-pop": {      "command": "python",      "args": ["-m", "vox_pop.server"]    }  }}

Your LLM gets four tools:

ToolWhat it does
search_opinionsSearch all platforms for opinions on a topic
search_opinions_perspectiveThen vs Now — historical + recent opinions side by side
get_thread_opinionsDive into a specific thread's comments
list_available_platformsCheck what's available and healthy

The routing_hints parameter lets the calling LLM specify exactly where to search:

routing_hints: "reddit:MechanicalKeyboards,4chan:g,stackexchange:hardwarerecs"

When no hints are provided, the routing system handles it automatically.


Claude Code Plugin

bash
claude plugin add /path/to/vox-pop

The skill auto-triggers when your question would benefit from real opinions. Just ask naturally:

> "What do people think about living in Berlin?"    → activates> "Should I use Next.js or Remix?"                  → activates> "Best gym routine for beginners?"                 → activates> "What's the capital of France?"                   → does not activate

Manual search: /vox-search "your query"


Architecture

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│  Layer 3: Claude Code / MCP Client                       ││  Auto-triggering skill + /vox-search                     │├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤│  Layer 2: MCP Server                                     ││  search_opinions · perspectives · threads · list         │├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤│  Layer 1: Python Library                                 ││  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  ││  │  Smart Router (4-tier)                             │  ││  │  MCP hints → LLM rewrite → FastEmbed → broad      │  ││  └────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  ││  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  ││  │  9 Providers with fallback chains                  │  ││  │  HN · Reddit · 4chan · SE · Telegram               │  ││  │  Lobsters · Lemmy · LessWrong · XenForo Forums     │  ││  └────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  ││  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  ││  │  Dynamic Catalog                                   │  ││  │  77 4chan boards + 180 SE sites fetched from APIs   │  ││  │  + 120 static destinations · cached to disk         │  ││  └────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Each provider implements automatic fallback — if one source is down, the next is tried. Reddit alone has three fallback sources (Pullpush → Arctic Shift → Redlib).


Roadmap

VersionStatusWhat
v0.1Shipped5 providers (HN, Reddit, 4chan, SE, Telegram), MCP server, Claude Code plugin
v0.2Current9 providers, 4-tier smart routing, LLM query rewriting, FastEmbed semantic routing, dynamic catalog
v0.3In progressReddit via official OAuth API — replaces the blocked Redlib path
v0.4Not startedRegional — DC Inside (Korea), Naver, 5ch (Japan)

Contributing

New provider?          → Subclass Provider in src/vox_pop/providers/base.pyNew routing destination → Add to DESTINATIONS in router.py (one line)Dynamic catalog source → Add a _fetch_*_destinations() function in router.pyBetter LLM prompt?     → Improve _LLM_SYSTEM in router.pyMultilingual support?  → Swap FastEmbed model to bge-m3 in SemanticRouterDead instance?         → Open an issue with the instance URLRegional platform?     → DC Inside, Naver, 5ch, VK, Bilibili — all welcome

Security

Data accessPublic data only — official APIs and public web endpoints. No login-wall scraping.
CredentialsZero stored. Optional LLM keys passed via env vars at runtime, never written to disk.
LLM routingWhen ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or OPENAI_API_KEY is set, your query text (up to 4000 chars) is sent to the respective LLM API for routing only. No queries are sent externally without an explicit API key. Without keys, routing runs entirely locally via FastEmbed.
Rate limitsRespected per-platform. Built-in concurrency guards.
User-AgentTransparent: vox-pop/0.2 in all requests.
CachingAPI responses (7 days) and embeddings cached locally at ~/.cache/vox-pop/. No data sent to third parties. Embeddings stored as JSON, no serialization dependencies.
PIIAuthor names from public posts included for attribution only. Never stored beyond the response.

vox populi, vox dei
the voice of the people is the voice of god


MIT License

Source: README.md at commit d10b757

Tools

0
SourceWeft has not started this package in its sandbox yet, so its tools are not known.

Version history

1
  1. v0.2.0LatestSep 16, 2026

Score

50% of the applicable checks met

How complete this listing is, computed from the registry entry, the endpoint and public sources. Not a rating of the server and not a statement that it is safe or working today: reachability is a dated check, and no installs or reviews go into the score.

  • Reached in the last 30 days25 pts

    Keep the endpoint answering the MCP handshake; SourceWeft probes it every 30 days.

  • Auth declared10 pts

    Declare the credential headers in the registry entry, or keep the endpoint answering the probe so its auth can be classified.

  • Tools listed15 pts

    Answer tools/list without a credential, or ship a package that starts in a sandbox without one.

  • DescriptionRequired15 pts
  • Logo10 pts
  • Documentation15 pts
  • License10 pts