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Scuttlebutt social network: a decentralised platform

scuttlebutt.nz

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Re: Scuttlebutt social network: a decentralised platform

#51

Post by wrycoder »

_Marak_ wrote: post #2

Secure Scuttlebutt Consortium on Github: https://github.com/ssbc ssb/ssbc is a fun and cool project built on solid code by smart people.

SSB was designed by an ocean sailor to be a social network that was infrequently synchronized and then only by local connection. The idea being, when sailors went ashore or rafted up for a gam to catch up on the scuttlebutt, they could synch their databases and have something to read on the next leg of their journey.

Blockchain tech was used to assure that messages created by others had not been altered in transit.

SSB ran into design limitations when the more recent developers tried to imitate something like Mastodon. It can work, but it's definitely idiosyncratic. It does tend to grow a large db, but space is rather cheap these days.

Re: Scuttlebutt social network: a decentralised platform

#52

Post by rglullis »

oli-g wrote: post #48
rglullis wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get not liking a name, but to pass judgement on the quality of a product/project based on its name alone seems like a complete midwit thing to do.

When it's a DB layer, sure. When it's a social network? "Hey guys, have you seen Dave's new post on Poopypants?"

Again, that's a total midwit dismissal.

Scuttlebutt has a context and a meaning behind it. People might hear it without knowing the context, think "that it's a weird name, why is it so?", and then judge whether they like it or not. But to just hear the name and claim that it is inappropriate/bad/not-to-be-used because it reminds you of something that has nothing to do with the original context is ridiculous.

Re: Scuttlebutt social network: a decentralised platform

#53

Post by simonw »

filoleg wrote: post #28
losvedir wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? I think it's a fine name, better than most, because it's a normal English word that says exactly what it does / what it's for. You're not just saying that because the word happens to end in "butt" are you? Or am I missing something?

> I think it's a fine name, better than most, because it's a normal English word that says exactly what it does / what it's for Just because the name says exactly what the product does and what it's for, that doesn't automatically mean it is good. In fact, imo it is bad in a lot of cases. Do you think Instagram would have gotten as popular if it was named FlexGallery, or if Nextdoor was named SpreadRumorsActVaguelyRa…

Some things really can buck the trend - ChatGPT is a _terrible_ name but provided so much obvious utility that it managed to reach a large consumer market despite that.

Re: Scuttlebutt social network: a decentralised platform

#54

Post by kstrauser »

Solvency wrote: post #41
shp0ngle wrote: post #11

I keep hearing about Scuttlebutt for a long time but haven't seen anyone actually using it? Why? edit: hm, the recommended application on the website itself is ... from 2021, and the github of the app itself is archived now. And there is "bleeding edge" one ... from 2019. OK I can see that there might be problems

Everyone here is focused on the tech and I'm here wondering how I'm supposed to convince my friends and family to join me on something called Scuttlebutt.

The name was the part I liked best! "Scuttlebutt" is a naval term for a water keg, and it became slang for conversation around the watering hole. In other words, it was gossip around the water cooler from before we had water coolers.

Re: Scuttlebutt social network: a decentralised platform

#55

Post by kstrauser »

ziddoap wrote: post #45
losvedir wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? I think it's a fine name, better than most, because it's a normal English word that says exactly what it does / what it's for. You're not just saying that because the word happens to end in "butt" are you? Or am I missing something?

> it's a normal English word I mean, it's an English word, for sure. I have never once in my many years heard someone actually say it seriously. Maybe a handful of times when someone was purposefully trying to be quirky.

Weird. Maybe it's a regional thing. I've only heard it through the midwest and the west coast.

Also, all the freaking time when I was in the US Navy.

Re: Scuttlebutt social network: a decentralised platform

#56

Post by echelon »

rglullis wrote: post #42
echelon wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're good enough that your name doesn't hold you back, good for you. As it stands, I turn my nose at stuff like Cockroach DB.

I get not liking a name, but to pass judgement on the quality of a product/project based on its name alone seems like a complete midwit thing to do.

> I get not liking a name, but to pass judgement on the quality of a product/project based on its name alone seems like a complete midwit thing to do.

I get to make n-many "midwit" decisions in life and retain a certain success envelope / gradient. I'm happy for this to be one of them.

Just think about all of the everyday decisions being made just like this. People passing over your resume because they don't like your font, etc. This kind of petty little thing bears an absolutely astronomically impact on the deterministic evolution of the universe.

Re: Scuttlebutt social network: a decentralised platform

#57

Post by ziddoap »

simonw wrote: post #53
filoleg wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think it's a fine name, better than most, because it's a normal English word that says exactly what it does / what it's for Just because the name says exactly what the product does and what it's for, that doesn't automatically mean it is good. In fact, imo it is bad in a lot of cases. Do you think Instagram would have gotten as popular if it was named FlexGallery, or if Nextdoor was named SpreadRumorsActVaguelyRa…

Some things really can buck the trend - ChatGPT is a _terrible_ name but provided so much obvious utility that it managed to reach a large consumer market despite that.

ChatGPT and Scuttlebutt are both bad names, sure, but in completely distinct ways.

Re: Scuttlebutt social network: a decentralised platform

#58

Post by RankingMember »

jrm4 wrote: post #26
earthwalker99 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I keep hearing about Scuttlebutt for a long time but haven't seen anyone actually using it? Why? It's called Scuttlebutt, meaning it can never be remotely popular enough to function as a worthwhile social network.

Upvoting because I'm also the guy who understands that, similarly, GIMP will never be big as it should be.

Still waiting on non-destructive editing last I checked, which always seemed to be touted as "right around the corner" as much as a decade ago.

Re: Scuttlebutt social network: a decentralised platform

#59

Post by Solvency »

kstrauser wrote: post #54
Solvency wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone here is focused on the tech and I'm here wondering how I'm supposed to convince my friends and family to join me on something called Scuttlebutt.

The name was the part I liked best! "Scuttlebutt" is a naval term for a water keg, and it became slang for conversation around the watering hole. In other words, it was gossip around the water cooler from before we had water coolers.

...and this is why 99% of niche developer attempts don't flourish into the next big social network. Might as well call it "Codswallop", which is also a valid historical slang that is equally completely ridiculous for mass appeal.

Re: Scuttlebutt social network: a decentralised platform

#60

Post by idle_zealot »

nine_k wrote: post #33
ang_cire wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? If someone will not use an app because it has a silly sounding name, or because they're so immature that "butt" is objectionable to them, I'm happy not to have them bring that attitude into a social space I'm part of.

That's fine, but incompatible with popularity. All people are rather different. No matter who you are, the art of popularity is the art of attracting people who are unlike you. Just because most people are unlike you, and unlike each other. Yes, this assumes removing some nice edginess, and appearing slightly generic.

The whole design of the protocol is anathema to popularity. It's based around syncing posts with users you are in physical proximity to. I doubt the cute name is what's going to hold it back from mainstream adoption.
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