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Open Sourcers Race to Build Better Versions of Slack

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Re: Open Sourcers Race to Build Better Versions of Slack

#111

Post by ex3ndr »

lewisl9029 wrote: post #103
ex3ndr wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We are actually trying to make open protocol in https://actor.im with federation with https://matrix.org . It seems that only Actor and Matrix understand importance of federation.

I haven't looked into actor much yet, but the last time I looked at Matrix, my main concern was how much implicit trust users needed to place in homeserver providers (messages and user profiles are stored in plaintext). Unless this has changed, I don't find it viable for any app that values user privacy. Even federated networks eventually gravitate towards a large degree of centralization once the tech becomes mainst…

We have two options - end-to-end (experimental) and only client-to-server encryption. We are looking at ZeroDB to make it end-to-end by default and searchable. We had e2e default encryption but people start to scream after missing their phones and losing all theirs messages :(

Also we had Tor-enabled client, but Tor is not suitable for mobile apps.

Re: Open Sourcers Race to Build Better Versions of Slack

#112

Post by chris_wot »

chris_wot wrote: post #105
detaro wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The first few times these discussions were interesting. But for every submission mentioning Slack, somebody has to come and claim that IRC is all anybody ever needed, and all the arguments have been rehashed over and over. The alternatives mentioned in the article on the other hand are barely discussed at all.

I find it interesting that all those who claim IRC is insufficient or is too hard to implement (they say the same about XMPP) don't ever seem to say what is so hard, or mention the features that are missing.

Seriously, what is going on here? It seems any and every comment about IRC or XMPP is being downvoted to oblivion.

If someone is astroturfing, I suggest you stop immediately.

Re: Open Sourcers Race to Build Better Versions of Slack

#113

Post by andrey_utkin »

imglorp wrote: post #77
andrey_utkin wrote: post #41

What about reusing and polishing XMPP and existing decent software for it? About donating money to people who develop it all these years? No, we'll spread FUD upon XMPP or just ignore it but will proceed to use and abuse its legacy behind the closed doors. http://risovach.ru/upload/2016/03/mem/novyy--shablon_1085837...

For one thing, XMPP is complicated and difficult to implement.

I'd like to refer to my own reply to another reply in this thread, I believe it is very relevant for what you're saying: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11300811

Re: Open Sourcers Race to Build Better Versions of Slack

#114

Post by dang »

levemi wrote: post #65
Klathmon wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sorry but from where i am it's not "contrary opinions" being downvoted, it's useless dribble. Hell one of the downvoted comments is just "IRC comes to mind"... Just hand waving away all of the problems that something like slack is trying to solve, which the article talks about.

It's not even that great of an article, and yet it's the top post on HN? I hope at least dang looks at the data. I'm sorry it's pretty suspicious. Like what is so notable about this post that it warrants being at the top? Above the living social layoffs and the various other way more interesting things on the front page right now. Worst case, it turns out being a legit article, in which case it's cool. Eh, no big dea…

If you're worried about the upvotes on the article, they're definitely legit (as far as we can tell). I suspect it's as simple as that Slack is a hot topic (for or against) and people here like open source. And are passionate about chat software.

Re: Open Sourcers Race to Build Better Versions of Slack

#115

Post by chris_wot »

levemi wrote: post #65
Klathmon wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sorry but from where i am it's not "contrary opinions" being downvoted, it's useless dribble. Hell one of the downvoted comments is just "IRC comes to mind"... Just hand waving away all of the problems that something like slack is trying to solve, which the article talks about.

It's not even that great of an article, and yet it's the top post on HN? I hope at least dang looks at the data. I'm sorry it's pretty suspicious. Like what is so notable about this post that it warrants being at the top? Above the living social layoffs and the various other way more interesting things on the front page right now. Worst case, it turns out being a legit article, in which case it's cool. Eh, no big dea…

It does seem very suspicious.

Re: Open Sourcers Race to Build Better Versions of Slack

#116

Post by brazeon »

rekoros wrote: post #107
scrollaway wrote: post #78

A hundred different chat systems mentioned here. None of them compatible with one another. Well, I guess a couple of them have IRC gateways, but you have to actually set those up. Gee, wouldn't it be nice if you could pick and choose your UI? Pick and choose your "integrations", your "plugins", your client, etc without having to lose your entire userbase, history, contacts? Some sort of open protocol. Urgh, I've been…

Here's a timeline we put together of about 60 incompatible chat services: https://cdn.sameroom.io/chat-timeline.pdf Our service Sameroom ( https://sameroom.io ) is a commercial solution to the chat incompatibility disaster, not too different from an AC adapter thingy with a bunch of different plugs, one or two per continent. After implementing the protocols of quite a number of these systems (~20), we're seeing a sca…

Do you plan on open sourcing plugs or any parts of your system?

Re: Open Sourcers Race to Build Better Versions of Slack

#117

Post by wlesieutre »

skrebbel wrote: post #86
betenoire wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"and [the] app is a webpage inside of electron" That seems to be the main gripe. Is that true for VSC too (I've never used it)?

yes. if you're curious, download it and open devtools, it's in one of the menus. you get the usual Chrome devtools and you can edit the entire editor.

I give VS Code a pass on some of my UI gripes, since it's a text editor and I don't expect it to have much UI beyond a box that the text goes it. The "settings is a text file" setup works fine here.

See my reply to benologist for some reasons that I don't love the HipChat app compared to native group chat alternatives.

Re: Open Sourcers Race to Build Better Versions of Slack

#118

Post by monkey88 »

tribaal wrote: post #28
matthewmacleod wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This comes up every time, and as usual you have totally missed the point . IRC is difficult to configure, difficult to host, difficult to use, and does not offer the same feature set as Slack. There is an obvious use case for something like Slack (obviously, because otherwise it would not have millions of users!) and covering one's ears while yelling "IRC! IRC! IRC!" is sort of wilfully ignoring that if it were a sui…

Maybe slack gets enough momentum to overtake IRC. Right now it looks a lot like Google Wave to me.

Completely a Google Wave derivative.

Re: Open Sourcers Race to Build Better Versions of Slack

#119

Post by scrollaway »

rekoros wrote: post #107
scrollaway wrote: post #78

A hundred different chat systems mentioned here. None of them compatible with one another. Well, I guess a couple of them have IRC gateways, but you have to actually set those up. Gee, wouldn't it be nice if you could pick and choose your UI? Pick and choose your "integrations", your "plugins", your client, etc without having to lose your entire userbase, history, contacts? Some sort of open protocol. Urgh, I've been…

Here's a timeline we put together of about 60 incompatible chat services: https://cdn.sameroom.io/chat-timeline.pdf Our service Sameroom ( https://sameroom.io ) is a commercial solution to the chat incompatibility disaster, not too different from an AC adapter thingy with a bunch of different plugs, one or two per continent. After implementing the protocols of quite a number of these systems (~20), we're seeing a sca…

Thank you, that PDF is incredibly depressing.

By the way, well done on sameroom. I came across your product while working on the stuff I mentioned and it looks like an incredibly useful thing. I really wish you would open source it, though. (Or at least open source some libraries for talking to the protocols you deal with. Especially Hangouts.)

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