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Why Slack is inappropriate for open source communications

dave.cheney.net

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Re: Why Slack is inappropriate for open source communications

#21

Post by otterley »

It might be more useful to speak in general terms than call out Slack in particular. The concerns expressed here aren't limited to Slack (despite the link-baity title), but any form of communication that:

(a) Can't be referenced or linked from the Web, and

(b) Is a form of synchronous communication

The same factors, BTW, apply equally to in-person discussions held at open source conferences. I wonder what the author thinks of the value of those insofar as "open source communications" are concerned.

Re: Why Slack is inappropriate for open source communications

#23

Post by Stranger43 »

hxnjxn wrote: post #13

Feel like this argument happened 5 months ago and 5 months before that too

It's been going one since the first companies tried to monopolize Internet chat by centralizing it on their infrastructure in the 90ies.

The argument for AOL/MSN etc back when the Internet was new openness for the unwashed masses just a dream is exactly the same being made by slack i.e. that by making it locked and taking away the complexity introduced by the existence of cross vendor compatibility new users face less confusion.

Re: Why Slack is inappropriate for open source communications

#25

Post by chrisseaton »

isaiahg wrote: post #16

I don't know why didn't just evolve irc. Feature wise slack doesn't really bring much new. It just has a good interface. If someone made an irc client as easy to use as slack then we'd have our answer.

> It just has a good interface

But this is such a big deal. You make it sound like a good interface is trivial. It isn't, and it makes a huge difference.

Re: Why Slack is inappropriate for open source communications

#26

Post by StavrosK »

isaiahg wrote: post #16

I don't know why didn't just evolve irc. Feature wise slack doesn't really bring much new. It just has a good interface. If someone made an irc client as easy to use as slack then we'd have our answer.

Because adding a feature to a standard means you have to get everyone on board. Slack as an IRC client would basically be Slack as it is now, and the server protocol would be an implementation detail.

Re: Why Slack is inappropriate for open source communications

#27

Post by pmarreck »

piquadrat wrote: post #20

Is that really happening that open source communities use Slack as their primary communications channel? I haven't seen that happening in the communities I participate in (Python/Django/...). What I do see is that more and more communities switch from IRC to Slack as the primary "sync" channel (while still maintaining mailing lists, bug trackers and the like). And as much as I hate it, the success can't be denied. Es…

Slack chat provides a number of nice features that IRC (at least out of the box... I know there have been attempts) does not.

IRCCloud at least lets you see chat history, which IRC doesn't have out of the box but Slack does.

Re: Why Slack is inappropriate for open source communications

#28

Post by samtho »

isaiahg wrote: post #16

I don't know why didn't just evolve irc. Feature wise slack doesn't really bring much new. It just has a good interface. If someone made an irc client as easy to use as slack then we'd have our answer.

From my understanding, this is what XMPP was suppose to be. Problem is the going to be the same evolving IRC: widespread adoption.

Re: Why Slack is inappropriate for open source communications

#29

Post by cristaloleg »

caseysoftware wrote: post #5

Good points but the bigger problem for me is the lack of an archive. You only have the last 10k (?) messages and that includes public and private messages. If you have a mildly active project, messages may only be available for a month and you lose the history of the project. That makes it an awful support option too.

Well, some of the open communities are using http://slackarchive.io/

Re: Why Slack is inappropriate for open source communications

#30

Post by caseysoftware »

ntaylor wrote: post #8

It seems to me that Slack could position itself to provide free and open access to certain types of communities like open source projects, charities, etc. Enable the "pro" features so long as the community follows the rules. The value of synchronous communication is very real and it should not be precluded, but the points are totally valid. Slack is a closed-garden and it does not contribute to the global conversatio…

But if your entire infrastructure is centrally managed and can disappear at a company's whim, you're setting your community up for problems.
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