Wave Federation Protocol Integration (API)

[marosell]

Introduction

I was just reading this fantastic article and noticed that people who haven't read ideas like these, really don't understand Wave yet: http://mashable.com/2009/09/05/google-wave-ideas/

Before I jump into my ideas for phpbb4, note that there are many, many people and web services that are excited about this completely open source protocol. This has nothing to do with supporting a google product because everyone and their mother is going to be running their very own Wave Servers in the not-so-distant future. I will reiterate that supporting this protocol is supporting an open source protocol.

The article I pasted above hints at a very neat, very realistic, very plausible possibility for the future. If web site commenting systems and web forums were to integrate the Wave Federation Protocol, everyone could track everything they every posted ANYWHERE on the web in their Wave Client.

Please reread that sentence: Everyone could track everything they ever posted ANYWHERE on the web in their Wave Client.

Do I need to make you read it a third time?

What this means for phpBB4

• Cross-Provider: Anyone with a Wave account from any provider can post to any phpBB4 on the internet without having to register a new username (like OpenID), and they could track all of their phpBB4 posts across all of their boards from their Wave account.
• Cross-Platform: Posters don't even have to hit the forum websites to add to the conversation, they can add a blip (or "phpbb post") right from their Wave Client. The amount of strain that would be shifted from phpBB boards to Wave servers (for posts) and Wave Clients (for user interaction) is incalculable.
• East of Use/Development: Running off of another API would make expansion and integration less cumbersome, allowing higher customization
• Advanced SpamFilters: Wave-bots will be the end-all, be-all of spam moderation. Period.
• Easy Modifications: Wave extensions will make it possible for anyone to make their own mods, without threat to the information stored in waves.
• Email Notifications: ...would be, well, practically meaningless.

My call for serious, urgent consideration


I've been a part of phpBB for quite a while and I contributed to phpBB2 and phpBB3, not only with uncountable bug reports but ideas that were contributed to the bug reporting system as well text and code that has been added to the both codebases. So understand the gravitas behind what I'm saying: I would not be posting this if I didn't think this was one of the most pertinent ideas that should be behind the 4th edition of this beautiful software.

This is coming and it's coming fast people. Other forum software is going to catch onto this very, very quickly and if we don't start trying to put the pieces together for what this could mean to web forums in the next generation of the internet, phpBB is going to fall drastically behind.

The "openness" behind Rhea is the perfect catalyst for discussion on what the Wave API could mean to us. As a community who not only unanimously accepts new ideas as they hit the internet but thrives on them, a community who respects fellow coders as they bring new technologies to market, we should strongly consider supporting new protocols BEFORE they become standards. We need to further brainstorm/discuss Wave ideas to discover it's true potential and to see if it's something we should consider bringing to full fruition.

I added this to "phpBB4 / Use Cases" in the wiki.

Comments and discussion are most welcome, I am very eager to read your responses. I just hope that anyone who will be quick to discount these possibilities really, truly understands what these possibilities could mean.

Always yours,
-Marosell

[jwxie]

Hmmm I have mentioned G.W numerous times and have spoken about strong integration and API (I said build phpBB4 around them). I think they do see the big trend and will make the API extensions stronger, easier and more powerful.

But I don't think they are willing to make phpBB4 too customize (they want to leave these rich features to users to decide and to build). I guess?

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viewtopic.php?f=75&t=32070

[DavidIQ]

Almost sounds like a sales pitch...

Please reread that sentence: Everyone could track everything they ever posted ANYWHERE on the web in their Wave Platform.

As could everyone else or maybe "Big Brother". No thanks

[marosell]

As could everyone else or maybe "Big Brother". No thanks

Clearly, you don't understand. That's only possible if you use the same wave account everywhere. I use the same username "marosell" in many places, but I have to register it everywhere. Of course big brother (or anyone else for that matter) could find everywhere I post. If you don't want the convenience, don't use the same account everywhere.

"Could" is the key word here. If you have your email tied to many forums, don't you get email notifications from them all? Same thing, but better.

And why wouldn't you want to? Privatizing your wave account from publication on the board in your settings, perhaps with a board alias, is an easy way around your "fears of Big Brother". Please at least try to think outside the box

[Phil]

While I find the idea interesting I'm not entirely sure becoming dependent on every new, beta, not-heavily-used software would be a bit of a poor idea at this point. Perhaps potential implementation via a more pluggable architecture may be something to be looked at, but to be honest designing phpBB4 around Wave seems a little foolish to me at this point time, particularly given Wave is not even out of beta (or even in a public beta) yet.

[DavidIQ]

Please at least try to think outside the box

I do try to think outside the box. But I also take into consideration Google's "excellent" track record for keeping private things private. I would like to be wrong of course but only time will tell I guess.

[jwxie]

As could everyone else or maybe "Big Brother". No thanks

Clearly, you don't understand. That's only possible if you use the same wave account everywhere. I use the same username "marosell" in many places, but I have to register it everywhere. Of course big brother (or anyone else for that matter) could find everywhere I post. If you don't want the convenience, don't use the same account everywhere.

"Could" is the key word here. If you have your email tied to many forums, don't you get email notifications from them all? Same thing, but better.

And why wouldn't you want to? Privatizing your wave account from publication on the board in your settings, perhaps with a board alias, is an easy way around your "fears of Big Brother". Please at least try to think outside the box

One thing we probably can be very sure (not 100%!!!!) that they will make OpenID more a default in phpBB4, which makes some of your ideas come true and easier for integrations.

But like I said (if you read my posts, you see we have the same thoughts), developers want to keep phpBB4 a bulletin boards, with a powerful bridge that makes integration and customization easier and more elegant.

[Phil]

Not a default, just provided as an option, AFAIK.

[jwxie]

Well, an option is almost like a default. This is why I say, "more like a default in phpBB4", which implies it's there.
Unless this option is another API which users has to go around to build it.

[ToonArmy]

Please at least try to think outside the box

I do try to think outside the box. But I also take into consideration Google's "excellent" track record for keeping private things private. I would like to be wrong of course but only time will tell I guess.

It's a protocol not a service from Google.