Re: [GMG-Devel] Plug-In Development Prerequisites

[Alex M (Coyo)]

On 04/11/2013 10:29 AM, Christopher Allan Webber wrote:
> Alex M (Coyo) writes:
>
> > There are a few specific plug-ins I am very interested in developing.
> >
> > 1) Active Directory Authentication
> >
> > (LDAP + Kerberos + DNS, by way of SAMBA) Active Directiory plugin for
> > unified user authentication among multiple mediagoblin instances within
> > a site domain. Useful for use cases involving multiple mediagoblin
> > instances that are not synched with a single database.
> >
> > 2) Social Network Federation
> >
> > StatusNet/OStatus/PumpIO social network federation, possibly with
> > Diaspora/TentIO and Friendica/Zot/Red protocols on the distant roadmap
> > with the same python federation library.
> >
> > 3) Extended Social Functions
> >
> > Specifically: journals, submission feeds and pub/sub, distinct
> > submission channels (sub-contexts), threaded comments on submissions,
> > submission replies (reply to a submission with a submission), interest
> > groups and sub-communities (user groups you can submit media and
> > journals to, in addition to microblogs and commentary)
> One and three are definitely interesting things we're interested in; I
> think #2 requires more investigation in terms of what we're doing around
> pump.io.
>
> These are good things to work on; I'm not sure if this is specifically
> something you're interested in working on in applying for GSoC or
> generally... regardless, these are complex issues and we should get you
> familiar with the general MediaGoblin codebase by tackling some
> bitesized tickets first.  I'm happy to talk with you about such things
> on IRC.

I am not that concerned with whether or not something is under the 
perview of GSoC.

I intend to work on these once I am familiar enough with the GMG 
codebase and python programming in general.

> > 4) Integrated Chat
> >
> > (via libpurple) Extensive chat, including groupchat. Would preferably be
> > tied to a chat server hosted by the same domain (or a sub-domain).
> > Preferably would include voice and video chat, but obviously that comes
> > after textual group chat. May automatically manage and instantiate skype
> > group chats with skypekit running over wine.
> Would be interesting if it happened but I think is extremely complicated
> and would have to be an external plugin.  This might be more interesting
> as an external application that can be embedded into mediagoblin sites.
>
> Skype stuff can't be done as part of MediaGoblin as a GNU project, that
> would go against our dedication to free software solutions.
I do not care for FSF's attitude toward non-free libraries, particular 
dynamic linking.

I appreciate the aggressive libre attitude, but sometimes, pragmatism is 
wiser.

FSF has a bad habit of letting idealism and ideology blind them to 
situations where a more pragmatic approach would be wiser, and choose 
their battles rather than get spread out too thin.

If FSF has a problem with skype, they should release a P2P network 
client that offers similar or superior functionality.

SIPWitch is not appealing and is broken in more ways than one.

SIP is not an acceptable alternatve, and Jingle is not developed at all.

Jabber developers have been increasingly hostile toward suggestions to 
prioritize pervasive encryption, more rigorous security, and group video 
chat.

Is MuJi that much to ask? I think not.

Lazy irresponsible bums! It is almlost enough to deliberately avoid 
supporting the XMPP protocols just to spite them!

As it is, I am forced to resign myself to writing a server and client 
with a vast array of non-standard extensions and workarounds in python.

XMPP sucks.

SIP sucks.

I have no love for Microsoft or the proprietary clusterf*** that is 
skype, but no acceptable or practical foss alternative currently exists.