retroshare plugin

[Max]

Hi Mark,
there are some explanations inline, maybe you want to test the app
with some friends or send me your cert to test,
then maybe you need not to write a a blind person from the colour..

On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 9:35 AM, Mark Doliner <mark at kingant.net> wrote:
> On Mon, Mar 15, 2010 at 1:42 PM, Артем Вольхин <442935 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi! I want to want to participate in Google Summer of Code and write a
>> plugin for pidgin based on http://retroshare.sourceforge.net/ project. Is it
>> possible?
>
> (Disclaimer: I've never used RetroShare and I'm not very familiar with it.)
>

yes we should test definately.

> There are a few reasons I'm uneasy about adding a RetroShare protocol
> plugin to Pidgin:
>
> * We tend to shy away from adding features that aren't closely related
> to IM.  File transfer is one such feature.  It's convenient to be able
> to transfer files with people on your existing buddy list, and so file
> transfer probably makes sense for the established popular protocols
> (AIM, MSN, etc).  But it seems like RetroShare is primarily a file
> transfer program, with IM and buddy list added as secondary feature.
>

that is not true, retroshare is a web of trust, which means a network
of friends.
You message them like in facebook, but only secure and without a server.
that means, originally is retroshare a messenger for a social network. yours.
There are many features, which the normal pidgin protocols do not have natively
such as sending emails, sending news and forums news, starting a blog
like buzz in gmail.
Sending a link to a file is the same as sending a magnet or ed2k link
over normal pidgin,
so you can do that in any messenger.

> One way to look at it is: Would people use RetroShare IM in Pidgin
> even if they couldn't transfer files using Pidgin?

Yes, retroshare has a difference, the files are hashed.
So you can send file, you can share files and you can search files.
No file transfer protocol can to that for normal protocols of pidgin.

> I suppose to might
> be possible for Pidgin to handle the IM and buddy list aspects of
> RetroShare, with a separate program handling file sharing--but that
> could be a very complex project.

what a nonsense to add filesharing to pidgin, which is not retroshare.
That IS retroshare, if you want to add filesharing,
The idea about adding retroshare to pidgiin though is not filesharing
or to try to build the same over another file transfer or sharing
network, but to be able to chat with your friends in your social
network of retroshare.

>
> * We tend to avoid supporting protocols that aren't widely used.
> Outside of this mailing list I've never heard anyone mention
> RetroShare.

Retroshare client is out for 2 Weeks in version 05, based on gnupgp.
That is under every email as a certificate. ans you say, that is unknown?

> It seems like a niche protocol.

Massaging to an email footer, which is the gnupgp key, is indeed new.
But it develops.
It is not about adding a popular protocol , but about the judgement of
the key facts from the content and strategy.

> I suspect if we were to
> accept a RetroShare project we would want the plugin to be distributed
> independently of Pidgin.  But a small userbase also means there is a
> small return on investment for a summer of code project.
>


RetroShare main key is the enctyption of the messages. you can do that
with OTR as well maybe, but in retroshare it more native and as sai
based on a very popular protocol: the gnupg key.

it is not about  a plugin wanted or not, if somone is coing it in gtk,
then it exists.
The question is more, of the core developers want it in or not.

Last year for google summer of code 4 projects were definded to bring
in retroshare messaging,
As 5 slots were only given and a dozen of projects were sent, no of
the 4 coders for retroshare could code it in.
So as this year already 2 persons requested a porject for it, i think
that it should be in this year.

it will not be long, either a gtk coder makes a gui plugin for
retroshare, or a Qt coder picks up libcurl,
the hybrid is near, and I guess it is better done in pidgin. so apply
for it. test it, get familiar and help the ones requesting it.

Mark
>
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