Current features and roadmap

[MrDrMcCoy]

The screenshots suggest that channels can be created for text and voice, but there are many unanswered questions about actual and planned features that would be good to have documented. If I may stub some out...

• Text channels
  • Grouping by category
  • Private channels and fine-grained access
  • Emoji
  • Rich text
  • Attachments
  • Inline media (gif, image, video)
  • Initiate DM
  • Reply markers
  • Threading
  • Moderation tools
  • Automaton API
• Voice channels
  • Grouping by category
  • Private channels and fine-grained access
  • Active participant limit
  • Passive participants
  • Implicit text channel
  • Screen sharing
  • Webcam streaming
• Client
  • Web app (desktop)
  • Web app (mobile)
  • Android
  • iOS
  • Linux
  • MacOS
  • Windows

[philocalyst]

If you guys are serious about this, I would strongly consider integrating directly with Matrix, and letting the ATproto handle the social aspects (membership, roles, moderation), while deferring to Matrix for the room implementation, encryption, message history, etc.

This shoulders a ton of complexity, while building off of pre-defined standards and APIs that would make developing easier and more robust (No need to reimplement swaths of the stack you may/may-not be considering)

Just my two-cents.

[louisescher]

Hi peeps! I appreciate getting the discussion started, here's my thoughts on everything.

Here's stuff that already works: Text and voice channels can already be grouped into categories. Text channels support emoji, rich text, attachments, inline media, and reply markers, while voice channels support screen sharing and webcam streaming. I agree that the screenshots on the site do not fully cover all this, but they were made somewhat hastily today as people gave feedback on the site and were asking for a visual preview of the app.

As for stuff that's planned and we're actively looking into, threads for normal channels, a new type of "Forum" channel, participant limits, passive listeners and an implicit text channel are all things that are possible and that we've considered. Apps are also coming, and we have a post about how we want to approach this here.

Private channels, DMs and fine-grained access is definitely something that is planned as well, but unfortunately this is not supported by the protocol yet.
We aim to make Colibri function entirely on ATproto, and even if it was only meant to be a proof-of-concept that somehow blew up, we don't want to change it's direction right now. Something I will note is that we have looked into supporting multiple protocols - maybe Matrix could be one of them in the future? But for now, no promises. Thanks for the suggestion though!

[gameroman]

I also think that good moderation features is very important

@philocalyst noted that ATproto can handle moderation, just will need to make sure it works

I've seen many projects that have tried to build community chat apps and the biggest problem in most of them was lack of or poor moderation tools

[louisescher]

Definitely. I'm looking at that intently as well

[louisescher]

Quick update on this, I am currently working on a post explaining further steps we want to take. That'll be released later today. Once that is complete, it will act as a de facto roadmap for the time being.

I'd like to convert this post into a discussion and edit it so it aligns with the current goals, and I'll link to it from the post. Hope that's alright with everyone!

I might also make a GitHub Project to track things so the work we're doing is more transparent, with sub-issues etc.

[louisescher]

The post has been released! https://colibri.leaflet.pub/3mi4zapj4zc2g
Gonna convert this to a discussion for now.