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> It seems as though slack like tools get eclipsed every 5-10 years as a new generation comes along with a new favorite tool. You've definitely got a point the
by gshulegaard 11y ago
> It seems as though slack like tools get eclipsed every 5-10 years as a new generation comes along with a new favorite tool.
You've definitely got a point there. Although I do want to mention that part of the reason Slack eclipsed other tools was, in part, its Websocket based protocol. They have created a fairly complete unified messaging application because of it (IMO).
They were the first movers in the area. I don't know if I would provide much of a meaningful discussion regarding the longer term viability of Slack, but I think they have a chance to be meaningful, maybe even dominate in 10 years time.
They are already Websocket based and they are moving towards WebRTC support...if they take that direction and add P2P support to provide truly secure encrypted communications where certificates are negotiated P2P, then I think they will explode to even greater heights than they have already achieved. Of course, this is not a simple task, but the business implications of truly secure communications channels would be compelling for most corporate enterprises.
Now this is not the same as 100% secure endpoints, but it would be a massive step in the right direction.
Edit: Forgot to add P2P link...
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Guide/API/WebRTC/Peer-to-peer_communications_with_WebRTC https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Guide/API/WebRT...
- JustSomeNobody 11y ago10 Years? Hmmm... That is a <i>very<i> long time.
- gshulegaard 11y agoNetwork externalities are powerful things. Especially when it comes to enterprise level applications.
- cpeterso 11y agoIRC Cloud's web client uses WebSockets.
- gshulegaard 11y agoI don't think that IRC Cloud was originally based on websocket...I think it used 'keep-alive' but I could be wrong. Although it still has documentation on how to use HTTPS for stream end-points (https://github.com/irccloud/irccloud-tools/wiki/API-Overview https://github.com/irccloud/irccloud-tools/wiki/API-Overview). Also can't find much information about WebRTC support for IRC Cloud.
- Eridrus 11y agoI don't know why Slack is seen as a first mover; Hipchat, Flowdock, etc all existed beforehand. Slack seems to have raced ahead by ramping up marketing and not just focussing on B2B sales. In terms of tech I actually see Slack as behind in the default product (no threaded conversations >_<), but maybe the ecosystem they're trying to foster will actually be useful or maybe the money they've spent on marketing will be irrelevant and they will collapse due to overfunding.
- ec109685 11y agoWhat did web socket have to do with their rise? They won't support p2p encryption because server side search wouldn't be possible.