5 ms·

I've been testing it out, and it does not seem like an 1.0 release by any stretch of imagination. - On a mac, the client crashes regularly. I've been able to r

I've been testing it out, and it does not seem like an 1.0 release by any stretch of imagination. - On a mac, the client crashes regularly. I've been able to register an account and make a video call, but there are several GUI issues (cut labels, missing text fields, etc.) and the name registration didn't seem to work. - On android, the client acted really weirdly in the beginning. After a while it seems to have stabilized a bit, and I've been able to make a video call (to a mac). The video quality was fine, but the client did not handle screen orientation changes well (my own video feed ended up distorted). - On linux I haven't been able to make a call, even though text chat worked. It may have been because I don't have a webcam... All in all, the experience was far from what you would expect from an 1.0 release nowadays. It had major warts on all platforms I tested. Also, if anyone is curious, you can login with the same account from several devices at the same time. Calls ring on all devices, but text messages are less reliable (they don't always reach all devices). Also, off line devices do not get the messages they missed when you fire the client later on. I would love and push hard to replace skype/xmpp with a solution of this kind, but I just cannot in the current state of affairs :(

INTPenis 9y ago
Funny but I last tried it in november of 2016 and I had the same issues as you describe in points 1 and 3. I only tested on Mac and Linux. Wasn't aware of an android version.
lesterpig 9y ago
Right, this is a very nice project, but obviously not ready for a 1.0 release. I am frustrated by the lack of technical documentation. For this kind of decentralized projects, full transparency is required. It took some time before I understood the foundation blocks of the Ring network, using [0] and [1], and yet I'm quite unhappy: * Many items are very lightly documented, or even "to be disclosed" ; * The main website does not provide any insight about Ring's internals ; * Especially, the name registration service is quite obscure and currently not decentralized according to the doc [0]. Thanks for the project though, and good luck! [0]: https://tuleap.ring.cx/plugins/mediawiki/wiki/ring/index.php/Ring_distributed_network https://tuleap.ring.cx/plugins/mediawiki/wiki/ring/index.php... [1]: https://tuleap.ring.cx/plugins/mediawiki/wiki/ring/index.php/Technical_Overview https://tuleap.ring.cx/plugins/mediawiki/wiki/ring/index.php...
robotbikes 9y ago
Yeah I wasn't impressed either, unfortunately it seemed like a combination of cool ideas but lacked any sort of network effect. I mean even an app like Duo by Google is pretty functionless if you don't know anyone using it. This is the primary problem with communication technologies. How do you convince your friends to use it. The other option would be some sort of friend-making mechanism. This is where even marginal social networks can be functional because you can at least see the other people using them. Also the UI and layout left quite a bit to be desired. Mainly I didn't like how it just ran seemingly crashing in the background occasionally and I never had anyone to talk to one it. There is a big difference needed when designing free software for individual productivity vs. social software where the usefulness depends upon other people using it and a lot of projects don't get past the cool prototype faze. Since they aren't likely to be seeking VC money to monetize it, then it will probably remain a cool demo for some time. At least the Signal people have tried to make a product that is fully usable by anyone who can install an app.
- kodfodrasz 9y ago
  There is a need for skype replacement, as Microsoft is actively killing it. What people use skype for: * chat (many alternatives) * video calls (many alternatives) * PSTN gateway (SIP is an alternative. It is handy sometimes, but loosing relevance as IP connectivity is becoming more global) * conferencing (no good known alternative, which is as simple, ad-hoc) * screen sharing (many alternatives, but it is ad-hoc, simple.) * simple file sharing (many alternatives) Now screen sharing and ad-hoc conferences are very powerful combo, and I'm looking for alternatives, as I'm afraid skype will be totally useless for me in a year or so, if the current trends hold on.
  - Joeri 9y ago
    Maybe we have a very different definition of conferencing, but I don't consider skype capable of conferencing. It can't record conferences (including what is presented), it can't pre-share a link to a planned conference to participants, it can't have the organizer mute/unmute others and grant presenter status (critical for larger-scale online conferences), etc... I use gotomeeting for conferencing. For an ad-hoc conference I just create a meeting and share the link to it across mail/skype/... to all participants.
csomar 9y ago
It's made by French! /joking This has been my experience with most of the GNU/Free projects. They suffer from terrible UI/UX although they solve the core problem (P2P for example). Imo, this is why private startups can out compete those free projects. The private startups focus on delivering a great UI/UX and this matters most to customers/users. Most users don't care privacy anyway. Usability comes first.
- idoubtit 9y ago
  > It's made by French! /joking I did not understand the joke. I suppose it goes with the view that outside the USA there are no good software developers, well, because these are all second-class countries. My friends (most of them are French) and I often joke about French people, how they dislike law and order, how they think their country is the best and the worst at the same time, etc. They're often boastful or xenophobic, but I can't see how they are different on programming, computer science or technology. BTW, the usual "joke" portrait of an American is a fat, uneducated and religious guns-lover. Please don't feel offended if you are from the USA; of course, this is far from the individual reality, but each feature is (statistically) over represented in this country, so joking about it make sense.
  - mintplant 9y ago
    You shouldn't assume everyone online is American. csomar is from Tunisia [0]—a country which was, for what it's worth, colonized and exploited by the French until 1956. I imagine that might color perceptions. [0] https://web.archive.org/web/20160626074252/https://omarabid.com/ https://web.archive.org/web/20160626074252/https://omarabid....
    - csomar 9y ago
      Oh my site is down :/
    - h1d 9y ago
      > assume everyone online is American Who even does that?
ajarmst 9y ago
Yeah, two serious hangs and a crash while making an account on Windows. By the behaviour (seems to be associated with checking for username conflicts), I suspect the issue is latency while half the planet hammer their services making accounts. Needed much better stress testing.

INTPenis 9y ago

Funny but I last tried it in november of 2016 and I had the same issues as you describe in points 1 and 3. I only tested on Mac and Linux. Wasn't aware of an android version.

lesterpig 9y ago

Right, this is a very nice project, but obviously not ready for a 1.0 release. I am frustrated by the lack of technical documentation. For this kind of decentralized projects, full transparency is required. It took some time before I understood the foundation blocks of the Ring network, using [0] and [1], and yet I'm quite unhappy: * Many items are very lightly documented, or even "to be disclosed" ; * The main website does not provide any insight about Ring's internals ; * Especially, the name registration service is quite obscure and currently not decentralized according to the doc [0]. Thanks for the project though, and good luck! [0]: https://tuleap.ring.cx/plugins/mediawiki/wiki/ring/index.php/Ring_distributed_network https://tuleap.ring.cx/plugins/mediawiki/wiki/ring/index.php... [1]: https://tuleap.ring.cx/plugins/mediawiki/wiki/ring/index.php/Technical_Overview https://tuleap.ring.cx/plugins/mediawiki/wiki/ring/index.php...

robotbikes 9y ago

Yeah I wasn't impressed either, unfortunately it seemed like a combination of cool ideas but lacked any sort of network effect. I mean even an app like Duo by Google is pretty functionless if you don't know anyone using it. This is the primary problem with communication technologies. How do you convince your friends to use it. The other option would be some sort of friend-making mechanism. This is where even marginal social networks can be functional because you can at least see the other people using them. Also the UI and layout left quite a bit to be desired. Mainly I didn't like how it just ran seemingly crashing in the background occasionally and I never had anyone to talk to one it. There is a big difference needed when designing free software for individual productivity vs. social software where the usefulness depends upon other people using it and a lot of projects don't get past the cool prototype faze. Since they aren't likely to be seeking VC money to monetize it, then it will probably remain a cool demo for some time. At least the Signal people have tried to make a product that is fully usable by anyone who can install an app.

kodfodrasz 9y ago
There is a need for skype replacement, as Microsoft is actively killing it. What people use skype for: * chat (many alternatives) * video calls (many alternatives) * PSTN gateway (SIP is an alternative. It is handy sometimes, but loosing relevance as IP connectivity is becoming more global) * conferencing (no good known alternative, which is as simple, ad-hoc) * screen sharing (many alternatives, but it is ad-hoc, simple.) * simple file sharing (many alternatives) Now screen sharing and ad-hoc conferences are very powerful combo, and I'm looking for alternatives, as I'm afraid skype will be totally useless for me in a year or so, if the current trends hold on.
- Joeri 9y ago
  Maybe we have a very different definition of conferencing, but I don't consider skype capable of conferencing. It can't record conferences (including what is presented), it can't pre-share a link to a planned conference to participants, it can't have the organizer mute/unmute others and grant presenter status (critical for larger-scale online conferences), etc... I use gotomeeting for conferencing. For an ad-hoc conference I just create a meeting and share the link to it across mail/skype/... to all participants.

csomar 9y ago

It's made by French! /joking This has been my experience with most of the GNU/Free projects. They suffer from terrible UI/UX although they solve the core problem (P2P for example). Imo, this is why private startups can out compete those free projects. The private startups focus on delivering a great UI/UX and this matters most to customers/users. Most users don't care privacy anyway. Usability comes first.

idoubtit 9y ago
> It's made by French! /joking I did not understand the joke. I suppose it goes with the view that outside the USA there are no good software developers, well, because these are all second-class countries. My friends (most of them are French) and I often joke about French people, how they dislike law and order, how they think their country is the best and the worst at the same time, etc. They're often boastful or xenophobic, but I can't see how they are different on programming, computer science or technology. BTW, the usual "joke" portrait of an American is a fat, uneducated and religious guns-lover. Please don't feel offended if you are from the USA; of course, this is far from the individual reality, but each feature is (statistically) over represented in this country, so joking about it make sense.
- mintplant 9y ago
  You shouldn't assume everyone online is American. csomar is from Tunisia [0]—a country which was, for what it's worth, colonized and exploited by the French until 1956. I imagine that might color perceptions. [0] https://web.archive.org/web/20160626074252/https://omarabid.com/ https://web.archive.org/web/20160626074252/https://omarabid....
  - csomar 9y ago
    Oh my site is down :/
  - h1d 9y ago
    > assume everyone online is American Who even does that?

ajarmst 9y ago

Yeah, two serious hangs and a crash while making an account on Windows. By the behaviour (seems to be associated with checking for username conflicts), I suspect the issue is latency while half the planet hammer their services making accounts. Needed much better stress testing.