4 ms·

A large issue with federated social networks is that they are complicated to set up. It believe would be a lot easier to gain adoption if devs stuck to php5 ins

A large issue with federated social networks is that they are complicated to set up. It believe would be a lot easier to gain adoption if devs stuck to php5 instead of using 5 to 10 different hot and new languages.

yogthos 7y ago
Docker exists precisely to solve this problem.
- really3452 7y ago
  Docker is a great solution for people that like docker. However, there is still a large barrier of entry to using the docker image as compared to a php5 implementation. My point is that a php5 solution would make one of these federated social network implementations accessible to a much larger audience.
  - rglullis 7y ago
    It would also make it accessible to all of the hackers that are more than using to exploit shitty apps implemented in PHP5. (I am half-trolling. I know that it is possible to write insecure code in any language, but the mix of PHP + popular codebases + "you can run anywhere you want" is a recipe for disaster)
    - r1ch 7y ago
      PHP 5 is also end of life and no longer receiving security updates. It's arguably one of the worst targets for new development.
    - mxuribe 7y ago
      So, I'll go out on a limb and assume that the original comments were related to php in general (say, the latter 7 versions - which are faster and receiving more updates/patches, etc.)...which tends to be a platform that is more easily accessible for most.
      - rglullis 7y ago
        Yeah, I know. I am making no distinction though. I've been burned by Wordpress already, even with installations without any sort of plugins whatsoever. It will take many more years before I ever get to trust any code that is PHP (no matter the version) and that is open source. Its "easiness to get deployed" still translates in my head to "it is easy to be vulnerable without developers knowing" and I think the language is in an evolutionary dead-end anyway.
        mxuribe 7y ago
        Yeah, as much as i like and use php myself, I have to admit that you're not wrong. My hope is that present and future languages and associated environments get as easy to setup/deploy as php, BUT are more secure, prevent practitioners from shooting themselves in the foot, etc.
mxuribe 7y ago
Actually there are platforms that leverage PHP (e.g. Gnu social, postActiv, etc.) - see the "Programming Languages" section for examples: https://fediverse.party/en/fediverse/ https://fediverse.party/en/fediverse/ Also, I imagine for new platforms, people just tend to scratch their own itch, and use stacks that they know. I do agree that something that is common and easy enough - like PHP - is always a good idea in order to foster more participants...But then again, maybe as these newer stacks are experimented with, someone finally figures out an easy, solid, safe way to host these platforms...Who knows...maybe in 4 years time all of these platforms will have migrated to something like Rust (for its safety, speed, reliability, etc.) because it will be as easy as PHP is currently to set up...? (Caveat: I am not a Rust expert, so have only heard of its benefits through others, so only using it as a random example.) ADDENDUM: I will agree that everyone benefits from well-done documentation...so regardless of the underlying stack, if there is some really good documentation for helping people set up their environment, then that matters far more to me.
MadWombat 7y ago
> It believe would be a lot easier to gain adoption if devs stuck to php5 Why is language important? Do you expect people to install and configure PHP5 on their box? Or do you expect the software to support every possible PHP5 config out there? A network node like this should be a single command install. Preferably with a single statically linked binary, so there are no dependencies to install.
hjek 7y ago
Pixelfed is in php.

yogthos 7y ago

Docker exists precisely to solve this problem.

really3452 7y ago
Docker is a great solution for people that like docker. However, there is still a large barrier of entry to using the docker image as compared to a php5 implementation. My point is that a php5 solution would make one of these federated social network implementations accessible to a much larger audience.
- rglullis 7y ago
  It would also make it accessible to all of the hackers that are more than using to exploit shitty apps implemented in PHP5. (I am half-trolling. I know that it is possible to write insecure code in any language, but the mix of PHP + popular codebases + "you can run anywhere you want" is a recipe for disaster)
  - r1ch 7y ago
    PHP 5 is also end of life and no longer receiving security updates. It's arguably one of the worst targets for new development.
  - mxuribe 7y ago
    So, I'll go out on a limb and assume that the original comments were related to php in general (say, the latter 7 versions - which are faster and receiving more updates/patches, etc.)...which tends to be a platform that is more easily accessible for most.
    - rglullis 7y ago
      Yeah, I know. I am making no distinction though. I've been burned by Wordpress already, even with installations without any sort of plugins whatsoever. It will take many more years before I ever get to trust any code that is PHP (no matter the version) and that is open source. Its "easiness to get deployed" still translates in my head to "it is easy to be vulnerable without developers knowing" and I think the language is in an evolutionary dead-end anyway.
      - mxuribe 7y ago
        Yeah, as much as i like and use php myself, I have to admit that you're not wrong. My hope is that present and future languages and associated environments get as easy to setup/deploy as php, BUT are more secure, prevent practitioners from shooting themselves in the foot, etc.

mxuribe 7y ago

Actually there are platforms that leverage PHP (e.g. Gnu social, postActiv, etc.) - see the "Programming Languages" section for examples: https://fediverse.party/en/fediverse/ https://fediverse.party/en/fediverse/ Also, I imagine for new platforms, people just tend to scratch their own itch, and use stacks that they know. I do agree that something that is common and easy enough - like PHP - is always a good idea in order to foster more participants...But then again, maybe as these newer stacks are experimented with, someone finally figures out an easy, solid, safe way to host these platforms...Who knows...maybe in 4 years time all of these platforms will have migrated to something like Rust (for its safety, speed, reliability, etc.) because it will be as easy as PHP is currently to set up...? (Caveat: I am not a Rust expert, so have only heard of its benefits through others, so only using it as a random example.) ADDENDUM: I will agree that everyone benefits from well-done documentation...so regardless of the underlying stack, if there is some really good documentation for helping people set up their environment, then that matters far more to me.

MadWombat 7y ago

> It believe would be a lot easier to gain adoption if devs stuck to php5 Why is language important? Do you expect people to install and configure PHP5 on their box? Or do you expect the software to support every possible PHP5 config out there? A network node like this should be a single command install. Preferably with a single statically linked binary, so there are no dependencies to install.

hjek 7y ago

Pixelfed is in php.