2 ms·

The big thing I think that needs to happen for this to stick is for the UI to make sense. There has to be some obvious and convenient way for me to provide the

The big thing I think that needs to happen for this to stick is for the UI to make sense. There has to be some obvious and convenient way for me to provide the things the application needs, without it being a pester-box with an OK button. Some of that already exists on desktop OSs but seems to have been abandoned. Drag and drop file loading is commonly available but applications still seem to insist on file dialog workflows. Drag and drop saving even exists in RiscOS and ROX-Filer. But how do we abstract other resources like cameras, keys, contacts, network ports, or money? Is it as simple as having drag-and-drop-able representations of those things? Do I drag $5 out of my virtual wallet into Steam? My bank password from a virtual keyring? Connect a virtual cable to the application window from an icon representing my camera? Sadly, the desktop metaphor itself is out of fashion as everyone went insane when the iPhone came out, so I expect it will be a lot longer than 5 years before any of this is explored in any depth.

cesarb 5y ago
> But how do we abstract other resources like cameras, keys, contacts, network ports, or money? Android has some of that figured out. For instance, instead of getting a permission to use the camera directly, an application can use a camera intent, which will pop up the camera application (which does have that permission); when the user takes the picture, the original application will receive something somewhat similar to a capability which can be used to access that picture (and only that picture). The same idea can easily be extended to contacts (use an intent which pops up the contacts application, which then return something somewhat similar to a capability to access the contact chosen by the user), and so on.

2 ms·

The big thing I think that needs to happen for this to stick is for the UI to make sense. There has to be some obvious and convenient way for me to provide the

by AnIdiotOnTheNet 5y ago

cesarb 5y ago
> But how do we abstract other resources like cameras, keys, contacts, network ports, or money? Android has some of that figured out. For instance, instead of getting a permission to use the camera directly, an application can use a camera intent, which will pop up the camera application (which does have that permission); when the user takes the picture, the original application will receive something somewhat similar to a capability which can be used to access that picture (and only that picture). The same idea can easily be extended to contacts (use an intent which pops up the contacts application, which then return something somewhat similar to a capability to access the contact chosen by the user), and so on.