4 ms·

My limited understanding of the problem about git as the basis for user data storage is that it then would expose the complexity of git rebasing and the rest vi

My limited understanding of the problem about git as the basis for user data storage is that it then would expose the complexity of git rebasing and the rest via federation. Git is great with a centralized remote (like I believe the original post is getting at) but less so in a federated setting.

capableweb 3y ago
Rebasing and similar operations are only a hassle because multiple authors can edit the same files, so you end up with conflicts. In the scenario where every authors can only change their own files, you can avoid those sort of conflicts, as they'll never happen. Remaining is how to solve files referencing other files (in the case of a federated social media, posts that are replies to other posts) which are way easier to solve, as it's not really conflicts but invariants that have to be created.
- codetrotter 3y ago
  > every authors can only change their own files, you can avoid those sort of conflicts, as they'll never happen A single author can still run into these issues with git if they use multiple devices. Can the same happen in this social media network for a user that uses the same account on their phone, their tablet and their computers?
  - capableweb 3y ago
    > A single author can still run into these issues with git if they use multiple devices. No, using multiple devices are fine, as long as you're not editing the same content in two different ways on them. Meaning changing "A B" to "A C" on one device, and to "A D" on the other. > Can the same happen in this social media network for a user that uses the same account on their phone, their tablet and their computers? When using AT protocol, you'd still be connected to the same PDS, so no conflicts. The conflicts mentioned earlier are about server<>server federation, not server<>client communication.
groestl 3y ago
Well, rebasing is definitely not a must when using Git.
- afiori 3y ago
  Rebasing is how the AT protocol handles deleting posts
  - groestl 3y ago
    That's.. interesting.
    - afiori 3y ago
      It must be noted that in the context of the AT protocol the "file tree" is (likely) mostly append only, flat, and with globally unique ids, that is because the commits are not for files but for database entries. If I am correct then conflicts are impossible and you are the only one that can write to your* "branch" * I doubt that forking and merging are possible so it does not really have any practical UX relations to git rebase.
BlueTemplar 3y ago
How would it fare with a system like Darcs/Pijul where rebasing and cherry picking aren't problematic ? https://initialcommit.com/blog/pijul-version-control-system#purpose https://initialcommit.com/blog/pijul-version-control-system#...
linuxdude314 3y ago
This is not true. Users won’t be exposed to rebasing, only developers. Rebasing is what powers some deletion features and is what would power the ability to edit. The functionality would be obfuscated behind easy to use UX constructs.

capableweb 3y ago

Rebasing and similar operations are only a hassle because multiple authors can edit the same files, so you end up with conflicts. In the scenario where every authors can only change their own files, you can avoid those sort of conflicts, as they'll never happen. Remaining is how to solve files referencing other files (in the case of a federated social media, posts that are replies to other posts) which are way easier to solve, as it's not really conflicts but invariants that have to be created.

codetrotter 3y ago
> every authors can only change their own files, you can avoid those sort of conflicts, as they'll never happen A single author can still run into these issues with git if they use multiple devices. Can the same happen in this social media network for a user that uses the same account on their phone, their tablet and their computers?
- capableweb 3y ago
  > A single author can still run into these issues with git if they use multiple devices. No, using multiple devices are fine, as long as you're not editing the same content in two different ways on them. Meaning changing "A B" to "A C" on one device, and to "A D" on the other. > Can the same happen in this social media network for a user that uses the same account on their phone, their tablet and their computers? When using AT protocol, you'd still be connected to the same PDS, so no conflicts. The conflicts mentioned earlier are about server<>server federation, not server<>client communication.

groestl 3y ago

Well, rebasing is definitely not a must when using Git.

afiori 3y ago
Rebasing is how the AT protocol handles deleting posts
- groestl 3y ago
  That's.. interesting.
  - afiori 3y ago
    It must be noted that in the context of the AT protocol the "file tree" is (likely) mostly append only, flat, and with globally unique ids, that is because the commits are not for files but for database entries. If I am correct then conflicts are impossible and you are the only one that can write to your* "branch" * I doubt that forking and merging are possible so it does not really have any practical UX relations to git rebase.

BlueTemplar 3y ago

How would it fare with a system like Darcs/Pijul where rebasing and cherry picking aren't problematic ? https://initialcommit.com/blog/pijul-version-control-system#purpose https://initialcommit.com/blog/pijul-version-control-system#...

linuxdude314 3y ago

This is not true. Users won’t be exposed to rebasing, only developers. Rebasing is what powers some deletion features and is what would power the ability to edit. The functionality would be obfuscated behind easy to use UX constructs.