4 ms·

My system is only meant to be used by humans. Software will still use the traditional filesystem. Instead of the user supplying a filename/path for new content

My system is only meant to be used by humans. Software will still use the traditional filesystem. Instead of the user supplying a filename/path for new content, they submit arbitrary metadata. When retrieving content, they query via a language called LQL (Library Query Language). Basically the system works a lot like ID3 tags for mp3 files. 'Arbitrary metadata' is a lot like the fields for 'title', 'date', 'album', etc except they are arbitrary (you can use any set of key/value for metadata items) Libraries can connect to other libraries. A 'Library' is much like an email inbox, except its one user per machine instead of multiple users per machine. Each library is 'addressed' via a domain name. All communication between libraries is done through HTTPS. Traditional filesystems use a permission system that is very archaic. In 1960 it was common for there to be multiple users on one machine, but in 2014, everyone has their own machine. File permissions are useless, since I'm th one person who ever uses this computer. "Permissions" in the 2014 sense is which of my facebook friends gets to see these photos.

angersock 12y ago
So, you're not building a filesystem (because that's hard, and requires concrete engineering skills), but instead a glorified file metadata search? So, MongoDB with a file URL? (Hint: that's you could implement the MVP of this, and if you use a URL you can even reference user files they don't store locally) And file permissions are dead? Because nobody has kids that use the same desktop they do? This is (from a technical standpoint) the silliest goddamn thing I've ever heard. From a product standpoint, you could probably pitch and get a few M. Why the fuck not.
- freework 12y ago
  What I'm buoding is most definitely not a "filesystem". Those use filenames and folders and crap like that. My system does away with that. What you said about a glorified metadata search is right on. Some people share devices, but most people we share with use other devices. I'm glad you think its silly because all great things have haters (bitcoin, justin bieber, etc.)
  - DigitalJack 12y ago
    "I'm glad you think its silly because all great things have haters" Stupid things have haters too. Some people "hating" your idea doesn't make it good. Doesn't make it bad either. I don't know what windows does these days, but OSX has had tags and metadata for "files" for a while. It's even easy to add the info, and search for it. I never bother though because, for me, it doesn't solve any problems or add any value.
  - SunShiranui 12y ago
    I wouldn't say that having haters is a good measure of "greatness", though.
  - walterbell 12y ago
    Baloo, https://community.kde.org/Baloo https://community.kde.org/Baloo is the current incarnation of the Linux semantic desktop, http://www.semanticdesktop.org/ http://www.semanticdesktop.org/ "It's responsible for handling user metadata such as tags, rating and comments. It also handles indexing and searching for files, emails, contacts, and so on" Cross-device research for semantic desktop: http://www.dime-project.eu/en/home/dime/project/solution/contenido.aspx http://www.dime-project.eu/en/home/dime/project/solution/con...
  - angersock 12y ago
    So, don't be so dismissive of "crap like that". There are a lot of legacy ideas that are with us not from sheer inertia, but because they work. Many modern filesystems are littered with the reeking remains of attempts at supporting metadata (for example, NTFS), most of which nobody cares about and which just add implementation complexity. If you want to pitch a more useful and more abstract version of what you're describing ("how can we present searching and accessing a metadata forest backed by traditional hierarchical file stores") then by all means I'll be friendlier but right now you're coming across as a crank ignorant of the history of the ideas you're decrying.
    - freework 12y ago
      I'm not building a filesystem. I'm building a non-filesystem. Not metadata jammed into a filesystem. A whole new system that is used by the end user in lieu of the filesystem.
yoodenvranx 12y ago
Have you looked at camlistore? It sounds familiar to your idea.
- walterbell 12y ago
  and git-annex

angersock 12y ago

So, you're not building a filesystem (because that's hard, and requires concrete engineering skills), but instead a glorified file metadata search? So, MongoDB with a file URL? (Hint: that's you could implement the MVP of this, and if you use a URL you can even reference user files they don't store locally) And file permissions are dead? Because nobody has kids that use the same desktop they do? This is (from a technical standpoint) the silliest goddamn thing I've ever heard. From a product standpoint, you could probably pitch and get a few M. Why the fuck not.

freework 12y ago
What I'm buoding is most definitely not a "filesystem". Those use filenames and folders and crap like that. My system does away with that. What you said about a glorified metadata search is right on. Some people share devices, but most people we share with use other devices. I'm glad you think its silly because all great things have haters (bitcoin, justin bieber, etc.)
- DigitalJack 12y ago
  "I'm glad you think its silly because all great things have haters" Stupid things have haters too. Some people "hating" your idea doesn't make it good. Doesn't make it bad either. I don't know what windows does these days, but OSX has had tags and metadata for "files" for a while. It's even easy to add the info, and search for it. I never bother though because, for me, it doesn't solve any problems or add any value.
- SunShiranui 12y ago
  I wouldn't say that having haters is a good measure of "greatness", though.
- walterbell 12y ago
  Baloo, https://community.kde.org/Baloo https://community.kde.org/Baloo is the current incarnation of the Linux semantic desktop, http://www.semanticdesktop.org/ http://www.semanticdesktop.org/ "It's responsible for handling user metadata such as tags, rating and comments. It also handles indexing and searching for files, emails, contacts, and so on" Cross-device research for semantic desktop: http://www.dime-project.eu/en/home/dime/project/solution/contenido.aspx http://www.dime-project.eu/en/home/dime/project/solution/con...
- angersock 12y ago
  So, don't be so dismissive of "crap like that". There are a lot of legacy ideas that are with us not from sheer inertia, but because they work. Many modern filesystems are littered with the reeking remains of attempts at supporting metadata (for example, NTFS), most of which nobody cares about and which just add implementation complexity. If you want to pitch a more useful and more abstract version of what you're describing ("how can we present searching and accessing a metadata forest backed by traditional hierarchical file stores") then by all means I'll be friendlier but right now you're coming across as a crank ignorant of the history of the ideas you're decrying.
  - freework 12y ago
    I'm not building a filesystem. I'm building a non-filesystem. Not metadata jammed into a filesystem. A whole new system that is used by the end user in lieu of the filesystem.

yoodenvranx 12y ago

Have you looked at camlistore? It sounds familiar to your idea.

walterbell 12y ago
and git-annex