Changes between Version 1 and Version 2 of SoCIdeas

Timestamp:

Feb 18, 2016, 3:37:31 AM (8 years ago)

Author:

elb

Comment:

--

SoCIdeas

@@ -9 +9 @@
 libpurple supports no native end-to-end encryption over XMPP.  There are several XEPs for this, and there is absolutely room for a new protocol that is better/easier/more secure/whatever than the existing proposals.  See [wiki:EndToEndXMPPCrypto] and talk to [wiki:elb Ethan Blanton].  Note that designing a new protocol would ''absolutely'' require getting some crypto gurus on board!
 
+=== New protocol plugins ===
+
+There are new IM protocols all the time, and some of them even get popular.  If you have a favorite IM protocol, you can propose implementing it.  The bar here is high, though!  You need to convince us not only that it is desirable and that you can do it, but that it will be maintainable; that means that there needs to be a plausible community to maintain it (maybe you?) after the summer is over.  Convince us that will happen in your proposal.
+
 == Forward Progress ==
 
@@ -14 +18 @@
 
 We are replacing as many parts of libpurple and Pidgin with modern library-provided functionality as feasible for 3.0.  For example, we have ripped out our custom DNS infrastructure and replaced it with GIO DNS that did not exist when our infrastructure was written.  There's still a lot left to do here.  For example, we do not use the Gtk+ icon infrastructure everywhere.  Talk to mmcc about some things he identified during his 2015 Maintenance Hero project ([wiki:mmcco]).
+
+=== Tests and proof of functionality ===
+
+libpurple has always had an anemic test suite.  Part of this is that it's hard to test the protocol plugins, as we cannot hammer the official servers and we do not have our own implementations of the protocols.  Even where we do (such as XMPP), that doesn't mean the existing servers are appropriate for testing.  Propose a set of tests that you think can be applied to the codebase and (ideally) run automatically.
+
+[wiki:grim Gary Kramlich] has an idea for a coordinated testing plugin and server that would effectively run scripts implementing client-server interaction unit tests for specific functionality.  The idea is that server scripts emulating specific activities (e.g., successful login or an authentication failure at login) would be started by a plugin in a libpurple client, which would then attempt that activity and check for the expected result on the client side.
+
+=== Better UI ===
+
+Pidgin has historically led the way in instant messaging UI design.  Several Pidgin behaviors have gone on to become ubiquitous.  That said, our UI has stagnated over the years, and it seems like IM UI in general has not done much in recent history.  Propose something novel and interesting and convince us people would want it - or at least that it's worth seeing if they will.  We're not necessarily looking for crazy or off the wall, but we ''are'' looking for plausibly better.