[a1369209993]

Obligatory: We already have a open-source tail -f; it's called `tail -f`. (Kind of /s, but much like the infamous dropbox comment[0], it sucks that there exists a problem for this to solve in the first place.)

0: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9224

[dsies]

I wonder if we screwed up by calling out “tail” - it is so much more then that - it executes wasm rules on the client that are pushed to it by the server AND because we have access to the data - we can expose a UI to see it flowing… like a “tail -f” - but that doesn’t quite flow off the tongue :)

I’d urge you to check out the live demo and “tail” an app at runtime - it might be able to explain what we we are doing better than I can.

[a1369209993]

I don't actually have a problem for this to solve - like the rsync guy, I know how to use actual `tail -f` (and eg `perl -E` et al) - I'm just self-aware enough to realise that most people either aren't up to the task of hacking together whatever functionality they'd actually end up using out of generic utilities at all, or at least wouldn't consider that so easy as to be the path of least resistance to get something done.

[sshine]

But can `tail -f` handle data?

[dsies]

I know you kid - but the _data_ in this context is the data that the app is processing at runtime. Ie. If the app is reading from a DB - that’s what we are tailing.

And if that’s already clear - sorry :)

[sshine]

It wasn’t, thanks. :)