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by phkahler 4054 days ago
>> I know this is fuzzy, but I imagine Facebook notifications being sent via e-mail

A while back I envisioned an open-source Facebook app. Updates would be sent through email. The email client would recognize such a message and forward it to the app. Decentralized Facebook with direct communication would be great for users. I envisioned much more than just that, but you get the idea. By using email, things can be non-realtime, distributed, and private. There are already protocols for encrypting email, so not even your ISP could monitor your stuff.
2 comments
venti 4054 days ago
Wow, I had the very same idea. But everyone I told the idea basically said: "email is a horrible protocol stack, you don't want to build anything on top of it" or just something like "email is dead". I still think it is good idea.
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phkahler 4052 days ago
Like many things, it's a fantastic idea for people and a poor idea for business. The main advantage is that it keeps business out exactly opposite of how facebook invites it in and ruins everything.

email is a fan-fucking-tastic protocol stack BTW. It's detractors all want to do something the user doesn't want or need.

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sethjgore 4051 days ago
"fan-fucking-tastic protocol". I agree completely. it's time for our systems to centralize email as a first-class citizen and treat it as among the main ways to interact with the system.

Ping me at sethjgore@gmail.com if you agree. I'm organizing something and I want to have people who think email is still underused onboard.

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sethjgore 4051 days ago
Are you pursuing your idea? I am organizing a team focused on building a system that centralizes email as an essential mode of interaction.

Ping me at sethjgore@gmail.com if interested.

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_lce0 4053 days ago
I also buy that it looks like a great idea, and will like to see how far it can get.
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sethjgore 4051 days ago
How far do you want it to get? Ping me at sethjgore@gmail.com with the answer. I have something under the wraps that centralizes email and all messaging into a form of interaction.
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dragonwriter 4051 days ago
> A while back I envisioned an open-source Facebook app. Updates would be sent through email. The email client would recognize such a message and forward it to the app.

I would have to replace my email client to use your social networking app? That's a problem.

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