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schmate [2013-11-07 08:35:27 +0000 UTC]

Nice concept again. I really enjoy to use elementary software.

But I have to note something about the windows controls you use lately. If the "X" on this mockup is a window control button, then putting it in the middle vertically is a bit misleading for me. In this case it indicates that its function is to erase a search expression from the search bar. It is alligned to the search bar and it means to me that it belongs to that.

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dahenson [2013-10-04 15:36:32 +0000 UTC]

I don't usually put my friends in the trash, but that's just a small niggle.

I would also want to know exactly what the trash icon does for a friend request.  Does it just throw away the request?  Does it notify my friend that I just threw away his invitation to be friends?  Maybe an 'X' icon, to signify that you're just declining the request.

Overall, a very nice looking simple interface.

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schtocker [2013-09-15 16:52:00 +0000 UTC]

Unlike others, I quite like the idea of an elementary account, but I agree that it should be layered with data from other social networks.

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Piotrek290 [2013-09-04 14:09:26 +0000 UTC]

It should be a communicator, not addressbook

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KevinKleinman [2013-09-03 15:20:31 +0000 UTC]

Sweet looking app. I love it.

I have one question though: what is the probability of people signing up for an elementary account and using this app? Even if every elementary user had an account, it is still highly unlikely that people you meet in daily life are using elementary. Social apps, even simple address books like these, need a big network behind them to have enough momentum to make the app useful. I believe Apple has something like the displayed Friends app as well but there are only very few people who have the time and willingness to start yet another network. Again, with few people, the app serves no purpose.

You might remember a conversation I had with you (Daniel) a few months ago on Twitter, which was about Tent, the social data storage protocol. Since then, the protocol has evolved and some new apps have been developed. I believe Tent may be the right way to go if you want to build apps like these.

Instead of creating your own network, specifically for elementary users, on your own expensive infrastructure, you could build Friends on top of the Tent protocol to make the content available using the Tent network, which is OS, company and device independent. Users would sign up for a Tent account with a provider (elementary could become one if you wish so) and will then be able to log into the app. There, they fill in their own data and share that with their Tent provider. Users can connect with other users on the Tent network and their profile data would automatically appear in the Friends app. This can all be done by storing telephone, mail, address, birthday and other profile data as posts on a Tent server. Using this data, the Friends app will allow the user to call, mail, etc, using apps that are capable of doing so. Hosting data will be none of your problems.

The benefits of building the app around Tent, is that others may create address books for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, FirefoxOS, Ubuntu Touch, etc, etc. This means a bigger audience, more users and therefore more data to be displayed in the elementary App. People may also create other apps containing profile information, such as a Facebook alternative and a microblogging site, that can share the same data. As the Tent network will exist of many different apps, different people will have different reasons to sign up for an account. But everyone with a Tent account is able to use the Friends app when starting with elementary. Moreover, everyone who fills in the correct profile fields, ANYWHERE, no matter which app they use to do so, will be sharing that data not just in the app they are using, but also with the Friends app. In other words: your friends fill their profile on Facebook, Twitter or some unknown small app but thereby it also becomes available in Friends. As Tent supports (and will better support) groups, you can even share different info with different people.

There are lots of applications for the Tent protocol within elementary, which is why I have filed this blueprint, containing a nice Google Doc discussing the benefits of working with Tent. blueprints.launchpad.net/eleme… . Also, I still recommend giving the hosting service a try, which is now called cupcake.io . There is a free tier. Please let me know when you do, by mentioning ^kevinkleinman.cupcake.is .

Thanks for reading this blogpost-like comment.

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spiceofdesign [2013-09-03 07:10:54 +0000 UTC]

What about groups? Since some contacts you may only want for certain circumstances, whereas some you would want frequent access to.

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Pendertuga [2013-09-03 06:33:28 +0000 UTC]

In a lot of these mock ups the title bar and position of the window buttons are changed. Are all these UI changes going to be implemented anytime soon?

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rhoconlinux [2013-09-03 06:29:04 +0000 UTC]

Hey Daniel, very interesting.
Is there a svg available? Thanks!

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