ownCloud chat apps

[jancborchardt]

It’s time to get the ownCloud Chat app situation straight. At the moment we have 3 active apps which are all slightly different.

Since for each of those there’s really only one person working on them, it might be good to join efforts for a proper »ownCloud Chat app« – which people can use to communicate with others on their ownCloud as well as with folks outside using open protocols such as XMPP.

• User Conversations by @simeonackermann (source code) is dead simple, uses the internal user management of ownCloud, and has no dependencies
• JavaScript XMPP Chat by @sualko (source code) has a bunch of dependencies, but then is capable of XMPP, OTR and video calls (using WebRTC). It’s especially cool because it’s always there on the right and doesn’t require you to leave what you are doing (much like Facebook chat or Hangouts in Gmail work).
• This Chat app by @LEDfan has exactly the goal I described above. At the least, a simple means for people on the same ownCloud to communicate. Then when you want, you can connect your Contacts, make it XMPP-capable, have different IM systems all grouped to the people they belong to.

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Apart from those, we even have 3 inactive/outdated communication apps:

• Internal Messages by @kadukeitor has a lot of downloads in the store, but hasn’t been updated since May 2013 (source code)
• Internal Chat by @basnagoda also hasn’t been updated since March 2013
• xmpp by @ZUNbado hasn’t been updated since December 2012

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I’m thinking that a combination of all three of the active apps would be best:

• work out of the box, with the other users on your ownCloud (like User Conversations)
• have an always-present contact list on the right, so you don’t have to leave what you’re doing (like JS XMPP Chat)
  • but also, if you want to go into detail, allow the possibility to switch to the dedicated app (like User Conversations and this Chat app). For comparison also see how Facebook chat/messages does exactly that.
• be extensible with different protocols so you have all conversations grouped to the people they belong to (like this Chat app)

@LEDfan @simeonackermann @sualko your thoughts please. :)

[LEDfan]

@jancborchardt thanks for opening this issue!

User Conversations by @simeonackermann (source code) is dead simple, uses the internal user management of ownCloud, and has no dependencies

Nice lightweight app. A disadvantage is that a non-admin user can't create groups chat. (Because it can't manage user groups.)

JavaScript XMPP Chat by @sualko (source code) has a bunch of dependencies, but then is capable of XMPP, OTR and video calls (using WebRTC). It’s especially cool because it’s always there on the right and doesn’t require you to leave what you are doing (much like Facebook chat or Hangouts in Gmail work).

Really a great app :) I would like to integrate this app with the Chat app. Only problem I see is that the GUI and the logic are strongly coupled. The ownCloud chat protocol is practically stable. I though to start working on XMPP after it's really finished. I think the source code of @sualko will be very helpful.

This Chat app by @LEDfan has exactly the goal I described above. At the least, a simple means for people on the same ownCloud to communicate. Then when you want, you can connect your Contacts, make it XMPP-capable, have different IM systems all grouped to the people they belong to.

Like I said above, I'll start working on XMPP soon.

I’m thinking that a combination of all three of the active apps would be best:

I really agree! @sualko's GUI is great and I planned to integrate almost the same in this app.

@sualko would you like to start working on this app? The goal would be to have XMPP working with this app. And the second goal would be to have your GUI also in this app. The JS and the view of this app is written in Angular. A very nice JS framework. But the real "chat engine" is written in plain JS and accessed by angular.

[MarcelWaldvogel]

I agree that splitting the market into 3-6 apps with similar functions is confusing and not really productive. Before putting everything into one bowl and mixing unconditionally, it is necessary to agree on the goals of what a unified app should look like.

The design decisions behind JSXC should be seen from the viewpoint of an organization with heavy interactions over its boundaries and more than one site where interaction is useful. While this was motivated by the requirements and the situation at University of Konstanz, we're in discussion with several other German universities.

• Using an open standard (→XMPP)
• Avoid
• Allow for collaboration with outsiders (→federated service, XMPP)
• Easy integration into multiple products and sites (→not tied to any specific product)
• Available in addition to one's main work, e.g. for quick (support) query when confused or while working on a document
• Natural learning curve for users
• Provide an entry path for (and compatibility with) power users on native clients
• Provide end-to-end privacy, e.g. for student counseling

For those speaking German, feel free to read pages 38ff of the latest issue of DFN-Mitteilungen, issue 86.

Our goal is to make existing open protocols (especially XMPP) as easy to use and as widespread as possible rather than creating yet another closed mechanism with vendor lock-in.

As such, I do not see a reason for JSXC to (1) drop XMPP, (2) become heavily tied into ownCloud, or (3) get rid of the "overlay" view, as well as some of the other features. However, I could imagine to have

• an additional (minimalistic?) chat backend included to bootstrap those who do not want to set up their XMPP server at the beginning
• a "full screen" button that maximizes the open conversations temporarily if more space is needed.

If you think your goals are compatible with this, we'd be happy to join forces and together move forward twice as fast than what we do individually right now.

[LEDfan]

As such, I do not see a reason for JSXC to (1) drop XMPP, (2) become heavily tied into ownCloud, or (3) get rid of the "overlay" view, as well as some of the other features.

Indeed there isn't a reason to drop all these features. And this isn't our goal.

It would be really nice if JSXC could be implemented into this app. I'm going to experiment a bit with how your app works in this app. I'll get back to this later.

[simeonackermann]

I also want to briefly point out my visions:

• simple, lightweight UI
• easy installing
• internal file attachments
• protocol integration like XMPP

I personally dont need such a chatting overlay window and think the conversation functionality is more important.

To have a mobile App with message pushing would be also really great (what can be done with XMPP?) !

[jancborchardt]

@simeonackermann I totally agree with all your points! I also opened an issue for your file attachments idea: https://github.com/owncloud/chat/issues/94

The chatting overlay window I still find useful for better integration into the system. But it’s something for further down the road.