chat.meatspac.es:
from fun experiment
to global community
Back in June 2013...
Taking retro looking pictures with your webcam, in JavaScript
Federated multiuser tumblog
We mostly posted funny GIFs there
In July 2013
Jen was totally into LevelDB
Streams were the thing for her
Chat app using LevelDB
Logging in with Persona
You had to add friends manually (using the Persona ID)
Your gravatar would be shown next to each message
She built a prototype in a couple of hours
What if we captured your face when you sent a message?
Is your `LOL`...
... for reals?
Ephemeral
- Messages went away after some minutes
- You could make silly faces
- And they'd loop!
Removing features
No login
No adding friends
Still a secret
- Hacker News
- JavaScript
people heavyweights - Internet/Cyberspace writers/philosophers
Anonymous
Everyone was a *bro,
depending on the context
Own memes
- Exquisit corpses
- Dance movements
- wow mom wow mom
- #hassomeonelandedyet
SRS BSNSS TOO
A suicide was prevented
Welcoming tech talk
Improving base technologies
But wait, there's more!
Opening conferences with it
"Meatups"
How did this even happen?
It is just for fun
No monetising intent
Though we're very grateful to Digital Ocean for the hosting
It is anonymous
No strings attached
Just turn up and be yourself
Or... be whatever you feel like being today
- Easy to join in - send a Pull Request
- So far 510 commits, 40 contributors
- Well defined APIs
- Native apps for iOS, Android, text console
The future
A London meatup!?
???
I have no idea!
Conclusions
Have fun toy projects
Be modular
Don't plan everything