34 points by rust_lover 1 year ago flag hide 31 comments
username1 1 year ago next
This is such an awesome project! I've been following Rust's growth for a while now, and it's great to see a decentralized social media platform built with it.
username3 1 year ago next
What inspired you to choose Rust as the language for your decentralized social media platform? I'm curious about the reasoning behind this decision.
username1 1 year ago next
I chose Rust primarily for its safety guarantees, low-level control, and performance. I wanted to leverage these strengths to build a fast and secure platform. For data persistence, I've implemented a distributed network of nodes using a modified Raft consensus algorithm, which allows for decentralized storage.
username4 1 year ago prev next
I'm also interested in knowing how you are handling data persistence in a decentralized manner. Using a blockchain or something else?
username7 1 year ago next
Have you considered using IPFS as a permanent data storage layer? It would significantly reduce the need for creating your own data persistence layer, and it has a strong and active community.
username1 1 year ago next
I've looked into IPFS, but I haven't been able to fully adapt it to my use case. My focus was more on ensuring a more robust consensus algorithm for the network, instead of using an existing data storage solution. However, that's an excellent idea, and I'm looking forward to exploring that as a possibility in the future.
username2 1 year ago prev next
Thanks! Rust provides a lot of benefits when it comes to building a scalable and safe platform. I'm excited to share my experience in this journey.
username5 1 year ago prev next
Great work! Are there any particular libraries or frameworks within the Rust ecosystem that you find particularly helpful while building this? I'm looking forward to exploring them.
username6 1 year ago next
I used `actix-web` for building the web API server, `sqlx` for database access, and `libp2p` for the decentralized network communication. They all played a crucial role in building the platform, and I would recommend looking into these libraries if you're interested in Rust development.
username8 1 year ago next
How do you handle user authentication for your decentralized social media platform? I assume users don't have a centralized account to sign in with. I'm interested in understanding how you bypassed this challenge with your unique setup.
username1 1 year ago next
You're right. Instead of centralized accounts, I've chosen a cryptographic approach, where users can create and maintain their public/private key pairs acting as their accounts. Users can publish content signed with their key and other users can verify the content through their public key.
username9 1 year ago next
I love this approach as it brings privacy to a whole new level, with no central authority to decide what users have access to. Do you have any plans to integrate this with an existing hardware wallet like Ledger for enhanced security?
username10 1 year ago next
That's quite an insightful question! It seems like doing so could certainly make the platform more user-friendly for those who already own Ledger or other hardware wallets. As of now, I don't have such integration planned, but I will consider it as a future feature.
username11 1 year ago prev next
I've been playing around with `libp2p` recently as well. What challenges did you overcome integrating it with your project? Were there any unexpected hurdles you'd like to share?
username1 1 year ago next
`libp2p` is quite flexible, but it took time to integrate it fully with the platform. Handling NAT traversal and implementing custom peer discovery mechanisms were the major challenges. I ended up using a mix of WebRTC and DHT to address these issues. Sometimes the DHT route would lag, but tweaking settings made it reliable for my use case.
username12 1 year ago prev next
This is incredible, and I can't wait to test it out! I'm curious to learn about performance scalability in this project. How did you manage the load, and will you implement sharding if needed?
username1 1 year ago next
Thank you! Scalability is critical for the project. Currently, the platform runs its own load balancer, with plans to swap it with a more decentralized load distribution algorithm down the line. Sharding is not yet introduced, but I'm considering it if the platform needs to scale to millions of daily active users.
username13 1 year ago next
Your commitment to decentralization is inspiring! I'm curious about how you address regulations and content reporting requirements in your platform. Do you comply with any jurisdiction or are you taking an alternative approach?
username14 1 year ago next
Complying with various regulations is indeed tricky, and I'm currently exploring possibilities like creating a STEEM-like governing system where the community can collectively decide on how to deal with reported content. It's essential to ensure a noble purpose while preserving freedom of speech and remaining decentralized.
username15 1 year ago next
Your approach is both innovative and cautious, which I appreciate. This might be a long-term goal, but do you have plans to introduce interoperability with existing distributed storage projects like Filecoin, if feasible?
username1 1 year ago next
I'm glad you like the vision! Interoperability is a valuable target, and I'm receptive to integrating with Filecoin or future protocols if beneficial for growth. However, my primary focus remains on delivering a robust and scalable decentralized social media platform.
username16 1 year ago prev next
How secure is your private messaging implementation? How do you ensure metadata reassociation attacks can't happen, and what about ensuring end-to-end encryption?
username1 1 year ago next
Great question. To achieve end-to-end encryption, users' keys are used as mentioned earlier, keeping messages secure between users. Additionally, messages are sent over the decentralized network using `libp2p` beneath the transport layer for anonymity. Metadata reassociation attacks could represent a potential hurdle; I'm addressing these concerns by rotating user keys frequently and tying them to specific message metadata.
username17 1 year ago prev next
Have you thought of implementing any built-in moderation tools for cases in which a user can't be reached anymore (e.g., wallet lost) and needs to be moderated? Or for cases of mass reporting for content?
username18 1 year ago next
These are tough problems to solve while maintaining decentralization. Supposing a user loses their keys for good, the account can essentially be taken offline. For cases of mass reporting, I find the STEEM-like governance approach a suitable solution, in which the community votes on content prohibition, hence maintaining the decentralized nature.
username19 1 year ago prev next
Privacy in the age of data mining is imperative. How do you protect users from direct data mining, and what measures are implemented to guarantee users' privacy?
username1 1 year ago next
Indeed, privacy is paramount. The biggest factors protecting users from data mining are decentralization and the key-based system. The decentralized nature and lack of centralized control avoid single-point attacks and hacks. The key-based login mechanism ensures that no user data is collected or harvested for commercial purposes.
username20 1 year ago prev next
How did you implement the reputation management system in your social platform? Given the decentralized aspect, how do you avoid incentivizing NSFW or misleading content?
username1 1 year ago next
Excellent point. The reputation management is challenging in a decentralized network. My approach is actively monitoring the network and relying on community integrity. Users can flag those who post unacceptable content, and once a user accumulates too many flags, their reputation may be reduced, and users can choose to unfollow them to limit their content visibility.
username21 1 year ago prev next
This is a significant achievement. Excited to hear more about the road ahead for this platform and how the community can contribute to its growth and success!
username1 1 year ago next
I'm thrilled to have your support and interest in the platform. Involving the community in governance, feature development, and growth commitments is part of the plan. I want to enable more transparent discussions with block producers, developers, and social media users. With community involvement, I believe we can build a brighter, decentralized future for social media platforms!