Nova.gs -- A modern web go server

[hyperpape]

Actually, I mildly prefer a web app. My original post clearly said that there are advantages and disadvantages. This is one advantage of a native app. There are others, and there are other disadvantages.

[Bantari]

Why do you even need to download a second browser? Why not just keep a separate browser window open for any website you'd rather have as a native application?

Personally, I like the second browser because I can then dedicate it to the server. It remembers the window size, for example, auto-load the client, I can show/hide the elements I want, and so on. Overall, it is closer in 'feel' to having a dedicated client. But what you suggest is also possible, of course. It just takes a few more steps to set it up the way you want it each time.

You can accomplish the same thing with one browser using Firefox's profiles. It scales much better than having to install a separate web browser for each dedicated task. It's also a nice way to prevent cross-site scripting attacks (for example, I have one profile that I dedicate to online banking only).

So if you wanted a "Nova" browser you would just create a "Nova" profile, set the homepage to Nova.gs, and it would remember all your settings, including window size. It would also be its own dedicated process, so a crash there wouldn't affect your other profiles.

Yeah, good points. I really dislike FF, but other than this, you are certainly right. It can be done this way.

[Bantari]

Bantari, what you quoted was poorly phrased, but I'll accuse you of not reading too, as the rest of the post made it clear one of the advantages I was talking about related to tabs.

Seems like you get the point: you talk about using a dedicated browser. But a native app still has advantages, since it has a dedicated icon.

Hehe... good one... dedicated icon.

But seriously, it did not occur to me that you were talking about actual native apps as opposed to dedicated apps (which also have their own icons, I might add.) As a programmer, I hope we can get as far away from truly native apps as we can. As a computer user, I hope for the same. Just in general, and this does not really affect the strength of your argument.

Dedicated icon... really.

None of that matters much if you have two tabs open--then it's a mild inconvenice. But if you regularly have a lot of tabs, and already want to keep multiple browsers open (work vs home email, cross-browser testing), it's a pain.

Yes, I acknowledge this.
Its just that... I think that if you are doing so many things at the same time, for work or not, it is *this* that creates most inconvenience, not the extra tabs. And its not that the extra tabs get lost in all this tab jungle, but that Go itself gets lost in the sheer multitude of what you are doing at the moment.

But granted - I never really had 200-300 tabs open on my browser, so maybe I should not comment on that.

[oiseaux]

Some arguments against a dedicated app:

* I can't play KGS at work because the port is blocked. Nova is presumably working over 80 or similar, which means I can get in a quick game at lunchtime.

* The development time and resources required to build one would be like rebuilding Nova all over again. I think punters aren't quite aware the amount of effort required to build and maintain these kinds of programs. Instead, effort should be placed in making the web app responsive to mobile devices and tablets (which, might I add, already is for tablets in my experience).

* "It's an extra tab" argument can be solved by running in a separate window. Additionally, I do not think for even a second that someone with 150 running tabs can command the attention of each one simultaneously. Having that many tabs open is complete overkill and I'm baffled that someone could use it as an argument for a dedicated, native app.

Secondly, I think time settings are very important on a list of games in progress. When I want to watch a dan-level match, I want one with longer time settings, so that I can see thoughtful play. So many dan-level matches on KGS are blitz and it takes forever to trawl through the game list to find an appropriate match.

[handa711]

Checking out. Will report later.

[oiseaux]

The merge with OGS was a smart one, so exciting to see the playerbase double overnight!

[uPWarrior]

Those of you who liked the interface but were turned down by the lack of active users, I think this might be the time to try again.
With the nova + OGS merge, there are 250+ active users at any time and live game are being matched fairly quickly.

[shakti]

Yep, the merge was great, now it is much much easier to get a game going.

It's looking very promising.

[Bantari]

Those of you who liked the interface but were turned down by the lack of active users, I think this might be the time to try again.

What interface? There was an interface? We call *that* an interface? I thought that was just proof of concept...

[uPWarrior]

Those of you who liked the interface but were turned down by the lack of active users, I think this might be the time to try again.

What interface? There was an interface? We call *that* an interface? I thought that was just proof of concept...

You are just being rude. In my opinion, it is the best interface I've seen in a go server.
You don't like it? Ok. That doesn't give you the right to insult the work of others on purpose.

[Bantari]

Those of you who liked the interface but were turned down by the lack of active users, I think this might be the time to try again.

What interface? There was an interface? We call *that* an interface? I thought that was just proof of concept...

You are just being rude. In my opinion, it is the best interface I've seen in a go server.
You don't like it? Ok. That doesn't give you the right to insult the work of others on purpose.

Not intended to be rude or insulting. Just observing that the interface is a none. Well, technically, it is an "interface"... in the same sense you can get used to DOS once you use it enough.

My impression was, and I assumed it was shared with the developers at least partially, that its just an intermediate step to develop an actual interface, which they are thinking about. I think such thing would be great, and I see no reason not to push for it.

But hey - if you like the way it is now, maybe you get lucky and it will stay this way. I hope not, though.

[oiseaux]

It's an interface, and a capable one. Stop being weird.