Expanding Bot Development Across Platforms A Comprehensive Discussion

Hey guys! Let's dive into the exciting world of bot development and explore expanding our horizons across various platforms. This discussion is all about figuring out the best strategies and logistics for creating bots that can thrive on different corners of the internet. We'll be covering everything from where these bots should live to which platforms we should target. So, buckle up, and let's get started!

Key Discussion Points

Bot Location: Where Should Our Bots Live?

This is a crucial question, and we need to figure out the best place to house our bots. We have a few options on the table, and each has its own set of pros and cons. Let's break them down:

• Their Own Repo: Each bot gets its own dedicated repository. This approach offers the most isolation and independence. It's great for keeping things organized, especially if we have bots with significantly different functionalities or target platforms. However, it might lead to code duplication and make it harder to share common components.
• Reddit as the Development Platform: Leverage Reddit as the central hub for development. This could mean creating a subreddit or a dedicated space where we discuss, develop, and deploy bots. It centralizes the community and discussions but might not be the best fit for bots targeting non-Reddit platforms.
• All in This Repo: Keep everything within the current repository. This simplifies code sharing and makes it easier to maintain a consistent codebase. However, as we add more bots, the repository could become complex and require a robust tagging and workflow system to manage different projects effectively.

The million-dollar question: Which approach strikes the right balance between organization, collaboration, and maintainability? We need to consider the long-term implications and how each option will scale as our bot family grows. Think about how easy it will be for new contributors to jump in and understand the project structure. Collaboration is key, so let's brainstorm the best way to foster a collaborative environment while keeping things manageable.

Bot Hosting: Where Should Our Bots Run?

So, we've built these amazing bots – now, where do they live in the digital world? Finding a reliable and efficient hosting solution is paramount. Currently, setting up a dedicated home server is a work in progress. This means we need to explore alternative hosting options, especially if we're aiming for a combined server setup.

• Centralized Hosting: If we opt for a combined server, then we need a central hosting solution. This could be a cloud-based service, a dedicated server, or even a virtual private server (VPS). The advantage here is centralized management and potentially better resource utilization. However, it also means a single point of failure and the need for robust monitoring and maintenance.
• Distributed Hosting: Another approach is to distribute the bots across different servers or platforms. This increases resilience but adds complexity in terms of deployment and management. We need to think about how we'll handle updates, monitoring, and potential conflicts across distributed instances.

Key considerations for hosting: Cost, scalability, reliability, and ease of management. We need a solution that can grow with our needs without breaking the bank. And, of course, security is a top priority. We need to ensure our bots are running in a secure environment to protect both them and the platforms they interact with. Let's investigate hosting options that offer the best blend of these factors.

Platform Selection: Which Platforms Should We Target?

Now, let's talk platforms! The digital landscape is vast, and there are so many places where our bots can make an impact. Here’s a breakdown of the platforms we're considering:

• Reddit (Custom API Handler): We've already got a head start here with a custom API handler. Reddit is a goldmine for community engagement, content aggregation, and targeted interactions. Our existing experience with Reddit bots gives us a solid foundation to build upon.
• Lemmy (lemmy_client): This is a Fediverse alternative to Reddit, offering a decentralized and open-source approach to social networking. Developing bots for Lemmy aligns with the principles of decentralization and provides an opportunity to reach a different audience.
• Mastodon (mastodon-async): Another Fediverse platform, Mastodon, is a decentralized alternative to Twitter. Bots on Mastodon can automate tasks, engage with users, and contribute to the vibrant community.
• Discord (serenity): A popular platform for communities, Discord offers real-time chat, voice, and video communication. Discord bots can enhance server functionality, moderate discussions, and provide unique user experiences.
• Etc.: The possibilities are endless! There are other platforms like Telegram, Matrix, and more, each with its own ecosystem and potential use cases for bots.
• Combined Maybe?: This is an intriguing idea. Can we create a bot that works across multiple platforms? Imagine a bot that can post updates to both Mastodon and Lemmy, or a bot that aggregates content from different sources and shares it on multiple platforms. This would be a powerful way to maximize our reach and impact.

Platform priorities: Which platforms align best with our goals and resources? Should we focus on mastering one platform before expanding to others? Let's discuss the pros and cons of each platform and prioritize based on our capabilities and the potential impact.

The ActivityPub Angle: A General Fediverse Bot?

The Fediverse is a network of decentralized social media platforms, and ActivityPub is the protocol that allows them to communicate. This opens up exciting possibilities for bot development. Could we create a general ActivityPub bot that works across multiple Fediverse platforms?

• ActivityPub Federation (activitypub_federation): This Rust crate provides tools for building ActivityPub applications. It could be the foundation for our general Fediverse bot.
• Leveraging General Platforms (like Lemmy): Instead of building a bot from scratch, we could leverage a general platform like Lemmy and build our bot on top of it. If mentions work across platforms, this could be a game-changer.

The potential of a general Fediverse bot: Imagine a bot that can seamlessly interact with users on Mastodon, Lemmy, and other ActivityPub-enabled platforms. This would be a huge win for efficiency and reach. Let's explore the feasibility of this approach and the potential benefits it could bring.

Key Questions Revisited

Let's revisit the key questions we need to answer:

• Where should those bots live? Their own repo, making Reddit the platform for development, or all in this repo? (For the latter, we would need to figure out tagging and workflow though.)
• Where should the bots run? It will still take a while for me to set up a working home-server. If it comes to a combined server, then centrally.

Conclusion

Expanding our bot development across platforms is an exciting endeavor! By carefully considering our options for bot location, hosting, platform selection, and the potential of a general Fediverse bot, we can create a robust and impactful bot ecosystem. Let's keep the discussion going, share our ideas, and work together to bring our bot visions to life!