

Embedding an HTTP Web Server in Firefox OS - nwwatson
https://hacks.mozilla.org/2015/02/embedding-an-http-web-server-in-firefox-os/

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devnonymous
This is cool !!

I've had this idea for a while now -- I do not like FB because I do not trust
them, same is true of G+ ..etc. but my 'network' prefers them and that's how
content is shared and propagated for a while now. So, I've been thinking what
I would like is a 'client-side' social network platform where sharing of
status, photos, messages ...what-have-you would be from /within/ the client.
Basically, you add a set of friends and create a network of your own, pretty
much like FB/twitter..etc but the main difference being that you (ie: your
browser) 'hosts' all of the content out of your hard disk. If my friends run
the same client, content is served out of their hard disks as well seamlessly
and travels to the network without first going thru' someone else's server
...like you know ..p2p. The operative word of course being seamlessly[1].

This way content could be 'shared' beyond your friends through the extended
network based strictly on privacy settings that you can control.

I thought I'd implement this as a browser extension but then the design hits
into hacky workaround territory when it comes to implementing the transfer.

This barrier of entry is now low if/when such a http server becomes part of
FireFox OS. With this functionality, I could in theory server my phone (or
whatever device Firefox OS runs on) with all its pics, music, videos, etc
through my network who only need a browser and an address that'll point to my
app.

Interesing. I might just revive my efforts to build this.

[1] Yeah, I know I just re-invented the web/self-hosted
domains/dnydns+webserver -- but the idea here is, it would all be 'built-in'
into an app/extension.

~~~
justindarc
You don't necessarily need to wait if/when Firefox OS includes an HTTP server
out-of-the-box. The fxos-web-server library can actually just be included in
any packaged FxOS app today. The only limitation would be that you'd have to
have the app running for the server to be operational, which may be
problematic for the sort of "walking social network" concept you're
describing. (which is a really cool idea, BTW!)

