Buddies

[amhill86]

[amhill86]

Definition/notes from 2025‐01‐07 Planning the first 2025 MVP

• Social components - could be an important differentiator
• later flesh out groups
• buddies are people who mutually follow each other (and, at some point, will be able to DM each other)
• should have a 1:1 connection, so you can see what your friends are doing independent of having a group with them
• dashboard of all your buddies (people with whom you are mutually connected)
• how to define people who are buddies?
• use case: I am friends with 10 people (1:1 relationships)
• instagram model: anyone who is public, you can follow them (1-way); they don't have to follow you back (e.g., famous authors wouldn't)
• mutual follows: you have special permissions (DMs for when we have them)
• templated posts to the feed only for now
• feed of buddies
• if we figure out the moderation piece, you can add text and title to an update (if it is connected to your project)
• would be nice to share good news or bad news; status on profile
• a feed of updates - these are archival (too social media-ey?)
• status updates should be visible only to people's logged in buddies

[amhill86]

Writing out what's done and what needs to be done, mostly to orient myself in it.

Done

• Database is set up for the following, though only "connection" is doing anything at the moment.
  • Buddies/connections
  • Posts (for a user)
  • Interactions (to posts)
• Feed exists on the / landing page when user is logged in, segments into following versus buddies. Right now it's just raw JSON.
• Added "Connections" to the settings page to allow users to review the users they follow, their friends, and any pending connections; not functional yet, just a list.
• Connection buttons on a user profiles are functional for:
  • Sent friend request
  • Cancel friend request
  • Remove friend
  • Follow user
  • Block user
• DM button also exists but does nothing.
• A blocked user cannot access a user's profile, and you cannot see a user you have blocked

To-Do (not comprehensive)

• Email notification that you have a pending buddy request.
  • Do we want some sort of notification on the main feed?
• Finish setup for feed
• At some point, sort out the connection between updating a project -> adding an entry to Post for the user
• Finish user connection management in the Settings.
  -Debating if this should be moved to it's own space, if it seems to bulk up settings or not fit there.

[NewMexicoKid]

Notification on the main feed might be nice (one place to get all notices).

[amhill86]

Thought for the group at next meeting:

• What happens to messages between mutuals if one user removes the other as a buddy?
• Ditto, except if one user blocks the other, is that same behavior?

My instinct is that both users should retain the ability to see messages that were sent when they were mutuals, but open to suggestion.