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APK for searching and subscribing to Youtube, Twitch, and more in a single feed (youtu.be)

submitted 1 year ago by skinnerbox@leminal.space to c/opensource@lemmy.ml

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I just downloaded and have been loving this. It loads pretty quickly, navigation is intuitive, and I'll finally stop forgetting that Nebula exists because it'll all be in my one big subscription feed.

Since I'm new to moving over to open source, I want to ask the veterans: is this as incredible as it seems right now, or is there something I'm missing?

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[-] N4CHEM@lemmy.ml 75 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Am I the only one who is put off by the way this is presented? It might be a great app, I'm not judging that, but seeing it shared in Lemmy via a hype YouTube video ("we made something amazing, wow!") makes me wary. No objective text description, no link to their project website. Not even a name in this post!

It was the same 2 weeks ago when people were sharing the same kind of hype video about their speech-to-text tool (which they called a "Voice app").

Edit: edited text to make clear I was talking mainly about the Lemmy post, not the video (although the video screenshot also looks like clickbait).

[-] Prunebutt@feddit.de 39 points 1 year ago

They do link to the sourde code and the website in the video description.

The lemmy post could be better, though.

[-] N4CHEM@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 year ago

Yes, I was taking about the Lemmy post. I didn't open the video link (for the reasons explained above). Thanks for sharing this info.

[-] Prunebutt@feddit.de 33 points 1 year ago

Here'rs the project page

Here's the sourge code repo

Louis Rossman is usually legit, but I definetly understand your wearyness. OP should do better.

[-] N4CHEM@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 year ago

Thank you. Yes, I cannot judge the app, but the post (and the screenshot of the video) look like low quality clickbait. I would appreciate if we didn't go down that slope and stick to plain, objective information.

[-] lemann@lemmy.one 8 points 1 year ago

Apologies for the silly question - by presented, do you mean this text post here on Lemmy, or the YT video?

If you mean this lemmy post, this is how everyday people share content IMO, it isn't detailed but all the info we need is behind the YT link. OP could also just be excited about the app and thought others already knew about it, like I did but hadn't realised it's out now.

[-] N4CHEM@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 year ago

I meant the Lemmy post. Don't apologise, I see that my comment was not very clear.

I know that's how many people share things, but it's not (yet) common in software communities. If I am introducing a new app I will write a description of what it does, add links to its website, source code, developer's site... and finally a video if I have one.

I haven't checked the video, but the screenshot that accompanies this post (We made a better Revanced!) looks like low quality clickbait too.

[-] skinnerbox@leminal.space 5 points 1 year ago

My bad! I'm not super deep in any software community, just an excited app user who wanted to check with you all to make sure it was as good as it seemed before I fully committed to the app and pitched in the optional $9.99.

To be honest I still can't confidently explain what the app does aside from the broad strokes in the title (outside of a little HTML I'm just a disabled author watching shows to pass the time) which is why I linked the video that explained it to me, so I'll run any questions I have for you guys through my coding friend in the future.

Thanks to everyone who looked past it to give their opinions, and sorry for the potential clickbait scare, haha!

[-] PeachMan@lemmy.world 46 points 1 year ago

Holy shit this is great. So it's not FOSS, but it is OSS. And they're not forcing you to pay, they're just asking, without DRM or anything.

I installed it, hooked up my YouTube and Nebula accounts, and it works fine. It's a LOT more stable than I expected. Odyssee works too, and no crashes yet. I immediately paid the $10 for a license. I love the stuff Louis does, and I'm absolutely willing to fund it.

[-] Prunebutt@feddit.de 5 points 1 year ago

Why isn't it FOSS? The licence is clearly a quick and dirty fix. But it's clear, that a libre approach is being made.

Please do not automatically equate FOSS with "free as in beer"/gratis.

[-] Nyfure@kbin.social 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The License is clearly not Free by imposing restrictions to e.g. commercial vs non-commertial usage or distribution. It also restricts usage of name and logo aswell as terminating the license when legal action is taken against the provider.

While i can understand the reasoning, the license still stands against FOSS.
I believe you could have clearly separated them as provider and the software like its done in most cases. By wanting to protect their software, they had to restrict the License, so its no longer Free to use in any form you'd want.

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[-] MonkCanatella@sh.itjust.works 38 points 1 year ago

Ross man has some really good takes. He’s also kinda annoying and also has some total shit takes. This video was alright but I don’t expect this to last very long. It seems a little sus tbh. Also like others have pointed out, it’s not really open source. That said it’s cool that you can view the source code online.

[-] PeachMan@lemmy.world 24 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It is absolutely open source, simply because the definition of "open source" is vague and poorly defined. That's why we have stricter definitions, like FOSS, and this is definitely not FOSS. They're pretty transparent about that, and they made their reasons clear, whether you like them or not. But GrayJay's source is open; you can audit it, download it, and even compile it yourself if you want. So please don't say it's "not really open source" because that's false.

[-] MonkCanatella@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

That's a good read. But the discussion over the true meaning of open source, foss, libre etc is ongoing and has never been settled so please don't pretend some blog post by richard stallman is the end of the discussion. He's not the one to base your opinions as fact off of. In the first place, open source/libre/foss began largely due to unix v bsd, and opposition to licenses that invite that kind of litigation are properly viewed with suspicion and other even stronger feelings. And it goes without saying that licenses like that are like a landlord promising you he'll fix the shower, get rid of the cockroaches, and fix the leaky ceiling, but only once you've signed the lease.

Aside from that, I'm sure you're aware of how trendy it is to be open source, and how lots of vaporware companies start off with licenses just like this, go proprietary, enshittify and quickly die off, leaving a community built software in the hands of vulture capital.

So it's a good read but it's not the last word, nor does it speak to the actual heart of the discussion

[-] ultratiem@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Open source is “here’s my code, do whatever you want with it idec”. Source available is “I’ll let you see it, but you can’t alter or use it.”

I don’t know what y’all are talking about heated debate. Open source =! Source available.

[-] feyo@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 year ago

You can find the open source definition here:

https://opensource.org/osd/

[-] PeachMan@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

That is a definition proposed in 2006 by one organization (The Open Source Initiative) that has little authority on the matter. Open source software in various forms existed LONG before 2006, so unfortunately they can't retcon what it has always meant. Here's some light reading on the subject, courtesy of Richard Stallman: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.en.html

tl;dr: Don't say "open source" if you really mean FOSS.

This is the "Open Source" community, not the "FOSS" community. If you're going to hang around here, you should familiarize yourself with the difference between the two.

[-] feyo@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It’s the definition defined by the organization that coined the term open source.

The concept existed before then, but that hardly matters when we are talking about the specific term.

They are the authority on the matter.

I do not mean free software as Stallman means it, when I am talking about Open Source, I mean exactly what the OSI means, because that is the widely accepted form of the term.

[-] PeachMan@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

You speak very confidently of things that happened long before you were born. If you actually read the article, I wouldn't have to spell this out for you. OSI was founded in 1998, and "open source" was a term coined in the 1980s.

I could form the Spaghetti Source Initiative tomorrow and claim that all open source code is now called Spaghetti Source, and you wouldn't give a shit about that, would you?

Stallman was a champion of open source software and free software (which were always two different things) long before OSI formed.

[-] feyo@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Maybe you should form that spaghetti source initiative.

You’d have some authority to speak about what spaghetti source is then.

I did not say that free software and open source software are the same thing.

You brought free software into the argument.

This license that the OP software is using probably isn’t even free software, though.

Though, I personally don’t really care too much about it.

Open source has a definition and it’s the OSI definition.

I hope any other argument you bring is an actual different definition other than „it doesn’t have any“. Because that is a net negative point to make.

If you don’t like the OSI definition I’d hope you bring a competing one. Maybe as part of your spaghetti source initiative.

[-] PeachMan@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Do you need smaller words? OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE IS OLDER THAN THE OSI.

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[-] yoz@aussie.zone 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

After reading your comment it looks like youre not that bright hey. Life must be really tough for ya 🥲

[-] PeachMan@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

Uhhhhh I also disagree with @MonkCanatella@sh.itjust.works, but I want to make clear that it's for different reasons and I'm not associated with this moron.

[-] yoz@aussie.zone 3 points 1 year ago

I am glad you agree with me and fk you.

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[-] Klystron@sh.itjust.works 18 points 1 year ago

I'm here to link you

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[-] _hovi_@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Since it's not on F-droid, anybody managed to install this with Obtainium?

Edit: doesn't look like the releases on the gitlab have plain APK files so guess it's not possible with Obtainium? Brand new to it so idk. Not stoked about having to download this from their website

[-] Gamey@feddit.de 13 points 1 year ago

It's not open source (just source available) so idk if it will land in F-Droid at all tbh!

[-] _hovi_@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Understandable

[-] ADHDefy@kbin.social 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I wonder what the full scope of privacy benefits might be here? Obviously, if you log into your account and interact with videos, YouTube will be able to see that--but are you protected from other forms of tracking? If you don't opt to login, how private is it really? With NewPipe, I know it's completely private, whereas with Vanced, there were some inevitable privacy holes. I'm really curious where this application falls in all of that. It'd be nice to see a breakdown of what this app does and does not do for one's privacy.

[-] lemann@lemmy.one 12 points 1 year ago

I think this app focuses more on following creators you support independent of the platform, for me personally it'll likely replace Nebula, Patreon and SoundCloud

Anything privacy related is a big bonus though.

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[-] PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks 12 points 1 year ago

Here is an alternative Piped link(s):

https://piped.video/5DePDzfyWkw

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.

[-] DefinitelyNotAPenguin@kbin.run 12 points 1 year ago

I have a feeling this isn't gonna stay up for very long once youtube hears about it.

[-] newIdentity@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It's not illegal though and Luis Rossman would totally sue back

Well in Germany it would be since a court has ruled out that YouTube DL is illegal

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[-] YungOnions@lemm.ee 10 points 1 year ago

Does this block ads?

[-] cyrodron@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 year ago

It does for me

[-] XanXic@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

I was interested at first but then slowly came in the freedom of speech stuff.

Sounds like another truth social, rumble bullshit thing. "Don't worry if your favorite Nazi gets deplatformed we got their back! Now you'll see they moved to Rumble." Depending on their discovery it'll be a cesspit in no time.

[-] JoeyJoeJoeJr@lemmy.ml 26 points 1 year ago

You manage the sources yourself, so if you don't want to search certain platforms, just don't add them.

[-] ShustOne@lemmy.one 17 points 1 year ago

I definitely don't support nazi and far right nonsense but I don't think deplatforming does anything except drive those people and their users into deeper echo chambers.

[-] noodlejetski@lemm.ee 15 points 1 year ago

deplatforming works

[-] ShustOne@lemmy.one 4 points 1 year ago

It depends.

[-] lemann@lemmy.one 12 points 1 year ago

Did we watch the same video? At no point in that video did he mention freedom of speech... he actually said censorship is necessary

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[-] nucleative@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I remember using Trillian to overcome the MSN/AIM/ICQ boondoggle and it didn't take long until all of those hosts started to fight back by complicating their protocols making it hard for the Trillian devs to emulate authentic clients.

The truth is that Youtube doesn't want creators to own their identities because Youtube wants to own the viewers and tell them to watch whatever will make Youtube more money. Kind of the same as why reddit believes it has a moral authority to take over and control a subreddit that was built by a moderator.

Youtube wants viewers to be "Youtubers" not "Mark Rober viewers" or whatever. Otherwise Youtube becomes some kind of free hosting service. But they CAN help new creators get discovered by vast quantities of viewers if they so choose, which they offer hypothetically in return for a piece of the ad revenue which they can secure when the viewers are kept as Youtubers.

Youtube will work hard to break any 3rd party front end such as this one for sure.

Anyways, I hope GrayJay can attract a good following before the platforms figure out how to block them.

The first team or company who figures out how to let content creators own their identities completely - ActivityPub style on their own instances - combined with someone who figures out a compensation/revenue system and a way to drive viewers will probably be the Youtube/Twitch killer.

Actually, now that I think about it, what's the core difference between everyone spinning up a WordPress that's RSS fed into a reader?

[-] DudeDudenson@lemmings.world 3 points 1 year ago

My first thought was "this sounds great, can't wait to see how every platform starts fighting against it in the span of two weeks and makes it not work anymore"