[HN Gopher] Showcase: Working on a voice/text chat app in a cybe...
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       Showcase: Working on a voice/text chat app in a cyberpunk style
        
       Author : b0bben
       Score  : 56 points
       Date   : 2025-03-31 08:41 UTC (3 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (static.mollohq.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (static.mollohq.com)
        
       | b0bben wrote:
       | TL;DR: programs today are effing boring. Need more cyberpunk in
       | my life
       | 
       | After spending all my money on creating a community platform no-
       | one wanted, in a style that I thought would fit most people (but
       | didn't particularly enjoy myself, too vanilla), I got tired and
       | decided to create something I've wanted in my daily life since I
       | read Neuromancer the first time 20yrs ago.
       | 
       | This is what I'm working on. It's early, like really early, but
       | it's a f*cking JOY to work on and use already! Right now I'm
       | trying to move my friends over from Discord to this, but if there
       | is interest in a voice/text chat app for a broader mass of ppl,
       | I'd love to make a real product out of it and do this for a
       | living!
       | 
       | What ya think? Sushi-style feedback welcome (raw and fresh).
       | 
       | Cheers, b0bben
        
         | grepexdev wrote:
         | SUPER cool aesthetic. I would totally use it if it was a
         | product.
        
           | b0bben wrote:
           | thxxxxx! there's an embryo of a product (super-early alpha)
           | here: https://molly-da7e3.web.app/
        
         | kaycebasques wrote:
         | Looks great. Thanks for sharing. Keep going!!
        
           | b0bben wrote:
           | <3 thx! check out the alpha and let me know what ya think :)
        
         | senko wrote:
         | Looks lovely!
         | 
         | I hate how much effort goes into app/web design that ends up
         | rearranging the boxes while the whole stuff still looks bland,
         | corporate, mass market, no risk, safe, BORING.
         | 
         | It would spark joy to use an app like this. Definitely not mass
         | market and I mean that as a compliment.
        
           | b0bben wrote:
           | thx <3 you're in for a treat, there's an alpha version out,
           | check out my other root comment for link :)
        
         | mxuribe wrote:
         | Oooooh @b0bben, you got me hooked with that awesome aesthetic!
         | Please keep working on it! I'd be interested in using this app!
         | 
         | A few rhetorical questions:
         | 
         | * Will this be (similar to discord) centrally hosted/managed?
         | That is, would it be like other chat apps in that there is a
         | central server, and clients connect to/are dependent upon it?
         | Or....will it be more federated (like email, matrix)...or will
         | it be peer-to-peer? (I'm sure the more centralized, likely the
         | easier for you to implement, but i figured i'd ask...since i
         | tend to favor less centralized options...but that's just me.)
         | 
         | * If you go the route of open sourcing this, and possibly even
         | enabling self-hosting...have you considered what techstack
         | would be used, such that, it might be easier for folks to spin
         | up their own, and hence you might get more participation from
         | folks who more likely might be into this kind of approach (and
         | cyberpunk aeshetic)? (I know docker, containers are a thing
         | nowadays and may in many cases the techstack becomes less
         | important and often eases the self-hosting burden, but, figured
         | i'd ask.)
         | 
         | I should clarify: NONE of my questions are demands...This is
         | your baby, and you should build it as YOU WISH! My questions
         | are merely rhetorical, and you don't even need to respond
         | to...merely giving you some food for thought. I love me some
         | cyberpunk, and not only aesthetic, but especially the freedoms
         | and approach to libre-centric "lifestyle"...so a cool-looking
         | chat app like what your video showed would pair well with folks
         | who think about at least some of the things i asked about
         | above. ;-)
         | 
         | Anyway, cheers to you on this app, and keep on building it;
         | looks great!!!!!
        
           | b0bben wrote:
           | thx for the kind words!
           | 
           | to your (awesome) questions: right now it's centrally
           | managed. it's just easier to build this way and use existing
           | services. i use own apis, firebase and livekit.
           | 
           | at some point i'd LOVE to work on this full-time and live off
           | of it, that's my end-goal.
           | 
           | everything is doable, but it would/will take work, but i
           | wouldn't mind creating a self-hosted version for the 4 of you
           | that really really want that ;)
        
       | indigoabstract wrote:
       | Nice. Looks like a hacking game user interface.
        
         | b0bben wrote:
         | thx <3 it's definitely inspired by many such things :) check
         | out the early alpha here: https://molly-da7e3.web.app/
        
       | Layogtima wrote:
       | I love this! Is this open-source? I'd love to use for simulating
       | the interface for Vogon Constructor Fleet ship interface :D
        
         | ge96 wrote:
         | > Did they have hyperspace clearance?
        
           | Layogtima wrote:
           | They likely would make you file Form HS--748128 to even ask
           | if they do - I wouldn't want to up against a Vogon about the
           | heuristics of clearance
        
         | b0bben wrote:
         | thx! it's not open-source, but you can get awesome inspiration
         | and UI elements from here:
         | https://www.figma.com/design/OVz4DoinEzP2Rj5pnNY15A/%E2%8F%B...
         | 
         | (not mine, just something i found and use a lot for inspo)
        
       | egypturnash wrote:
       | I like how the video example takes you to a chat with someone
       | saying "check out this painting I just finished" with no actual
       | image :(
       | 
       | My inner edgelord teenager approves of the style though.
        
         | b0bben wrote:
         | haha, nice catch! working on image uploads and other stuff.
         | 
         | thx for commenting, appreciate it <3
        
       | cyberpunk wrote:
       | I mean; I'm flattered but this is missing my trademark nine inch
       | nails t-shirt and ripped jeans, oksh as $SHELL and exquisite
       | taste in fonts and headphones that I associate with my personal
       | brand...
        
         | b0bben wrote:
         | dont give me ideas i dont have time for right now! ;)
        
       | jamauro wrote:
       | This looks really cool. Keep going
        
         | b0bben wrote:
         | thx for the pepp _, appreciate it <3
         | 
         | _pepp: swedish word to "encourage, hype up"
        
       | b0bben wrote:
       | hej everyone, thx for the awesome feedback! :D you can download
       | an early alpha, lots of issues, but i'm fixing them and adding
       | cool stuff as fast as i can :) Download here: https://molly-
       | da7e3.web.app/
       | 
       | (macos is signed, windows is not, waiting for MS to approve me
       | for certificates, dont download unsigned binaries from internet
       | strangers...i'm nice tho)
        
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       (page generated 2025-04-03 23:01 UTC)