Use cases for Unite and Widgets you think should be transferred to other Opera projects

Use cases for Unite and Widgets you think should be transferred to other Opera projects

Today we are announcing the beginning of the end for two of our current Add-on platforms. Starting with the upcoming Opera 12 release, Opera Unite and Opera Widgets will be turned off by default for new users. The two Add-on platforms will be completely removed in a later release expected before the end of this year.

We would love to hear your feedback on use cases for Opera Unite or Opera Widgets you think should be transferred to Opera extensions or other technology.

This month I switched to Opera (from FF 3.6) and found it to be pretty lame. I was already looking for the next browser, but then I found out about unite and was pretty impressed. Discovering the offered possibilities is just amazing. Why drop what makes Opera better than any other browser? And for what... extensions? You get those in any browser and to be honest,.. the ones Firefox offers are superior. (Adblock+, NoScript, Request Policy, imgbot... to name a few where I didn't found something equally usefull in Opera.)

It's funny... FF forced me with their never stopping updates and following extensions incompatibilities to look for another browser. And the browser I found forces me right back.

Originally posted by BridgeBuilderKiwi:

Opera Software dropped MDI and apparently didn't look back.

MDI has been dropped? Then what's that MDI currently working in Opera?
Also, you said your never used Unite... Are you really an Opera user? I mean, not even once for checking what it was about / testing?

+1 to onsen-00, Unite makes Opera different. I don't use it very much with when sharing photos or large archives it's very useful! Also I use the pastebin and the witheboard app when working with other people.
DON'T DROP UNITE!!!

Originally posted by rafaelluik:

I might be wrong but isn't there specific software for that that they call screen readers? Screen readers go beyond working only in Opera and work on any browser / app so I think it's already replaceable.

Yes, there is. Opera has been properly compatible with such software on Windows since 2007 I believe.

Originally posted by BridgeBuilderKiwi:

Based on what I have read of the announcement and the above posts, it seems to me that Opera Software, and Opera users in general, differ in the foci of their understanding of what Unite is.
(...)
Whereas there seemed to be sound reasoning behind the transfer of widget functionality to extensions, I saw, in the announcement, no reasonable "excuse" for Unite being dropped.
(...)
Although I have not yet used Unite, I agree with the others who suggest that it be kept until a viable alternative is created, if in fact Unite has to be dropped at all.

I remember reading about bugs in some of the Unite apps just after Unite's launch. Reading, in the posts above, mention of there still being bugs in Unite, I wonder why Opera Software don't just keep the suite that has already been created, clean up the relevant code, drop the ability for others to add new apps to the platform, and perhaps incorporate the functionality in an alternative way. Would that not keep both the developers and the users content with a workable solution for both?

Indeed. You stated very good points!
Please Opera Team, read BridgeBuilderKiwi's whole post and consider also these suggestions.

If you drop Unite, I will stop praising Opera

No, seriously, please don't do it. If you ask me, do drop Voice and Widgets, I don't use them and I think this is the same for many others, and while these two's functionality can be replaced by extensions, Unite is something way more serious.

@Opera Dev Team:
Can you please explain yourself WHY Unite is being dropped entirely? Why not just close it down, leave it as it is and that is it. I like it and from what I've seen in this topic, I am not the only one. It would be a shame to drop something that non other browser has.

Originally posted by igorditerni:

Another useful suggestion (for me).
I use this and i like...

Widgets icon in the address bar is useful to find widgets in websites and i have used from the beginning on my website (Radioigor) and when appeared extensions i also used it for my extension so that appear in list the extension and the widgets.

So, why not to leave the icon working for extensions too, like i'm using it now? So people entering a website with Opera can know immediately if it give you the possibility to install some extensions.

Ciao, Igor

Remember when you go to the Desktop Team blog, for example, and appears the Widget Icon on address bar for you download the widget with the lasts blog posts? Could do that like Speed Dial Extension.

Originally posted by rafaelluik:

MDI has been dropped? Then what's that MDI currently working in Opera?

It's fake mdi without the complete functionality of how it used to be.

Originally posted by Gemorroj:

If the possibility of extensions will expand up to the possibilities widgets / unite, then everything is fine. If, however, extension api will not develop (and it is not active anymore for some reason), this is a hasty decision.

+1 and +1

Originally posted by Loko0:

DON'T DROP UNITE!!!

I'm also going to use Opera 11.62 still a long time afterward.
Unite can be used separately. Even without a server of the Opera! Here are detailed instructions:
http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/custom-domains-opera-unite/
http://my.opera.com/daniel/blog/2011/09/21/opera-unite-without-account
(same in russian) Я также собираюсь использовать Opera 11 все еще долгое время после этого.
Unite можно использовать отдельно. Даже без сервера Opera! Вот подробная инструкция: (urls)

I recently convinced my University's television studio to switch to Opera browser for using Unite. Having one program that consolidated the roles of so many others just made sense, especially as we're exploring decentralized post-production. Unite has enabled us to download, transfer, see, and comment on files without having to deal with uploading. Our university also monitors web usage, and suspends accounts that exceed a certain limit. Unite has allowed the student TV studio and its members - a legitimate part of the university - to bypass this restriction that our SGB has no control over to change. Many of us were excited by Opera's uniqueness with Unite that we planned on getting our University to support Opera as a browser for its websites, and get it standard on all computers in our labs.

It's unfortunate that our main reason for doing this will no longer exist. There is so much potential for Unite, unless this is economics, I don't see this as making any sense. I'm still going to use Opera, but Unite was the coolest part of the web, and what really made Opera stand apart from its competitors.

Also - without Voice or Unite, what else can I brag to my Chrome using friends about? All I've got going now is that Opera's prettier, and sometimes slightly faster...

I'm out of here. I installed (OOPP was way overdue), enabled Unite (in about:config) but none of the apps are there, and don't work when copied over from old install. Opera is back to being a browser and no more. I've held on since version 4 (IE and Firefox are terrible, so that was easy) but Chrome has been calling lately. Unite set Opera apart. Now it doesn't. There's built-in mouse gestures I guess. That's really about it.

Originally posted by Johann-7:

poll (from spanish forum)http://my.opera.com/espanol/forums/topic.dml?id=1375262

voted

They already removed the Unite tab from our My-Opera blog/profile pages...

I noticed and i dislike it. Opera12 is only a beta and the 11.62 is the current stable so Unite have to stay at least until the 12.oo final will come.
About widgets, how we will have to install them without Opera?

Ciao, Igor

Originally posted by rafaelluik:

Definitely people will miss File Sharing, Photo Sharing and Media Player. They could be merged into a single functionality at least...
It's hard to imagine removing Unite apps interface and keeping the APIs, then the users will have to download a extension that will simply re-add the apps in a more sluggish way (if there's no kind of "Extensions panel" ) (and possibly made by third-parties)! Why not simply keep it? =P

Unite is more than a browser feature, it's an unique service "by Opera" you'd be discontinuing...

Yes! I use Unite on a semi-daily basis, I use it to manage my User Scripts, I use it to transfer files, to listen to music from my home computer...
It's really too bad that it's not going to be continued. It was one of the coolest things I had the capability of using with my browser.

I hear it will be disabled by default by Opera 12.00, but that doesn't mean removal currently, which is quite a relief for me.

I hope that either it will get picked up again in the future, or that someone will be able to convert the Unite apps that I use to extensions.

Please don't get rid of Unite! After years of using Opera, I've only recently begun to use Unite, and I am wondering why I didn't use it before. Being able to access my home files easily without uploading them is fantastic.

At least keep Unite (and Widget) available in the future versions of Opera, even if off by default, until Opera replicates and reintroduces the key features of such services in the form of extensions and such. I particularly have in mind the following services: Photo Sharing, File Sharing, File Inbox, Lounge, Media Player, and Messenger.

this is extremely sad news. I love Unite from the first word of it, before its launch. Even planning a rollout in office environment in my new place. Unite changes the concept of an internet browser to so much more - to that of a client-server hybrid, but u already know that. The people who uses this feature are some of the more tech savvy people even though it's simple enough for anyone to use it. I feel it's more of a case of publicity/marketing/exposure rather than anything else but this can be overcome with strategy... partnerships etc. Unite differentiates opera from evrything else. A lot of other features [session,voice, rewind/fast forward, auto update,view wrap width, view black white contrast, sessions, thumbnail view, stack etc] built into opera itself and easily accesible are brilliant and makes it the most productive piece of internet thing-a-magic that i use often

If you're asking about a new technology to migrate Unite to, why change it in the first place?

I think that Unite applications can be better, but the platform itself is fine!

I find this fascinating as when I asked last year if Unite had failed my thread was closed and then deleted.
Even asking why it was closed in another thread got closed!
http://my.opera.com/community/forums/topic.dml?id=1099862

I shall bask in the glory of my foresightedness and look down on the admins that removed my posts!

However, I am disappointed as I did use Unite for transferring large files.
Unfortunately, I don't see how this can be done as an extension.

The main problem with Unite was the lack of polished applications for it.

You are being fools, dropping the one thing that makes Opera stand out from the other browsers.

After I've been searching for over half a decade, the bookmarks app for Unite finally arrived. Before that I hadn't found a single simple and convenient way to share your Opera bookmarks in real-time. Please add Opera Link bookmark sharing to My Opera as a replacement. Pretty please with lots of sugar on it.

I liked how I didn't have to clog down Opera when running Widgets because they were separate processes. Please do something like that for extensions as well, so I can keep my browsing session smooth. Are extensions running in their own "threads of execution" inside Opera?

Other than that, I guess I always had ways to achieve the other stuff in Unite and Widgets. Except I had to license my soul to Facebook, Google or whatever so they could have Beelzebub torture it or whatever.

Originally posted by opticyclic:

I find this fascinating as when I asked last year if Unite had failed my thread was closed and then deleted.
Even asking why it was closed in another thread got closed!
http://my.opera.com/community/forums/topic.dml?id=1099862

I shall bask in the glory of my foresightedness and look down on the admins that removed my posts!

However, I am disappointed as I did use Unite for transferring large files.
Unfortunately, I don't see how this can be done as an extension.

The main problem with Unite was the lack of polished applications for it.

opticyclic: Something that I find ironic about your other post---that can be viewed via the URI above---, is that it has been closed for comment with the reason given that it is off topic, and obviously it is; however, the original post you made can be assumed to have been on-topic, yet how else are you supposed to get the attention of the Admin(s) responsible for deletion unless you post in the same place? I don't know the answer to that question; it would be nice to know.

It's not cool when Admins with a narrow view of what constitutes "on-topic" delete entries with valid points, without having the courtesy of suggesting an alternative forum name under which the posts could be posted (without the likelihood of them being deleted). To me, it seriously smacks of censorship (of the negative kind) when material is deleted in that way. I've had it happen to me, too, after spending hours crafting contributions to the my.opera world. It put me off bothering to make any comments for a long time. I figured, "Why bother using my time in that way?" A problem is that the whole community is left worse off when differences in opinion cannot be expressed. We shouldn't have to save copies of our own posts before saving them to a forum, just in case the forum is being read by an Admin who was never any good at lateral thinking. If a post does not contain offensive material, then they shouldn't be deleted without means of retrieval.

I noticed that when a post is deleted, the number of posts ascribed to the contributor is decremented by one, and the deleted post is no longer accessible, at all. Perhaps it would be better for the fora to be administered in such a way that when non-spam-type posts are deleted, that there be statements in the respective fora to acknowledge the posts' removal; but rather than it being a complete deletion, the posts could be translocated to another place from which they can be retrieved and edited (if necessary) and reposted to fora in categories or with headings that are more in alignment with the contents of the respective posts. (I am aware that, within this post, I have included material that is off-topic to the original, although what I have written is only one conceptual step away from the original because all of what I have written relates to opticyclic's comment in response to the original. If someone wants to point out a more beneficial place for me to make some of these comments, I would be grateful for the assistance).

If a narrow view is applied, it is possible that the majority of contributors to this forum can be seen to have not been on-topic. I say this because EspenAO asked for use cases; he did not ask for Opera users to beg for something already in motion to be stopped.

As far as I can tell, no one from Opera Software has given responses to any of the comments above. On a positive note, Espen did end his opening post with the term "other technology", so perhaps the concern expressed by many herein has already been considered by Opera Software staff, and they already have a positive transition in mind for Unite users.

Hallvord has expressed both a disappointment in Unite's demise and a hope that Unite code will be re-utilised. He had some interesting comments in response to his post at http://my.opera.com/hallvors/blog/2012/04/27/o-unite-webkit-foo#comments . Some of the comments there put forward perspectives that differ, at least a little, to many of the views disclosed here.

Hate to ask. But if I keep a legacy version of Opera running, will Unite still work?
I use it for file-sharing between my different computers and for sharing pictures with family and friends. I love keeping my files on my own devices.

I'm suprised Unite never made its way into the mobile space. It would have been amazing to see Opera Mobile share certain folders/files from a cellphone. I have an unlimited data plan and would have loved to share things from my device which is always on.

A sad day when Opera doesn't stand by its own innovations anymore

Originally posted by moltencheese:

Hate to ask. But if I keep a legacy version of Opera running, will Unite still work?

It should work as long as you give the other person your ip address, port number and path to the app (so, the full ip address-based URI) at the time. When the Unite proxy is shut down here at My Opera, the normal discovery just won't work.

My idea is become the Unite apps in extensions, but keeping the Opera Unite panel. So those special extensions would be added to that panel, making easy to find the Unite things, and adding to the Extension Manager normally.

I know i am understanding better the situation. There were be 3 running "extension" plataforms: Unite, Widgets, Extensions. Extension are more populars and is better have to focus in a kind of plataform, better become the Unite apps and the Widgets in extensions really. And moreover, for extensions you wouldn't need to have a MyOpera account to use the future "Unite extensions".

Hmm. A open source standalone web server that runs Unite apps, and has support for uPnP. Now that would be really cool. Because W/M/LAMP servers can be hard to configure. You guys should have a look around and see if anyone are interested in developing and/or supporting one, or maybe you'd even want to support it your self. Or maybe I shall do my bachelor thesis on one and make it open-source when I'm done. Could be a very daunting task though. If you guys submit a bachelor thesis suggestion on it to GUC in Norway I'll have a chance of taking a stab on it.

Save n' Convert Unite & Widgets to be Open Opera United

We all have a voice and chance to be heard with our ideas and input how to use this service. This medium shook the core of SOPA, help shake Opera to see the importance our apps mean to us! Spread the word to one and all that have used or in process of use now. Please take a moment and sign.

Originally posted by ozoratsubasa:

My idea is become the Unite apps in extensions, but keeping the Opera Unite panel

I'd like it because an extensions panel is missing but can become useful, for example letting people the possibility to choose if add the extension button in an Opera toolbar and/or in the panel.

Ciao, Igor

Originally posted by drlaunch:

Hmm. A open source standalone web server that runs Unite apps, and has support for uPnP. Now that would be really cool. Because W/M/LAMP servers can be hard to configure. You guys should have a look around and see if anyone are interested in developing and/or supporting one, or maybe you'd even want to support it your self. Or maybe I shall do my bachelor thesis on one and make it open-source when I'm done. Could be a very daunting task though. If you guys submit a bachelor thesis suggestion on it to GUC in Norway I'll have a chance of taking a stab on it.

Node.js is probably already halfway there. https://github.com/jacobrask/node-upnp-device

The Unite libraries may not require too much adaptation. https://github.com/operasoftware/unite-libraries

But I could be completely wrong and maybe it'd require quite a bit of effort. I certainly don't intend to look into it myself.

Originally posted by igorditerni:

I'd like it because an extensions panel is missing but can become useful, for example letting people the possibility to choose if add the extension button in an Opera toolbar and/or in the panel.

I miss a extension panel too

While I haven't found a free alternative that can take the place of many Unite applications..heres some..
Browser-based alternatives for file sharing... that require no software to be be downloaded or uploading (for sharing one time files):
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-free-browserbased-p2p-file-sharing-sites-filesize-limits/

Unite works so much easier than any file sharing program I ever used...I can access my files on my phone, tablet so easily better than dropbox and other alternatives.

Originally posted by Frenzie:

Node.js is probably already halfway there. https://github.com/jacobrask/node-upnp-device

The Unite libraries may not require too much adaptation. https://github.com/operasoftware/unite-libraries

But I could be completely wrong and maybe it'd require quite a bit of effort. I certainly don't intend to look into it myself.

The approaches are surprisingly similar. And Node.js was rather easy to set up. I guess Unite applications can be ported to Node.js. Maybe even translated by an app. I guess all that's left is to distribute Node.js with additional apps for Unite code translation and easy configuration. Or maybe just make a script that installs and reconfigures Opera 11.62 to use the Unite server GUI as its primary interface. I guess that's what people really need.

I do wonder about those claims Node.js makes about scalability and why you can't easily just use it as a CGI module for the likes of Lighttpd, nginx, or Apache, although I suppose that probably makes it easier to set up. Not that it should be an issue for the type of usage Unite is intended for — my connection would probably overload long before my CPU and/or RAM did. I suppose my real point is that it's aiming more at being a "traditional" server instead of an easy server for all like Unite.

I keep a portable Opera on a USB drive with me, and use Unite to transfer files to/from computers over the LAN. I also use it as part of my personal development environment. It's easy to see how this usage goes unnoticed by the Opera developers, since none of it pings the opera.com servers.

Of course I can replace the functionality by confabulating my own standalone server executable... but then there's one less reason to pull up Opera. My opinion is that if Opera "portable" was given some official support and inclusion on the main page, Unite could have made it the browser everyone carries in their pocket.

Its a another case of taking something that works and, break it. I have used OPERA for a few years now and, I am now quite concerned that they are going to cripple the best web browser that I have ever used. What is going to happen to the groups that we have on UNITE?

though Unite is not so successful , but it shouldn't be through away;

such a good thing gives us more fun anywhere anytime for anyone;

we like it ,we love it.



I HOPE Unite could be keep on,Everyone is shouting for Unite.Just keep it ,and do the right thing for opera extensions .

Love Opera , Love more powerful extensions.
BUT no Unite,less fun.

sorry for my poor English and hope we could be understand.Thanks.

http://bit.ly/JsKJ5v - Good Afternoon, We now have "81" signatures participating getting the word out. Please continue to inform anyone that has ever used this product and joy in its use to hurry as the deadline approaches before Opera Next goes RC. By request I went and added "Torrent, Voice and IRC" to the petition. Perhaps if we succeed we could see "Open Opera United" as a unique build. Kind of last moment of good will, as Boxee gave 1.5 as a parting gift before it axed the software from its own servers and support.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/openoperaunited/

118 now
sign it

Originally posted by ozoratsubasa:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/openoperaunited/

118 now
sign it

"Desktop build with new extension APIs: Screenshot, Resource Loader and URL filter"
http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/new-extension-apis-screenshot-resource-loader-url-filter/

Whats more require for converting Unite apps to extensions?

Originally posted by SailorMax:

Whats more require for converting Unite apps to extensions?

A Web Server API and a File API.

The Resource Loader is only for files stored inside the extension, a Unite app usually needs access to local filesystem.

Originally posted by SailorMax:

Whats more require for converting Unite apps to extensions?

Originally posted by d4n3:

A Web Server API and a File API.

Also Unite proxy server from Opera side. Without this sharing would be almost impossible since a few people have static IP.

That wasnt a proxy, just a dns helper and protocol for breaking out of router NAT, like STUN for Skype.

Originally posted by d4n3:

That wasnt a proxy, just a dns helper and protocol for breaking out of router NAT, like STUN for Skype.

RIght.
Anyway, without this server most of the Unite apps are worthless.

Originally posted by FataL:

Also Unite proxy server from Opera side.

Opera closed Unite project => They do not want to spend any resources on it from their side => May be they will add possibility (or it is already possible) to create and use your own similar service?

Don't kill Unite!! Give it time, it's ahead of its time. Develop it a little bit more and fix all the bugs and we'll use it more!! Just merge widgets with extensions and complement them with Unite!!

Update: Now @ 146 joining the cause. Today will load Opera 12 and attempt to force unite. If this works options are to obtain all unite apps and store them locally to run additional test. Its possible to host the files elsewhere and alternate instructions to connect offsite. A similar project occurred with Jazy.net when they hosted a temp server for those on the PowWow Voice Chat client. Although many features were disabled the basic functions overlapped and responded. This is just one of many ideas occurring, note this adjustment will take time for testing purposes. Additional features can be added as we move along.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/openoperaunited/

If Opera is dropping widgets, does that mean they won't be supporting W3C widgets in future? Or is that why they are dropping it--so they can later adopt the W3C standard?