In this meeting, the State Changers are discussing the issue of push notifications for a dashboard that manages clients. The person who built the dashboard wanted to chat with clients through a database, but realized that messages wouldn't pop up on their screens without a Webflow or some kind of notification system. They considered using ABly, but others in the meeting cautioned against it, as it seemed to have some issues. They also mentioned that ABly did not work well for phone-based notifications.
The meeting participants then discussed two ways of generating new data on the client side: WebSockets and pulling. WebSockets involve keeping a connection open between the client and the server, allowing for real-time communication. Pulling, on the other hand, involves periodically checking for new data. The suggestion was made to start with the pulling pattern, as it often solves most problems and helps evaluate if this is the desired user experience. If more responsiveness is needed, then other tools like WebSockets can be considered. Another option mentioned was to outsource the chatting functionality to a service like Twilio, which specializes in managing notifications and user experience. The meeting concluded with the suggestion to start with the pulling pattern, ensuring that the API calls are lightweight. As the number of users increases, performance considerations can be addressed. Overall, the meeting emphasized the importance of keeping things simple and avoiding overbuilding. The State Changer appreciated the advice and felt better equipped to proceed with their next steps.
(Source: Office Hours 10/28 )
