Feature request: Folders UI

[ygg2]

Edit: Now I learned about PDS dedupe, I understand that such an interface would only work for a single user or group management system, so I see why it wasn't considered. I also learned that one of the developers previously worked on peergos that had a similar concept, so the idea has probably been floated before.

--Original message--

Looking at PDS, I got the same sense as others that it feels underwhelming, when we can just make an account on bsky.social. Considering that little incentive to self-host makes it harder to increase decentralization, I thought, "What features would make it appealing to me?"

One plan is shown in discussions like #66 where there will be a possibility of hosting data on static sites, which I like a lot, but as it's mentioned its abilities would be limited and everything would be public, so I think there's room for additional ideas.

I want to suggest a cloud storage type feature. A simple drive with a folder UI which we can log into to upload and organize files, and maybe create share links.

It could be integrated by apps so we can select a file directly from drive instead of always uploading a new one. This would also decrease duplication of data in the scenario that someone creates different records with the same file blob (e.g. post art on Bluesky, later post a collection of your works including that piece, later write a retrospective on WhiteWind that also includes it).

Also, while most people are unfamiliar with paying for or donating to "a server", many people are willing to pay for Box, Google Drive, OneDrive etc. and are familiar with the subscription style and scaling model of more storage = more payment. It may also help users stay aware of the amount of storage their media is using which could help manage expectations especially with the advent of video on Bluesky.

After thinking of this I realized it's basically Misskey's Drive, but it feels like in ATproto's style of server and app separation it could provide other benefits since it wouldn't be connected to one app's functions. It might also be similar to remotestorage.io which seems to have folders.