Google Takes Down HuddleChat After Complaints [Warning]

desmondhaynes writes "There were striking similarities between one of Google's App Engine demos, HuddleChat (a real-time chat application) and the Campfire app from 37Signals. Google has taken HuddleChat down from the App Engine app gallery." Google explains: 'The App Engine team was looking for some sample apps to help kick the tires on their new system, so we invited Googlers to build some as side projects. A couple of our colleagues here built HuddleChat in their spare time because they wanted to share work within their team more easily and thought persistent web chat would do the trick. We've heard some complaints from the developer community, though, so rather than divert attention from Google App Engine itself, we thought it better to just take HuddleChat down.'" We noted the launch of Google's App Engine yesterday.

Update: 04/10 14:51 GMT by KD : A reader wrote in to warn that the link in this article is infected. Windows users beware, and have your AV up-to-date.

Re:Please help me out here

[Otter]

So, what is the possibility of Google taking down google docs, in response to complaints from MS, or some other online office software provider?

As best I understand, the Ruby on Rails cultists are one of the main developer groups they're counting on as App Engine customers, so they don't want to offend its leader. Annoying Microsoft doesn't cost them anyone they want to work with, and might help.

Real-time chat patent pending?

[Anonymous Coward]

So now businesses trying to claim inventions even if they didn't register patents?

Re:Whiners

[Thought1]

Exactly. Get a clue, people. Stop trying to patent the frikkin' XOR cursor loop.

Sour grapes.

[Anonymous Coward]

37Signals is the marketing force behind Ruby on Rails, and Google's AppEngine is heavily geared toward Django, which the RoR world seems to consider a big threat due to Django's allegedly superior robustness and speed. I wouldn't be surprised if they'd spent their time since the announcement of AppEngine looking for something to act martyred about and hopefully redirect some buzz toward their own offering.

In which case Google probably did the right thing disabling the trivial app before the buzz hijack could succeed.

Or maybe I've been in this industry too long and I'm just way bitter, I don't know.

Re:Please help me out here

[mounthood]

No bad intentions here, I just don't get it. Care to enlighten me?

I think it goes like this:

• * Doing great UI design is important.
• * We spend lots of time and effort on the UI. ex. http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/887-design-decisions-calendar-picker-for-backpack-reminders [37signals.com]
• * They *exactly* copied our hard work.

Think in terms of Apple complaining that someone copied the iPod UI. It doesn't seem fair that someone can trivially copy something that takes so much time and effort. Good design should be rewarded and encouraged. Of course I don't know how that should work exactly...

Re:Sour grapes.

[Achromatic1978]

Right. And the email from a founder of 37S complaining "is not official"... here's a hint: If something motivates you enough to put a slide in a presentation saying "Fuck You", someone's gotten under your skin.

Could you be the prototypical RoR apologist?

Re:Please help me out here

[bheekling]

Actually, in that case I would go for Comb Sort [wikipedia.org].
As simple as Bubble Sort, and pretty much as fast as Quick Sort.

Re:Sour grapes.

[OutOnARock]

Maybe the RoR gang, with their "The Rails Way" or the highway, are really worried about:

1. Google using Python instead of Ruby.
2. Google not drinking the DHH RoR koolaid.
3. DHH et. al. quaking in their tiny little boots that "Google+Guido+Python3000+the webframework that BLOWS AWAY Rails" will finally put the buggy Rails framework in a coffin.

Python blows Ruby away. Ruby survives commercially because it has Rails for simple web apps. Not scaling yet to play in the tall grass with the big dogs. Python is already there.

And I guess Sun commmitting to make the JVM into a VM and guess what the next language will be....Ruby...WRONG.....Python


Raise your hand if you think Google can build a better web framework than a bunch of egomanicial asshats.

I thought so.

2009 - The Year That Rails...died