Show HN: Discuo – Anonymous discussions with infinite branching and 24h lifespan

[drdruide]

I built Discuo, a unique discussion platform that combines: - Infinite thread branching: conversations evolve naturally in multiple directions - 24h post lifespan: all content auto-deletes after 24 hours - No account needed: just start posting or commenting instantly - Complete anonymity: no tracking, no personal data collection - Minimalist design: distraction-free, focused on pure discussion

Originally created for developers to share progress and discuss code, it evolved into a platform covering various topics while maintaining its minimalist essence.

[tux3]

Another thing with the 24h autoclean is it kills slow boards.

The fastest rapid fire message boards are also the most chaotic, with the lowest signal-to-noise. There's a certain comfyness in smaller places, outside the containment imageboards, that you won't have if you just clone slash pol slash and force the conversations to be even shorter and meaningless that they already are over there.

[Jaxan]

What about the reverse: a post only shows up after 24h after submission? :-)

[drdruide]

Thanks for your feedback and just to respond to you: As I said below, after several returns I've updated the site and removed the automatic deletion feature after 24h but I'm thinking of adding an option when creating a post.

[JonChesterfield]

If your unique attribute is the 24hr auto delete, and you drop that because some HN people don't like it, you've removed your unique attribute. Probably not the right call.

[drdruide]

Not at all, I'm planning to make it optional and I'm listening to people. Not just from here. I launched the project 3-4 days ago and I've had quite a few private messages [with arguments] which have led me to think that it's pretty fair.

[edelbitter]

The subtitle says "a minimalist discussion platform" yet the form is inert without Javascript.

[dreis_sw]

Luckily there’s an easy fix, enabling JavaScript like a regular human being :p Honestly curious though, do you generally browse the web without JavaScript?

[l0b0]

Great idea! Some feedback:

- The 24 hour horizon means you could get away without namespace functionality like categories entirely, especially when self-hosting for a small-to-medium-sized group.

- It's tiring to read sites with all monospace fonts. I can see how it might be useful if most posts contain a lot of code, though.

- Do you expect this to be open sourced?

[drdruide]

As I said below, after several returns I've updated the site and removed the automatic deletion feature after 24h but I'm thinking of adding an option when creating a post. Thanks for your feedback, and I don't think it will be open source for the time being! If the site is doing well and there's a lot of demand for it, why not rethink!

[curtisblaine]

Tbh the 24 hour horizon also means that you can do without a persistent db and store everything in memory (as managed db are typically the most complex / expensive part of the stack)

[curtisblaine]

This is a beautiful platform. Care to describe the tech stack you're using?

UX nit: "post anonymously" looks like a button, and I pressed it a couple of times before understanding it's just a switch.

[drdruide]

Thanks a lot! I used nextjs, tailwind, prisma all deployed on a vps :)

Thanks for your comment, I'll fix it

[astralmane96]

This is a very cool idea and your work is awesome! Do you have an X account or something like that so I can check out what you are up to? I know the point of this website is being anonymous, but I feel like you should have a way to promote your hobbies or work, you know?

[solarkraft]

I like the idea of branching discussions. I imagine this would be great for text messengers. If there was a workable platform for building messengers (hello, Matrix?), I’d likely already have prototyped something up.

[cedws]

I would love to participate in a small community like this. Problem is that they usually fail to gain inertia and become abandoned quickly. They also become filled with spam unless actively moderated.

[Vampiero]

The title of this post should be changed to reflect the fact that the one interesting thing about it is no more

[ungreased0675]

I think you should test a different font and color scheme. It’s hard to look at.

[newaccountman2]

It seems cool, but why the mandatory 24 hour auto-delete?

edit: I guess if it took off, you'd incur storage costs :thinking:

[curtisblaine]

Like 4chan, ephemeral posts create a different kind of community. I wonder how this plays out legally (i.e. don't you have obligations of log persistence in case a crime is reported?)

[drdruide]

I just like this concept of ephemeral post!

Thanks!

[mouse_]

How are you going to avoid all the problems - moral, legal, and ethical - that other image boards face?

[drdruide]

A moderation system has already been set up and used for several bans, and it works well. If there are more and more visits, I'll recruit someone for 24/7!

[bflesch]

Looks nice.

Some thoughts:

- I'd fix the breadcrumbs so it's not /ai but /tech/ai.

- Seeing the crowdflare captcha gives me the ick. There should be different GDPR-compliant solution other than giving crowdflare all our info.

- Maybe tie the 24hr deletion period to the number of upvotes for a certain post. If a post gets many upvotes, add another day to its lifetime and so on

[Bancakes]

Sooo modern day 4chan.

[osamabinladen]

*modern day 4chan without the impossible to solve captcha

[bashauma]

Yeah I remembered same thing. btw Futaba channel (mama 4chan) has different lifespans to drop thread on each board. (ex. img.2chan.net drops thread in 1hour). Just an idea.

[treprinum]

Bad idea for social marketing - by the time a post becomes popular, it disappears.

[drdruide]

(I've removed the 24-hour message deletion function. Posts will now remain on the platform.)

[bernCs]

Discuo just killed 4chan. #4chanIsdead

[Forbo]

This is a pseudonymous system, not anonymous. The "anonymity" is entirely dependent on the salt. Unless you literally have no way of complying with a court order to hand over a user's IP, making any claims of anonymity is just flat out irresponsible. I hope no whistleblowers attempt to use this platform without a lot more consideration and countermeasures taken.

Sorry for the rant, I just really hate how much of a buzzword anonymity has become when nearly every claim of it falls on its face.

[drdruide]

I'm open to discussion on how to improve the system if you have any ideas or suggestions.