Easily Transfer files between devices, Lets adapt for inter-device interwiki transfers?

#1

I am very excited to share a recent discovery, an easy way to share files between devices on the same network, LAN/wifi.

[Edited] Unfortunately now 19th of January 2023 the site is not working

back up now, as they responded to an Issue on GitHub

All you need to do is open a webpage https://snapdrop.net/. on each device.
GitHub

See this instruction video

I share it here because it seems to be a very useful tool, is private and in some ways follows the same philosophy as tiddlywiki.

  • It can be used in an iframe within a tiddlywiki, thus in a sidebar tab.
  • Once transferred you can save it in a scratch folder eg a json file, then drag it from the browser downloads and drop it on one or more tiddlywikis in the destination device/browser.

But also it once again makes me speculate;

  • What if this were adapted to run inside tiddlywiki so you could drop tiddlers, or many as a json on a snapdrop tiddler or zone?
  • At a minimum we could get tiddlywiki to allow a drag that emulates a file drag so we have no need to go to the file system.
  • And a matching tiddlywiki could receive it and save it to the wiki, even if an additional drag and drop step is needed.
  • Perhaps a tiddlywiki export or “send to” tiddlywiki on another device button?

Notes;

  • You can transfer between browsers on the same computer as well
  • Each device needs to opt in and then the transfer is only over the local network
  • You can send messages between instances/devices like url’s
  • Out of the box it works well but you do need to export, locate and drop the files
  • If we were to make a custom tool it we may need to provision a server, lets come to that when we need to, perhaps a donation driven server.

Your thoughts?

PS - What if the destination names were not random but the wiki name?

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#2

Thanks I could use that - on my desk I always have two USB cables close to hand for transferring to my phone and tablet (different USB sockets) - I prefer to use standalone Tiddlywiki with Tiddloid and TiddlyDesktop so that might be the ideal midway solution between standalone and server based Tiddlywiki, I don’t need smart sync between devices, I just treat the phone and tablet as read only versions of my main Tiddlywiki so this might be ideal - I would probably just transfer the entire Tiddlywiki html file.

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#3

Yes this only needs devices on the same wifi

#4

Very nice post about a nice tool! Useful!

TBH, I think if someone had the mind for it an OVERVIEW of strategies on “sharing” one’s work with illustrations would be well worth the effort…

For instance, in my thinking we have …

  • SHARE TW files between devices

  • Reference and save to an INTERMEDIARY (e.g. Google Drive)

  • Auto-SYNCH TW files to a central repository

  • Publish ONLINE to be the base

Just comments, but I think in the bigger picture some of this needs laying out???

Best TT

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#5

I suspect that they limit it to local networks as a security function. Syncthing uses something similar to allow P2P file exchange over the internet, but it uses all this complicated encryption stuff.

Imagine having a TW “block party” where you could see everyone else and exchange files and tiddlers in moments.

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#6

@Mark_S its limited to local networks in so far as only devices on the local network can be discovered this way, its making a virtue of a limitation. Shap drop apparently is also using encryption.

A block party would need to be in the one apartment :nerd_face: a different tool for outside the LAN would be needed for more inclusion.

That fact is most of our personal devices exist on a Wi-Fi with other devices we own, as do those devices of others close to us, so this is a useful gathering point. I imagine some work Wi-Fi may resist P2P however one could create an ad hoc network between colleagues.

#7

It is trivial to send a whole tiddlywiki to another device, download and open it.

JSON file packages of tiddler can also be transferred, downloaded then imported to tiddlywiki.

#8

I’m saying that the limitation is arbitrary – if you made your own version of the server, you could connect any two devices anywhere.

At this exact moment though, it seems kind of flaky. Every 5 seconds it disconnects. Probably the server they’re using has low through-put.

#9

@Mark_S I expect to use this more an learn the subtilties but I have not yet had any problems. The server does very little as far as I can see, perhaps just ensure addressing between devices.

  • I don’t think this is correct, the limitation to the LAN is that there is no need for routing, encapsulations, firewall holes etc… it is all local peer to peer.

We can imagine a tool that operates outside the LAN however this would have way more complexity and the server would perhaps need to funnel the file transfers through it.

  • This implementation, reminds me of how solutions with a “limited scope” are sometimes more than just adequate. It works in the trusted environment only, but this trusted environment, the LAN is a place we frequent, its often our base position.
#10

The site seems to be dead now!

#11

In the same domain, I know ziggs.io. Very useful when you need to transfer file between any device.
Creating a personal adress to exchange, anybody knowing the adress can join “the party” and exchange with others. Imagine in a meeting with lots of people with different devices an OS’s. You could exchange files with everyone without special installation but a connexion to the internet.

You should try it.

#12

I will have a look @Thomas_Chuffart but did you see snapdrop.net when it was working?

  • There was no need to set an address.
#13

No I didn’t see snapdrop. But with Ziggs.io the thing is not really to set an adress, but to name a “space” like a chat room where anyone knowing the name of the room can participate.

I found that other instances of Snapdrop are still working :grinning:

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#14

SnapDrop.net back up now, as they responded to an Issue on their GitHub