I left all my (a)social media accounts and fully joined the fediverse.
It worked fine, except for video. I was a semi-active Youtube user and occasional content provider before I left the platform for the Fediverse. But I have yet to be able to use Peertube even a bit.
The mobile app is a mess.
It’s not even remotely finished and it’s impossible to do anything just with the mobile phone. At best it’s a player for stuff that you preconfigured on the website (desktop, because the mobile webpage is no joy either).
But even the webpage is far too complicated to use.
Someone posted the link to a video? Fine, you can watch it. But if you want to subscribe to the channel behind the video you are in a world of pain.
Posting it to the search field? - Doesn’t work!
Searching for the name in the search field? - Doesn’t work!
…
You have to manually mangle the url is a way that it is consumable by Peertube. For ordinary users that is a showstopper already.
How to fix this?
- We need a global search.
It needs to be possible to search for content on other instances. Easily, without having to use a dedicated search tool or the like. It must work within the instance, no matter where that might be. - The mobile apps needs love. Lots of love.
It must be possible to search there as well. If it remains just a mediocre player acceptance will continue to tank. The AppStore rating of 2,8 is well deserved and already includes a lot of future hopes and wishes. Sadly. - Search must be able to deal with links and the link.
If I paste the link to a video - provide me with a usable result and not an error because it’s not exactly the way the search is expecting it.
Yes, I’m fully aware that this sounds quite harsh. But would it help to sugar coat the very obvious problems?
Are there workarounds? Sure!
Are others able to use Peertube? Of course!
But that doesn’t change the fact that Peertube in its current shape and form is no competitor for any established video platform because of the lack of usability for ordinary users.