System 3 Podcast

How Relay makes Obsidian multiplayer

Matt and Daniel, founders of System 3, discuss how Relay enables real-time collaboration in Obsidian. Learn about the CRDT technology that powers conflict-free editing, privacy considerations, the local-first paradigm, self-hosting options, and their approach to pricing. In the second half, they address common user questions about file sync, future features, and their philosophy on building sustainable software. 00:00 Introduction to System Three and Relay 00:18 Understanding Relay's functionality 02:23 CRDTs and their role in Relay 11:19 User questions: Privacy concerns 15:11 Self-hosting and open source aspects 27:38 File sync and future developments 30:29 Conflict resolution in file sync 31:32 Historical context and technical challenges 32:20 Image file sync and conflict likelihood 33:05 Obsidian sync and engineering efforts 35:54 Philosophy of quality software 37:17 Obsidian's user-centric approach 40:34 Pricing models and professional use 48:52 Extensibility and AI integration 56:29 Login providers and user experience 59:29 Final thoughts and community feedback Learn more at https://system3.md/relay