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Ask HN: Why are there no good note taking apps

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Re: Ask HN: Why are there no good note taking apps

#31

Post by bluewalt »

EduardMe wrote: post #28

Try NotePlan (only Mac and iOS). - Markdown based and runs on plain-text files. - I'm the creator and use it every day, all the time. - Has real folders (you will see them in Finder/Files) - Hashtags and Mentions - [[References]] - Share notes by publishing them (send a link, revokable) or exporting them as RTF or PDF (send a file). - No Web Editor yet Link: https://noteplan.co

+1 for NotePlan. I use it extensively every day for 2 years and I can't go back. I'm just frustrated to lack advanced features or simple tables available on notions. However, as it's markdown based, it's kind of logically limited by it. I guess it's hard to have both no lock in AND having crazy dynamic advanced tables.

Re: Ask HN: Why are there no good note taking apps

#32

Post by GeorgeBanica »

I use Markor Editor plus Syncthing. Markor is open-sourced and has a plethora of features, as you can read on their github page[1]; among these features, it includes file encryption.

Syncthing is really easy to set up and works like a charm. If you want accounts and user management, Markor also works with NextCloud.

[1] https://github.com/gsantner/markor

Re: Ask HN: Why are there no good note taking apps

#33

Post by tslocum »

It's in a very MVP-state, but I created stick, "shareable Git-powered notebooks". It meets some (but not all) of your criteria. It is FOSS (MIT).

Features:

- Notebooks are standard git repositories containing .md files.

- Notebooks may be used privately, shared with one or more users privately, or shared publicly.

- Notes may be customized to improve usability, such as rendering a to-do list with automatic de-duplication and sorting.

Repository: https://code.rocketnine.space/tslocum/stick

Demo (read-only except checkboxes): https://stick.rocketnine.space/#login/c89f5381659ad34bd84967...

Re: Ask HN: Why are there no good note taking apps

#34

Post by mateusfreira »

I use vim + goyo + github(for private repos) + vim-you-autocorrect it delivers great performance with reading everywhere versioning, tags (I use [] to add tags) and I use ag and great to search.

I think it is very challenging to get this good on an app, and I try to use other apps with no success multiple times. Vim wins year after year

Re: Ask HN: Why are there no good note taking apps

#38

Post by nagonago »

icedchai wrote: post #35

Possibly because these apps are mostly unnecessary? I just open a new terminal tab, and use vim. If I might need to share the note with someone, open an email draft in gmail.

For me the most important feature of note taking apps is auto-sync. I want to be able to take a note on my phone and then immediately access that note without any fuss from a computer.

Re: Ask HN: Why are there no good note taking apps

#39

Post by icedchai »

nagonago wrote: post #38
icedchai wrote: post #35

Possibly because these apps are mostly unnecessary? I just open a new terminal tab, and use vim. If I might need to share the note with someone, open an email draft in gmail.

For me the most important feature of note taking apps is auto-sync. I want to be able to take a note on my phone and then immediately access that note without any fuss from a computer.

You can do this if you take your notes in a gmail draft. Don't even send the email. Just keep it as a draft.

Re: Ask HN: Why are there no good note taking apps

#40

Post by phendrenad2 »

throwmea wrote: post #10
phendrenad2 wrote: post #4

> I feel like most of those note taking app creators dont even use their own product I think you have it backwards. They likely made the product to fit their own needs, and aren't going out of their way to understand and solve other user's needs.

Do you really think so? A lot of those github projects seem rather big.

Perhaps people use it despite its flaws, because it's the biggest and/or there's no other open-source option.
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