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Show HN: Airborn – Private Google Docs Alternative

airbornos.com

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Re: Show HN: Airborn – Private Google Docs Alternative

#31

Post by twiss »

bengotow wrote: post #18

This looks great! Minor nits: In what way is this an OS? Also in the US, Airborn (e.g. to be in the air) is spelled "Airborne" and it's difficult to type it without the trailing 'e' without spellcheck fixing it automagically.

The most significant ways in which it's a bit like an OS are

1. It has a Window Manager (try it out in the demo, you can drag around windows and such)

2. It has a File System, which does encryption and compression. This makes it so that the "apps" (documents and presentations, and in the future hopefully spreadsheets) don't have to know anything about encryption. This made it very easy to port the presentations app, for example.

3. It has a Marketplace with apps (not that they are very useful).

But yeah, since many people don't seem to like the name nor the OS-like UI, I'm considering dropping both. I'm just a bit concerned because there are many other companies named simply Airborne or Airborn. Also, integrating documents and presentations into a more unified UI would be a lot of work, since they're pretty much standalone apps today.

Re: Show HN: Airborn – Private Google Docs Alternative

#32

Post by z3t4 »

twiss wrote: post #24
tylerhou wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just curious (and no negative implications whatsoever): is "we made it so that only one person at a time can type in a paragraph. No longer can that annoying classmate delete what you just typed" code for "operational transforms are hard to implement, especially without a source of truth?"

Yes and no :) I did indeed not implement OT, but it's also a true story that I would create a Google Doc and share it, nobody knows what to write, I type a sentence, and my classmates delete it as a joke, to mess with me :) But yeah, feedback on the collaboration is welcome. Do you think editing one sentence with multiple people is necessary, and if so why? And on the other end of the spectrum, Word-style edit reques…

It's good to have if you want to go peer2peer eg. not having a server in between. Btw, Google Docs don't use a OT, or only a simple one, it does depend on the server and that you are online.

A writing style that I try to use is that I just type ... don't look up words, just write YYY where I can't find the right word to use, then I read the text and fix all spelling errors, sentences, remove unnecessary parts etc. That way you can be in flow. But instead of you doing the fixing later, someone else can do it for you - while you are writing!

Re: Show HN: Airborn – Private Google Docs Alternative

#33

Post by tomc1985 »

bengotow wrote: post #18

This looks great! Minor nits: In what way is this an OS? Also in the US, Airborn (e.g. to be in the air) is spelled "Airborne" and it's difficult to type it without the trailing 'e' without spellcheck fixing it automagically.

Between the schlocky visual design and wording and the lack of an "e" on airborne, I am having a hard time taking this product serously.

"Srsly dudes, this is what your data looks like, no one can hack it!!"

Really now?

Re: Show HN: Airborn – Private Google Docs Alternative

#34

Post by twiss »

ArchReaper wrote: post #30

Why does it have OS in the name? Is it an operating system? (This is a question I cannot find a direct answer to on their site) Their site makes it incredibly difficult to actually find out what this really is. The only text visible on my screen when the page loads are the lines "Airborn OS", "Even if we get hacked, they can't read your documents" and "Collaborate in real time" which tells me essentially nothing abou…

The line that's supposed to tell you what it is is: "Create and edit f​iles online​, securely​." Is that missing for you? (I admit it's smaller and less noticeable than the lines you quoted. I'll try making it more prominent.)

A bit of explanation about the name here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15596668

Re: Show HN: Airborn – Private Google Docs Alternative

#35

Post by tomc1985 »

twiss wrote: post #31
bengotow wrote: post #18

This looks great! Minor nits: In what way is this an OS? Also in the US, Airborn (e.g. to be in the air) is spelled "Airborne" and it's difficult to type it without the trailing 'e' without spellcheck fixing it automagically.

The most significant ways in which it's a bit like an OS are 1. It has a Window Manager (try it out in the demo, you can drag around windows and such) 2. It has a File System, which does encryption and compression. This makes it so that the "apps" (documents and presentations, and in the future hopefully spreadsheets) don't have to know anything about encryption. This made it very easy to port the presentations app,…

I hope your encryption scheme is a little more complicated than the blind faith in AES that the site's copy seems to imply

Re: Show HN: Airborn – Private Google Docs Alternative

#36

Post by twiss »

dredmorbius wrote: post #28
twiss wrote: post #2

Hi HN! I made this. It has bulk import from Google Docs ;) thanks to a feature request from HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15478479

Request: I'd like to post an item based on the website description showing the image of encrypted contents and hashed filenames. I cannot extract that image (useful collateral) from your page on Android given page presentation.

Here's a link: https://www.airbornos.com/images/documents-encrypted.png

Re: Show HN: Airborn – Private Google Docs Alternative

#37

Post by kinlan »

twiss wrote: post #34
ArchReaper wrote: post #30

Why does it have OS in the name? Is it an operating system? (This is a question I cannot find a direct answer to on their site) Their site makes it incredibly difficult to actually find out what this really is. The only text visible on my screen when the page loads are the lines "Airborn OS", "Even if we get hacked, they can't read your documents" and "Collaborate in real time" which tells me essentially nothing abou…

The line that's supposed to tell you what it is is: "Create and edit f​iles online​, securely​." Is that missing for you? (I admit it's smaller and less noticeable than the lines you quoted. I'll try making it more prominent.) A bit of explanation about the name here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15596668

I was confused too... Then I realised it takes about 10 seconds to appear as you animate the text in.

Re: Show HN: Airborn – Private Google Docs Alternative

#38

Post by tobyhinloopen »

kinlan wrote: post #37
twiss wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The line that's supposed to tell you what it is is: "Create and edit f​iles online​, securely​." Is that missing for you? (I admit it's smaller and less noticeable than the lines you quoted. I'll try making it more prominent.) A bit of explanation about the name here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15596668

I was confused too... Then I realised it takes about 10 seconds to appear as you animate the text in.

Now I see it! I scrolled already waaay down before that text appears.

Reminder to myself that animations in your essential content are dangerous

Re: Show HN: Airborn – Private Google Docs Alternative

#40

Post by aldanor »

kinlan wrote: post #37
twiss wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The line that's supposed to tell you what it is is: "Create and edit f​iles online​, securely​." Is that missing for you? (I admit it's smaller and less noticeable than the lines you quoted. I'll try making it more prominent.) A bit of explanation about the name here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15596668

I was confused too... Then I realised it takes about 10 seconds to appear as you animate the text in.

Ditto. It takes forever to animate in the main content point.
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