Show HN: Anytype – local-first, P2P knowledge management

Anytype fulfils the seven ideals of local first software from here - https://www.inkandswitch.com/local-first/ , our team felt these things are important to all of us:

• No spinners: your work at your fingertips. Anytype keeps the primary copy of each space on the local device. Data synchronization with other devices happens quietly in the background - allowing you to operate with your data at your fingertips.

• Your work is not trapped on one device. Users can easily work on different devices. Each device keeps data in local storage, synchronisation between devices happens in the background using CRDTs to resolve conflicts.

• The network is optional. Everything works offline. Data synchronization need not necessarily go via the Internet: AnySync allows users to sync data via local WiFi networks. Still, there is a role for the network - it works as additional backup, helps with peer discovery and especially solves the closed-laptop problem (you made changes on laptop, when your phone was offline, the changes can either sync when both devices are online or via backup node).

• Seamless collaboration with your colleagues. Achieving this goal is one of the biggest challenges in realizing local-first software, but we believe with CRDTs it's possible. AnySync supports it & we will release multiplayer version soon.

• The Long Now. Because you have a local-first application, you can use it on your computer even if the software author disappears. This is also strengthened by open data standards and open code.

• Security and privacy by default. AnySync uses end-to-end encryption so that backup nodes store encrypted data that they cannot read. Conflict resolution happens on-device. The keys are controlled by users.

• You retain ultimate ownership and control. Users control encryption keys; there is no central registry of users (we don’t ask even your email). We added an option to self-host your backup to support full autonomy of users from the network.

Show HN: Anytype – local-first, P2P knowledge management
anytype.io

Commendable breadth in your vision ! but might I suggest going more... atomic? As someone who leans towards outlining, your "tasks" type caught my attention. Ideally, I wish each block could behave like an object in a similar fashion. While transforming blocks into objects is possible, it somewhat defeats the purpose of an outliner's "bird's eye view."

I also doubt the feasibility of centralizing all your personal knowledge in one app; there's a corollary to this. I consistently find myself in need of a "merge feature." The larger the database becomes, the more crucial this feature is.

For larger personal databases, I find that I often need to clean them up or enrich them with web APIs. Therefore, I will export the data, manipulate it elsewhere, and then reimport it. This requires the data to be "merged" with the existing records in order to preserve the existing IDs, links, and so on.