Scribd Streamlines Embedded Docs With iPaper 2

#1

Post by trip » Fri, Jul 10, 2009, 7:36 PM UTC

Scribd Streamlines Embedded Docs With iPaper 2
techcrunch.com

Re: Scribd Streamlines Embedded Docs With iPaper 2

#2

Post by mattjaynes » Fri, Jul 10, 2009, 8:45 PM UTC

Congrats JR!

I know that many folks on HN much prefer raw pdf's to a flash viewer, but JR (sole programmer for iPaper) has done an amazing job single-handedly replacing a multi-billion dollar company's product: Macromedia's FlashPaper.

JR is a quiet, but very friendly french canadian, an avid roller-blader, and was previously one of the programmer's on the Assassin's Creed ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin%27s_Creed )

When I worked at Scribd, JR and I shared an office while he was writing the first version of iPaper. The sheer complexity of getting all the fonts worked out and embedded images and searching and compression and streaming in the document for faster load times etc etc was quite a feat for a single developer. He would come in early and leave late, all the day working with an amazing focus. He's a real work horse.

I remember when his Programming Erlang book arrived - he devoured it in a couple of days and re-architected the iPaper system to more efficiently stream the documents to the viewer. Despite the iPaper viewer being in flash, there are some very sexy technologies under the hood.

Anyway, just wanted to shed some light on the guy behind the product. It's not a team of highly paid flash code monkeys - just JR quietly working away to make billion dollar company's products obsolete.

Re: Scribd Streamlines Embedded Docs With iPaper 2

#3

Post by jrbedard » Fri, Jul 10, 2009, 8:49 PM UTC

mattjaynes wrote: post #2

Congrats JR! I know that many folks on HN much prefer raw pdf's to a flash viewer, but JR (sole programmer for iPaper) has done an amazing job single-handedly replacing a multi-billion dollar company's product: Macromedia's FlashPaper. JR is a quiet, but very friendly french canadian, an avid roller-blader, and was previously one of the programmer's on the Assassin's Creed ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin%27s_…

Hi Matt, thanks but I wasn't directly involved with this new iteration of iPaper, it's the work of Ed, Michael and Barish at Scribd. Good to hear from you!, cheers :)

Re: Scribd Streamlines Embedded Docs With iPaper 2

#4

Post by blasdel » Fri, Jul 10, 2009, 9:09 PM UTC

While it's nice that it doesn't look like a shit Flex app anymore, the interaction behaviors are still awful -- let me use my goddamn scroll wheel!

Google's PDF viewer used for attachments in Gmail is better by leaps and bounds -- I hope they start using it in SERPs at some point. I wonder if an API could be hacked together for use from a Firefox extension...

Re: Scribd Streamlines Embedded Docs With iPaper 2

#5

Post by lionheart » Fri, Jul 10, 2009, 9:12 PM UTC

Wow, this is much better. Loads quicker too.

Re: Scribd Streamlines Embedded Docs With iPaper 2

#6

Post by bradgessler » Fri, Jul 10, 2009, 10:28 PM UTC

I still don't get scribd: http://blog.bradgessler.com/i-dont-get-scribd

Re: Scribd Streamlines Embedded Docs With iPaper 2

#7

Post by skip » Fri, Jul 10, 2009, 11:51 PM UTC

bradgessler wrote: post #6

I still don't get scribd: http://blog.bradgessler.com/i-dont-get-scribd

Can't agree more. And they want me to sign up in order to see or download a plain PDF, thats not going to happen.

Re: Scribd Streamlines Embedded Docs With iPaper 2

#8

Post by earl » Sat, Jul 11, 2009, 12:08 AM UTC

blasdel wrote: post #4

While it's nice that it doesn't look like a shit Flex app anymore, the interaction behaviors are still awful -- let me use my goddamn scroll wheel! Google's PDF viewer used for attachments in Gmail is better by leaps and bounds -- I hope they start using it in SERPs at some point. I wonder if an API could be hacked together for use from a Firefox extension...

In what browser does your scroll wheel not work? It works for me in firefox and safari.

Re: Scribd Streamlines Embedded Docs With iPaper 2

#9

Post by mattjaynes » Sat, Jul 11, 2009, 12:11 AM UTC

jrbedard wrote: post #3

mattjaynes wrote: post #2

Congrats JR! I know that many folks on HN much prefer raw pdf's to a flash viewer, but JR (sole programmer for iPaper) has done an amazing job single-handedly replacing a multi-billion dollar company's product: Macromedia's FlashPaper. JR is a quiet, but very friendly french canadian, an avid roller-blader, and was previously one of the programmer's on the Assassin's Creed ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin%27s_…

Hi Matt, thanks but I wasn't directly involved with this new iteration of iPaper, it's the work of Ed, Michael and Barish at Scribd. Good to hear from you!, cheers :)

He he, I'm clearly behind on the project changes in the last year! Either way - iPaper 1.0 was an excellent foundation :)

Re: Scribd Streamlines Embedded Docs With iPaper 2

#10

Post by blasdel » Sat, Jul 11, 2009, 12:54 AM UTC

earl wrote: post #8

blasdel wrote: post #4

While it's nice that it doesn't look like a shit Flex app anymore, the interaction behaviors are still awful -- let me use my goddamn scroll wheel! Google's PDF viewer used for attachments in Gmail is better by leaps and bounds -- I hope they start using it in SERPs at some point. I wonder if an API could be hacked together for use from a Firefox extension...

In what browser does your scroll wheel not work? It works for me in firefox and safari.

The Firefox 3 + Flash in the current Ubuntu.

Something else might be fucked, as none of the buttons on it's little toolbar seem to do anything.