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Google acquires AppJet/Etherpad

etherpad.com

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Re: Google acquires AppJet/Etherpad

#31

Post by nopassrecover »

mahmud wrote: post #22
colinplamondon wrote: post #4

Well, that sucks. I was psyched when I first read the subject, since I figured they'd be lending Google Docs their awesome text editor. Instead they're going to Google Wave, where the interface blows. Etherpad's lightyears more useful, more flexible, and more valuable. Blah.

Don't be selfish. Someone just had their hard work payoff; for me it's better to know they have been rewarded for their effort, instead of me just being able to use a nifty web app. To the Etherpad guys: listen up! it goes like this, tonight, wherever you are, you're buying a round for everyone, capice?

That's like saying it's good when a band starts making music to make money instead of to make entertainment/for the love of music. It's great for them that they have profited from their effort (and they have the right to do so) but the ultimate goal of all this should be to make the world a better place in some way, not to make money. Creating a sustainable way to improve people's lives is the goal.

Re: Google acquires AppJet/Etherpad

#33

Post by qeorge »

Great for the team, but this sucks as a user. I've come to frequently use Etherpad for ad-hoc chat rooms, and now its impossible to make new pads.

I really hope EtherPad doesn't go the way of Jaiku. I really liked the product.

Re: Google acquires AppJet/Etherpad

#34

Post by Alex3917 »

bioweek wrote: post #27

Does anyone have any theories on why appjet never took off as a product? Everytime I think about it, it seems like the perfect idea; save people the pain of setting up a server, hosting it, etc every time they want to make a web app. Was it a bad implementation of this idea? Or was the idea just ahead of its time? Or was it something else?

"Does anyone have any theories on why appjet never took off as a product?"

Basically people aren't going to switch to a new way of doing text unless someone forces them. Only a very small minority of people use something like FreeMind or EverNote instead of Word as their primary writing tool, so how could appjet ever hope to get more than a tiny fraction of those people when their best functionality only works when you have multiple people?

The only way to get mass adoption would be to force people to use it, which is possible, but only if you design the company around that from the ground up. Which I don't think they were organized to do, at least as far as I can tell.

If Google wants to, they actually have the ability to force more people to use it. Not sure if that will happen, but I hope it does since I wish I were able to use it more myself.

Re: Google acquires AppJet/Etherpad

#36

Post by drcode »

bioweek wrote: post #27

Does anyone have any theories on why appjet never took off as a product? Everytime I think about it, it seems like the perfect idea; save people the pain of setting up a server, hosting it, etc every time they want to make a web app. Was it a bad implementation of this idea? Or was the idea just ahead of its time? Or was it something else?

I was a heavy appjet user. It was indeed an awesome system.

I think there were two reasons it didn't succeed:

1. It's niche was razor-thin. It required some skill to use, but was so minimalistic that many programmers would prefer to take the extra time to set up a "real" server.

2. Too ahead of its time

I suspect tools like appjet will be commonplace in a couple of years. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the "Google Wave" thing is a ruse and that these guys are actually working on an online editor for Google App Engine... This could, in theory, turn Chrome OS into an awesome dev environment, no?

Re: Google acquires AppJet/Etherpad

#37

Post by drcode »

Alex3917 wrote: post #34
bioweek wrote: post #27

Does anyone have any theories on why appjet never took off as a product? Everytime I think about it, it seems like the perfect idea; save people the pain of setting up a server, hosting it, etc every time they want to make a web app. Was it a bad implementation of this idea? Or was the idea just ahead of its time? Or was it something else?

"Does anyone have any theories on why appjet never took off as a product?" Basically people aren't going to switch to a new way of doing text unless someone forces them. Only a very small minority of people use something like FreeMind or EverNote instead of Word as their primary writing tool, so how could appjet ever hope to get more than a tiny fraction of those people when their best functionality only works when y…

uhm... I don't think you know what the original appjet program was for- It was a tool for building web applications.

Re: Google acquires AppJet/Etherpad

#38

Post by mahmud »

colinplamondon wrote: post #30
mahmud wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't be selfish. Someone just had their hard work payoff; for me it's better to know they have been rewarded for their effort, instead of me just being able to use a nifty web app. To the Etherpad guys: listen up! it goes like this, tonight, wherever you are, you're buying a round for everyone, capice?

It's awesome for them that they're getting a big check from Google, but that has no relevance to me as an etherpad user.

I think the benefits of having a successful peer far outweigh your ability to use a free online text editor. Whatever loss in productivity is caused by the absence of Etherpad (or god forbid, having to use a G-branded version, or another service) can be made up for with the rush and motivation you should get from seeing one of your own get off the Ramen diet at last (or at least not have to worry if their effort will ever pay off; stuff like Etherpad will get built into browsers and OSes RSN)

Any big fish could have taken their client base without paying a dime; everyone from Skype to Computer Associates could have obsoleted them without even trying. Heck, Open Source IM packages like Pidgin could easily add a service like Etherpad and those boys would have labored for nothing.

If you don't like what I am saying, the next time you cash out, just know that I am just as happy for you :-)

Re: Google acquires AppJet/Etherpad

#39

Post by [deleted] »

drcode wrote: post #37
Alex3917 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Does anyone have any theories on why appjet never took off as a product?" Basically people aren't going to switch to a new way of doing text unless someone forces them. Only a very small minority of people use something like FreeMind or EverNote instead of Word as their primary writing tool, so how could appjet ever hope to get more than a tiny fraction of those people when their best functionality only works when y…

uhm... I don't think you know what the original appjet program was for- It was a tool for building web applications.

[deleted]
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