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Ask HN: alternatives to EtherPad?

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Re: Ask HN: alternatives to EtherPad?

#31

Post by jeff18 »

futurephonic wrote: post #26
jeff18 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is pretty epic -- the only problems are that it doesn't have an API to retrieve text from it or create a new pad. Also, it is not suitable for embedding. However, as a standalone editor this is the best alternative I've seen. UPDATE: I take it all back. This product is junk. Only one person can edit the entire document at once. If someone is typing, it literally locks the entire screen. This is worse than Google…

I wouldn't want multiple collaborators editing my code all at once - I wouldn't know what they are doing. If I invite someone to collaborate I need to know what they changed before I redeploy the code.

You clearly never used EtherPad or SubEthaEdit.

Re: Ask HN: alternatives to EtherPad?

#32

Post by durin42 »

jeff18 wrote: post #13
swombat wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wave offers a text editor that's embeddable and allows multiple concurrent edits (which is what the OP requested). Having used both Etherpad and Wave, I don't really see how they're that different. Wave has more features, that's all. If you don't want to use the other features of Wave, well, just don't use them.

Well, I am the op, so let me elaborate. By default, Wave creates new "boxes" for everything, or lets you reply to other boxes. These boxes cannot be rearranged, only deleted, or have the contents changed. I don't give a crap about these boxes, I just want to edit a single document like EtherPad. To achieve this in Wave, have to arbitrarily agree on which box you want to make the "main" box. You then need to click the…

Thank you, you just described what's bugged me about wave for a long time, I never really could put it into words why I liked EtherPad more, I just knew that I did.

Re: Ask HN: alternatives to EtherPad?

#33

Post by j_baker »

mahmud wrote: post #14
jeff18 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

SubEthaEdit is awesome, and I bought a copy for ~$45 back in the day. However, because it is expensive and a Mac OS X only desktop application, I have only had opportunity to use it maybe once or twice. :(

$45 is not expensive for anyone in a developed country, specially as a business expense. That's how much you would pay for a decent dinner for one and 2 drinks by the glass.

Erm.... Where do you live? Cuz I could probably buy two or three decent dinners for one and plenty of drinks by the glass for that much.

Re: Ask HN: alternatives to EtherPad?

#34

Post by thesethings »

I sincerely dig the word processor in Google Docs. It's quite good at handling multiple concurrent editors, and you can post to other platforms like WordPress from there.

The recently added Folders feature is killer, and my Google Docs "list view" has started to become like an Inbox for me in the beginning of my day, as it neatly displays newly edited, and newly added docs.

Re: Ask HN: alternatives to EtherPad?

#35

Post by skywalker »

bprater wrote: post #24

Looks like a great opportunity for someone here!

..until a big company acquires this new startup and kills their product again.

This is one more problem with the cloud computing era.

In the 90's, you could continue to use a product even after it was discontinued. I remember reading that Steve Wozniack is still an Eudora mail user. The last time I heard about Eudora was maybe 15 years ago. You can't say the same about the last startup product.

Re: Ask HN: alternatives to EtherPad?

#36

Post by gfodor »

I wouldn't be surprised if re-building etherpad would be a weekend project for a talented hacker, now that Wave is open source. The Wave protocol would allow you to replicate EtherPad pretty easily, you'd just need to build the appropriate UI on top.

Re: Ask HN: alternatives to EtherPad?

#37

Post by cmelbye »

swombat wrote: post #7

http://wave.google.com

This is somewhat possible if your needs are basic. There's a syntax highlighting bot called Syntaxy and of course Wave supports the collaborative editing part of it. It's the layout of Wave that prevents me from using it, though. It doesn't seem like it was structured to be something like EtherPad. Rather, it looks like it was structured to be the next email or forum or something.

Re: Ask HN: alternatives to EtherPad?

#38

Post by notauser »

skywalker wrote: post #35
bprater wrote: post #24

Looks like a great opportunity for someone here!

..until a big company acquires this new startup and kills their product again. This is one more problem with the cloud computing era. In the 90's, you could continue to use a product even after it was discontinued. I remember reading that Steve Wozniack is still an Eudora mail user. The last time I heard about Eudora was maybe 15 years ago. You can't say the same about the last startup product.

If you cut me a large enough check I'll install my cloud app in your data center, or sell you an off line version.

/notajoke

Re: Ask HN: alternatives to EtherPad?

#39

Post by jeff18 »

gfodor wrote: post #36

I wouldn't be surprised if re-building etherpad would be a weekend project for a talented hacker, now that Wave is open source. The Wave protocol would allow you to replicate EtherPad pretty easily, you'd just need to build the appropriate UI on top.

I'd pay $350 for the privilege of using it.

Re: Ask HN: alternatives to EtherPad?

#40

Post by gfodor »

jeff18 wrote: post #39
gfodor wrote: post #36

I wouldn't be surprised if re-building etherpad would be a weekend project for a talented hacker, now that Wave is open source. The Wave protocol would allow you to replicate EtherPad pretty easily, you'd just need to build the appropriate UI on top.

I'd pay $350 for the privilege of using it.

Well, it is Friday... :)
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