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The Most Dangerous Writing App

maebert.github.io

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Re: The Most Dangerous Writing App

#81

Post by [deleted] »

thedudemabry wrote: post #23
threeme3 wrote: post #12

This is a solution to my problem: as writing for me is always a struggle due to the tendency to keep more focussed on optimizing previously written text then on continue writing new. This app allows me to write like a flow.

This tool reminds me of the advice once given to NaNoWriMo participants (National Novel-Writing Month, super fun if you've never tried it in November). If you can't think of anything to write, just repeat "Ninja. Ninja. Ninja…" over and over again until you think of something. Just be sure to get words out and keep your mind-to-fingers connection nimble when first-drafting.

[deleted]

Re: The Most Dangerous Writing App

#82

Post by farns »

The lack of spell-check was pretty great in helping to focus in on writing. I will try turning that off when I write in the future, returning to the old way of running spell-check after I have gotten the thoughts down on the page. Five minutes essay below... also, first post (hello!) to Hacker News.

This is a test of the most dangerous writing app in the world. I am typing in whatever comes to mind in a stream of consciousness, but with proper capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. I could never tolerate a stream of consciousness essay on a standardized test, such as the ACT. For example, when I was a junior in high school, I encountered one of these beasts which I found nearly impenetrable to digest, followed by thirty-odd questions asking for my detailed interpretation of the steaming pile, which I am sure was never written to be used to abuse young adults just trying to set up the next step in their academic career. I can imagine some panel of experts somewhere picking out this shining example of obtuseness as the essay for the test, cackling to themselves about how useless this is either predicting future success, or as a test of any specific (useful) skill. On the other hand, maybe we all have that one colleague at work who writes email in stream of consciousness mode. Who knows, if I didn't face-plant on that ACT back in the day, maybe I would never have brushed up on unlearning English. Such is life, we will never know. I do know however that I paid for that test, and I paid for the next test after that thanks to that essay. Ok, now this brings us to the present day. Here I am, writing in to a random screen buffer on the Internet, which promises to delete my text if I do not continue generating words for five minutes straight. It is especially evil in that A) there is no timer and I didn't think to check the clock; B) I do not know where or if this will be posted somewhere; and C) this is yet another useless life skill. Or is it... maybe the next time I am bumping up against a proposal submission deadline, I will think back in fondness to this experience on the most dangerous writing app.

Re: The Most Dangerous Writing App

#83

Post by stevewodil »

larntz wrote: post #75
lostjohnny wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think everyone older than 30 does. I also have the habit of pressing it more than one time, every time I press it. I'm not even be sure that save will really save.

Is this an age thing? I do the exact same thing. Every time I stop typing I hit ctrl-s between 2-5 times. I don't eve think about it anymore. My kids are getting to the age where they are doing projects on a computer and I'm constantly telling them to "save early, save often." I guess it's some form of PTSD from computing in the 90's.

It's not an age thing I don't think. I'm 22 and after I finish any tiny section of code I format it and then save. I don't know why, it's just habit now

Re: The Most Dangerous Writing App

#84

Post by mkl »

mirimir wrote: post #79
bocklund wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

git is a local program that doesn’t require that you put anything online. It sounds like you might be unfamiliar with it and I suggest that you check it out - it might be just what you’re looking for!

OK, right. I jumped to GitHub. But if it's local, what's the advantage vs saving as a file? Simple revision history management?

Yes, tracking changes. If something gets messed up, by a mistake or by a program trashing it, you can roll back to an earlier version. You also get tagging, to mark particular versions, and none of this clutters up the file system like multiple copies do, as it's hiding in a hidden folder.

I use git for any important private projects, and don't often use it online.

Re: The Most Dangerous Writing App

#85

Post by Simon_says »

larntz wrote: post #75
lostjohnny wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think everyone older than 30 does. I also have the habit of pressing it more than one time, every time I press it. I'm not even be sure that save will really save.

Is this an age thing? I do the exact same thing. Every time I stop typing I hit ctrl-s between 2-5 times. I don't eve think about it anymore. My kids are getting to the age where they are doing projects on a computer and I'm constantly telling them to "save early, save often." I guess it's some form of PTSD from computing in the 90's.

> save early, save often.

I got the same advice from my grandfather, who grew up in the Great Depression. I think it was PTSD on his part, too.

Re: The Most Dangerous Writing App

#86

Post by w_t_payne »

rout39574 wrote: post #72
mirimir wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is an interesting idea. But I'm more comfortable with stuff staying local, unless I explicitly put it online.

'Git' doesn't necessarily imply 'github'. You can make a local repo, and get all the benefits of VC without any necessary exposure.

I've got a script that monitors the disk for changes and then automagically commits to git. :-)

Re: The Most Dangerous Writing App

#88

Post by namelosw »

jiggawatts wrote: post #41
mirimir wrote: post #4

This reminds me of early versions of Microsoft Word. Edit: And more generally, DOS, FAT and CHKDSK. You never knew, when there was a power interruption -- or when the system just crashed for whatever mysterious reason -- just how bad it would be. NTFS was such an improvement.

I still have a habit of pressing CTRL-S intermittently...

Man, this is so true. At least several times a week I press Command-S and unintentionally saved HTML from browser.

I even have a script to delete all HTML in my Download folder.

Re: The Most Dangerous Writing App

#89

Post by accatyyc »

larntz wrote: post #75
lostjohnny wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think everyone older than 30 does. I also have the habit of pressing it more than one time, every time I press it. I'm not even be sure that save will really save.

Is this an age thing? I do the exact same thing. Every time I stop typing I hit ctrl-s between 2-5 times. I don't eve think about it anymore. My kids are getting to the age where they are doing projects on a computer and I'm constantly telling them to "save early, save often." I guess it's some form of PTSD from computing in the 90's.

It feels like a programmer thing, since unsaved files won't be compiled when you run the program. At least that's where I got the habit from
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