Diary Email
Productivity
journaling
SHOW HN2020
515points
284comments
#44of 3,028 in 2020
Top 2%of 2020 by points
How HN took it
MixedNo clear lean
27 positive, 54 neutral or asking, 7 mixed, 35 critical, out of 123 comments about the project. Thread score -0.13.
Idea: 12 for, 10 againstPrivacy: 2 for, 15 againstExecution: 5 for, 4 againstDesign: 3 for, 4 againstDocs: 0 for, 1 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Clean, classy design and strong front-page copy
From 3 comments
It looks classy as hell and I think the verbiage on the front page is very strong. There is a back button issue on iOS that needs to be resolved. When you visit the Open Diary…
johnwheeler on HNI love that someone followed through and got it done. I bet a lot of people thought about it. I bet that there's even someone seeing this right now pissed off that they didn't…
gpickett00 on HNI really like the layout of the page and your manner of speaking. Both are web design ideals I strive for. I also want people to write more :) Little nitpick - try out your…
komali2 on HN
Fast execution
From 2 comments
Amazing speed/execution. Kudos!
agentofoblivion on HNOn seeing this tweet I wondered who would be the first to do it, and how long it would take. Congratulations, from a fellow hacker - what's it been, 2 days? That's really…
davnicwil on HN
Objections
Privacy: email providers can read diaries and data is not end-to-end encrypted
From 4 comments
>Private and Secure It’s as private as your email...which probably means not private. Like most people, I depend on an advertising company to host my emails. But I wouldn’t share…
artfulhippo on HNIt's pointless to say the least to claim "Private and secure" without at least having client-side AEAD of some sort.
nif2ee on HNGreat job. Here is what I propose to make it more secure and prevent you from being able to read anyone diary... I propose that each day a link/token is sent to your email. The…
Dyaz17 on HNAlternatively, jrnl.sh. It's tiny, allows you write using your favorite editor, and can be backed up or replicated with simple git. It's even encrypted. Maybe I'm not the target…
tlackemann on HN
Back button breaks on iOS
From 2 comments
It looks classy as hell and I think the verbiage on the front page is very strong. There is a back button issue on iOS that needs to be resolved. When you visit the Open Diary…
johnwheeler on HNClick "Open Diary". Click back button. Nope.
johnnyballgame on HN
Existing tools and email already do this
From 3 comments
What’s the difference between this and using...your email? I’m genuinely confused.
juandazapata on HNWhy does this need to be a "service?" Why not just write the e-mail in your current e-mail client and then store the draft in its own folder? People have been doing that for…
reaperducer on HNThe service that Paul Graham mentioned is probably this one: http://ohlife.com Shutdown announcement: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8345881 I used it and loved it. It was…
bad_user on HN
Requests
Client-side encryption
From 2 comments
Great job. Here is what I propose to make it more secure and prevent you from being able to read anyone diary... I propose that each day a link/token is sent to your email. The…
Dyaz17 on HNIt's pointless to say the least to claim "Private and secure" without at least having client-side AEAD of some sort.
nif2ee on HN
Fix login and signup errors and mobile layout issues
From 3 comments
Honestly, I love it! A very related project, that focuses on being a "social network" through email: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21853667 Edit: I'm getting errors with…
rahuldottech on HNI really like the layout of the page and your manner of speaking. Both are web design ideals I strive for. I also want people to write more :) Little nitpick - try out your…
komali2 on HNNice work. FYI pricing tables are not readable on my iPhone 8 in safari
matt_the_bass on HN
Ability to edit sent entries and update settings
From 2 comments
I have a big problem with this: You can't seem to edit the post after it has been sent. A typo staying there forever would drive me crazy :)
kissgyorgy on HNHow do I update my Full Name? or change the newsletter subscription options? ∞?
mariocesar on HN
Questions
Why age is needed at signup
From 2 comments
Why exactly do you need to store my age to store my data (in the signup process)?
kper1337 on HNWhy do you exactly need to know my age to store my data?
kper1337 on HN
Tech stack used to build it
From 1 comment
Looks great. I've gone through the comments but might missed it - Could you share a bit on what you used to develop this? language? frameworks? thanks!
JamesAdir on HN
Alternatives named
OhLife
From 2 comments
This used to exist, it was called OhLife. They would email you every day and say "What's happening in your life" and "Hey do you remember this?" with one random email from your…
latortuga on HNThe service that Paul Graham mentioned is probably this one: http://ohlife.com Shutdown announcement: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8345881 I used it and loved it. It was…
bad_user on HN
750words
From 1 comment
I just email myself ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ e: Also, I used to use https://750words.com which is quite similar.
rognjen on HN
Penzu
From 1 comment
I use a service named Penzu for keeping a journal. It's primarily web-based, but you can make it email-based if you wish to. Basically, you'd set up a daily reminder at a…
haxiel on HN
Day One
From 1 comment
This is a newer feature of Day One (but you have to pay to get it).
qntty on HN