A Github for writers?
Productivity
collaborative writing
SHOW HN2013
How HN took it
9 positive, 30 neutral or asking, 5 mixed, 14 critical, out of 58 comments about the project. Thread score -0.13.
Idea: 4 for, 4 againstDesign: 3 for, 2 againstExecution: 0 for, 4 againstPricing: 1 for, 1 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
Git-backed versioning for writing is a promising idea
From 2 comments
Not my project, but I'm using it. One guy working on it. I think it's a wonderful, wonderful concept.
petervandijck on HNJust in time for Novel Writing Month![1] I will be penning my 50,000 words in this (both on the web interface, and locally in Mou[2].) [1] http://nanowrimo.org [2]…
tehwalrus on HN
Objections
Writers often dislike markdown and want WYSIWYG
From 2 comments
When I hear "writer", I think of a screenwriter, novelist, or poet of some sort. "Github for writers" is misleading, since I think the people who would use this wouldn't be…
dylandrop on HNDo writers (non-techies) use and/or want to use Markdown?
rpedela on HN
Too many notification emails sent to new signups
From 3 comments
Yeah, I might be late to the party here, but... I signed up for penflip two and a half hours ago and have received eight emails from you guys since then. This is not cool. I…
brm on HNWhoa guys, you send way too many emails! In the last hour I've received about 15 emails, and they're still coming in. Please don't subscribe me to every event by default!
possibilistic on HNA suggestion to Author: I signed-up yesterday. The UI and the way it works is okay, with one exception. I get 8 mails from loren@penflip.com. 8 e-mails? Seriously? Reduce the…
abhididdigi on HN
Signup required before trying the product
From 2 comments
Other than the scrollbar, there's no indication on the front page that you can scroll down to see more. Requiring signup is a huge barrier to entry for me. I don't want to give a…
csense on HNCan't try it out without signing up, what gives? At least have a short video that showcases the MVP..
btbuildem on HN
Most writers won't use git
From 1 comment
Most writers won't want to use git.
arb99 on HN
Requests
Side-by-side revision view and comments
From 1 comment
Novel writer here (unpublished but I've written several books, writing my next one in a month). The site looks intriguing but yeah, I agree with your points: 1. I do write in…
antjanus on HN
Folders and file import for projects
From 1 comment
quick reply to feedback, that's what we appreciate, thank you for this! Just my 2 cents: * Why can't I use "," in my project name? My book is titled "Je sais ce que je fais, du…
baby on HN
Sign in with GitHub
From 1 comment
The interface is incredibly well-done. Great job on that. I would ask to see more information before providing my sign-up information, though. Speaking of which, it seems obvious…
kmfrk on HN
Questions
What technologies are used
From 1 comment
Would you mind sharing what technologies (languages, frameworks, etc.) for this?
jeremia on HN
What is used for document conversion to PDF
From 1 comment
Anyone know what they are using for document conversion, turning the document into a PDF for example?
eoinmurray92 on HN
Alternatives named
Draft
From 2 comments
Reminds me of Draft, which seems much more fully featured (and is made by frequent YC contributor Nate Kontny): https://draftin.com/
adrianh on HNHave you looked at Draft (draftin.com)? It has the side-by-side revisions you mentioned (all your revisions ever, in fact). I'm not sure about the other features you mentioned.
andrewflnr on HN
Google Docs
From 1 comment
How is this different from Google Docs?
ghosttie on HN
Scrivener
From 1 comment
Novel writer here (unpublished but I've written several books, writing my next one in a month). The site looks intriguing but yeah, I agree with your points: 1. I do write in…
antjanus on HN
prose.io
From 1 comment
It looks a lot like the prose.io interface. I like prose.io, but the huge problem with the browser editor is that there's no on-going autosave, so for example, accidental…
Blahah on HN