Stories with Tag WYSIWYG

• Omnom: Self-hosted bookmarking with searchable, wysiwyg snapshots [showcase]

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  Posted: 2025-04-14 11:42:13

  Verbose tl;dr

  Omnom is a self-hosted bookmarking tool that emphasizes visual clarity and searchability. It takes WYSIWYG snapshots of bookmarked pages, allowing users to visually browse their saved links. These snapshots are full-text searchable, making it easy to find specific content within saved pages. Omnom is open-source and prioritizes privacy, keeping all data under the user's control. It offers features like tagging, archiving, and a clean, minimalist interface for managing a personal bookmark collection.

  The post introduces Omnom, a self-hosted bookmarking application that prioritizes a visually rich and easily searchable archive of saved web pages. Unlike traditional bookmarking tools that primarily store links and titles, Omnom captures a full-page, "WYSIWYG" (What You See Is What You Get) snapshot of the bookmarked webpage at the time of saving. This snapshot preserves the visual layout, formatting, and content as it appeared to the user, even if the original webpage later changes or becomes unavailable.

  Omnom distinguishes itself through its robust search functionality. Users can search not just the titles and URLs of their saved bookmarks, but also the full text content within the captured snapshots. This enables highly granular retrieval of information from archived web pages, making it easier to rediscover specific details or sections of interest. The search functionality is purportedly fast and efficient, facilitating quick access to relevant saved content.

  The application is designed for self-hosting, meaning users can install and run Omnom on their own servers, giving them complete control over their data and privacy. This approach contrasts with cloud-based bookmarking services where data resides on third-party servers. The self-hosted nature of Omnom likely appeals to users concerned about data ownership and security.

  The post's author showcases Omnom's features and user interface, emphasizing its clean design and ease of use. The author highlights the value proposition of preserving webpages in their original form, given the ephemeral nature of online content. The implied benefit is that users can build a personal, searchable archive of webpages that serves as a reliable and readily accessible repository of information. The author implicitly positions Omnom as a valuable tool for researchers, writers, and anyone who needs to reliably save and retrieve online information.

  • bookmarking
  • self-hosted
  • searchable
  • WYSIWYG
  • snapshots
  • Archiving
  • web archiving
  • Open Source
  • productivity
  • internet tools
  • omnom

  Summary of Comments ( 36 )
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43680232

  Verbose tl;dr

  Hacker News users generally praised Omnom for its appealing UI and the clever idea of searchable, WYSIWYG website snapshots. Several commenters expressed interest in trying it out, particularly appreciating the self-hosted nature. Some questioned the long-term viability of relying on browser snapshots for search, citing potential issues with JavaScript-heavy sites and the storage space required. Others suggested potential improvements, including alternative archiving methods, enhanced tagging, and better mobile support. A few mentioned similar existing projects like ArchiveBox and SingleFile, highlighting the existing demand for this type of tool. There was some discussion around the choice of using SQLite, with some advocating for PostgreSQL for better scalability. Overall, the comments reflected a positive initial reception, with a focus on the practical advantages and potential challenges of the snapshotting approach.

  The Hacker News post for Omnom, a self-hosted bookmarking tool, has generated a moderate amount of discussion with a mix of positive feedback and constructive criticism.

  Several commenters express appreciation for the project, praising features like full-text search of saved pages and the clean interface. One user highlights the value of self-hosting for privacy and control over data, a sentiment echoed by others. The ability to annotate and edit snapshots is also mentioned as a strong point. Some users compare Omnom favorably to existing bookmarking solutions, finding its features and self-hosted nature appealing.

  However, some concerns are also raised. A recurring theme is the project's reliance on SQLite, with commenters questioning its suitability for scaling and handling large numbers of bookmarks. Performance with extensive use is a related concern. The developer responds to this criticism by acknowledging the current limitations of SQLite but pointing out that it's currently sufficient for their personal use case and that alternative database backends are being considered for the future. They also engage in discussion about potential performance optimizations.

  Another point of discussion revolves around the use of Electron for the desktop application. While some appreciate the cross-platform compatibility, others express concerns about Electron's resource consumption and performance overhead. Alternative approaches using native frameworks or web technologies are suggested.

  The developer actively participates in the comments section, responding to questions, addressing concerns, and engaging in discussions about future development plans. They express openness to feedback and community contributions. The overall tone of the discussion is constructive, with users offering suggestions for improvements and alternative approaches.

  Several users inquire about specific features, such as tagging, cloud synchronization options, and integration with other services. The developer clarifies the current state of these features and discusses potential future implementations.

  While the discussion isn't overwhelmingly voluminous, it provides a valuable glimpse into the initial community reception of Omnom, highlighting both its strengths and areas for potential improvement. The active participation of the developer suggests a commitment to ongoing development and responsiveness to user feedback.

• Show HN: Marksmith – a GitHub-style Markdown editor for Ruby on Rails

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  Posted: 2025-02-03 12:53:31

  Verbose tl;dr

  Marksmith is a new open-source, WYSIWYG Markdown editor specifically designed for Ruby on Rails applications. Inspired by GitHub's editor, it offers a clean and intuitive interface for writing and previewing Markdown content. Marksmith boasts features like live previews, syntax highlighting, and seamless integration with ActionText, making it easy to incorporate rich text editing into Rails projects. It aims to provide a superior editing experience compared to existing solutions by focusing on performance, ease of use, and a familiar, GitHub-like interface.

  AvoHQ has announced the release of Marksmith, a new Markdown editor specifically designed for Ruby on Rails applications. Mimicking the familiar and intuitive editing experience of GitHub's Markdown editor, Marksmith offers a seamless and user-friendly way to compose and preview Markdown content directly within Rails projects.

  This WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor provides real-time rendering of Markdown as it's being typed, eliminating the need to constantly switch between edit and preview modes. This live preview functionality facilitates a more efficient and streamlined workflow for developers and content creators working with Markdown within a Rails environment. Furthermore, Marksmith boasts a highly performant implementation, ensuring a smooth and responsive editing experience even with large or complex Markdown documents.

  Marksmith seamlessly integrates with existing Rails applications through a straightforward installation process leveraging the familiar Rails asset pipeline. It’s distributed as a Ruby gem, simplifying integration and dependency management for developers. The editor itself is built using ViewComponent, a modern and maintainable approach to building reusable UI components within Rails applications, further enhancing its integration and flexibility.

  Beyond its core functionality, Marksmith offers a range of customizable features. Developers can tailor the editor's appearance and behavior to align with their application's specific styling and requirements. This includes options for customizing the toolbar, adding custom buttons and actions, and fine-tuning the overall look and feel of the editor.

  AvoHQ emphasizes that Marksmith is open-source and available under the MIT license, encouraging community contributions and further development of the project. They position Marksmith as a powerful and versatile solution for incorporating a robust and user-friendly Markdown editing experience into any Ruby on Rails application, benefiting both developers and end-users.

  • Ruby on Rails
  • markdown
  • Markdown Editor
  • WYSIWYG
  • GitHub Flavored Markdown
  • Rails Gem
  • Ruby Gem
  • Open Source
  • Text Editor
  • Web Development
  • Rich Text Editor
  • Marksmith
  • AvoHQ

  Summary of Comments ( 15 )
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42917712

  Verbose tl;dr

  Hacker News users discussed Marksmith's features, licensing, and alternatives. Some praised its clean interface and GitHub-flavored Markdown support, seeing it as a good option for simple Rails apps. Others questioned the need for another editor, pointing to existing solutions like ActionText and Trix. The MIT license was generally welcomed. Several commenters debated the merits of client-side vs. server-side rendering for Markdown previews, with performance and security being key concerns. Finally, some users expressed interest in a JavaScript version independent of Rails. The discussion overall was positive, but with some pragmatic skepticism about its niche.

  The Hacker News post about Marksmith, a GitHub-style Markdown editor for Ruby on Rails, has generated several comments. Many users express appreciation for the project and its clean implementation.

  One commenter highlights the pleasant editing experience, praising the speed and responsiveness of the editor, comparing it favorably to other JavaScript-heavy solutions. They specifically mention the lack of lag or delay, which they find refreshing. This commenter also points out the clever use of Stimulus and Turbo Frames, which contributes to the smooth performance.

  Another comment focuses on the licensing aspect, asking for clarification on whether Marksmith is open-source. The author of the post (and presumably the project) responds, confirming that Marksmith is indeed open-source and licensed under the MIT license. They also clarify that it's available as a gem for easy integration into Rails projects.

  A further comment delves into the technical details, inquiring about the approach taken for preview rendering. The author replies, explaining that they use a hidden iframe for rendering the preview, leveraging the existing Rails application's Markdown rendering pipeline. This approach allows them to avoid any client-side Markdown parsing or JavaScript dependencies for the preview functionality.

  Several other commenters express general approval, using phrases like "Looks nice!" and "This is awesome!". One user specifically mentions appreciating the demo and the project's overall aesthetic.

  The conversation also touches upon alternatives and comparisons. One comment mentions using the actiontext gem with Trix editor, while another suggests Tipster as a potential alternative. The original poster acknowledges these alternatives, positioning Marksmith as a lighter-weight and more performant option specifically designed for simpler Markdown editing needs.

  Overall, the comments reflect a positive reception for Marksmith, praising its performance, ease of use, and clean implementation. The discussion also highlights some of the technical choices made in the project and explores comparisons with existing solutions in the Rails ecosystem.