Why I'm building Nilai - A simple bookmarking service
cdevroe.com
cdevroe.com
I'm looking at your screenshot [1] right now, and one question comes to mind: How are users going to organize their bookmarks on Nilai? The drop-down design shown in the screenshot reminds me of Gmail's labels, which will turn into a mess once you go beyond a certain number of tags/categories. Besides, everyone else uses the same organization system and similar features. Why should I try Nilai when I've already paid a one-time fee to Pinboard?
Well, here's one possible reason. Just the other day, I was trying to import my browser bookmarks into Pinboard, but aborted when I realized that Pinboard would not preserve the elaborate folder hierarchy (270+ folders) that I'd created over the years to organize my 5600+ bookmarks, many of which I never tagged. If there's any non-social bookmarking service that allows me to use both folders/subfolders and tags/labels to organize my bookmarks, I'll sign up in an instant. This isn't about fancy features, it's about basic paradigms. So there's a little feature request!
EDIT: Correct user.
It's just that you repeatedly mention that your main aim is to have a service that will last for ever; but there's nothing different in your service (apart from your intentions) that will guarantee that. Basically, your asking people to trust you on that one.
But if it was Open Source, with good import/export features, then if it was threatened by closure people could just move their data to another service using the same software (techy ppl could even run their own server).
I'm sure there are already open source bookmarking services; why not just help one of those instead of reinventing the wheel?
Of course, the business model for making money from Open Source is completely different. But from your stated intentions, that's not your aim.
However, I think running the service is where the value really is. If someone is techie enough to grab an open source project, install it on their own server, and keep it running - I have little doubt that they could build Nilai. In fact, they can probably build it better than I can.
That being said, I do hope that Nilai will turn a profit. I'm charging such a small cost that I obviously do not intend to get rich off of Nilai but I wouldn't mind it running in the black rather than in the red.
Perhaps you could give mittechie's Bookie a spin? https://github.com/mitechie/Bookie - I think it looks pretty good.
You didn't answer this point; and honestly I don't mean to offend you or imply your intentions are suspect - I don't know you at all, so I can't judge. But that's exactly the problem - how do you persuade ppl like me to trust you?
Compare the situation to wordpress.com vs blogger/tumblr/closed-source-blog-platform. I always look to the former first because I know it's so easy for me to move my blog onto one of many wordpress-supporting hosts or my own server if I need to, and thus I feel the longeveity of my site is guaranteed much more.
You could be in the same situation, if you Open Source it and several people ran your software as a host. That would make it easy for users to switch - and then you have a much better and practical guarantee for users that it will stick around in some form.
Anyway, last comment I'll make as obviously it's your choice in the end; but that's what I think. And I do need to look at an Open Source bookmarking service soon :-)
That is are very big claim to make, indeed. While very well intentioned and honorable, it is very difficult for anyone to say "this will never go away" and be able to back it up in a meaningful way.
But good for him, nonetheless. In a time when apps and services are treated as throwaway commodities, his eagerness is refreshing.
jroseattle: It is tough to say that it will be around forever but that is exactly what I intend to do. I have the means to run the service myself, even without payment, forever. So far there have only been dozens of sign ups. So I'm not too worried about cost yet. And, if it got too pricey I could turn off sign ups.
For now my goal is to get enough users so that feedback on how the service should mature comes in steadily. We will take it from there once that happens.
Good luck with it, hope it goes well. And salam to your dad from one who also has roots in bandung !
Nilai means "a place" in Tamil, a language in South India. It has also many meanings. http://tamil.indiandictionaries.com/meaning.php?id=12587&...
In Malay, it means "value/worth".
Best regards.
Maybe he should make a small table first listing the differentiating facts between his service and Delicious and Pinboard.
It's just not clear and I fear he will scratch his itch alone...
Maybe you could come back to Nilai in a few months, see where it is, and if it fits.
One feature I'm really excited about is integration with Instapaper in a very seamless and meaningful way. The beta testers I've had using the site seem to like the idea. I hope to finish up that feature soon.
Is that intentional?