Show HN: A new blog engine for developers

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3 pointspothibo3 comments

I like the features such as the partials and the no-nonsense HTML editing, but what kills it for me is the dual pane setup. I see this in many programs like markdown editors, and I cannot imagine a worse use for all that screen real estate. The reason for this, besides the raw redundancy, is that it kills the focus on writing, and forces me to look at how pretty everything I just hammered out on my keyboard looks. It causes me to second guess everything as I'm writing, and slows me down considerably. I would consider nixing the pane, replacing it with a preview button, and using the space to add either new controls, a media browser, or possibly even nothing for a more zen-like experience.

I believe this (dual pane) is a personal preference that would never accomodate everyone. When I write a post, I always wonder how it looks like after 1 paragraph, to make sure I stay on the right track. The live preview gives me confidence and doesn't break my flow.

Thanks for the feedback nonetheless ;)

it is a personal preference.

some songwriters do the music and the lyrics separately.

others do them simultaneously.

some writers treat the words and the formatting independently.

others want to do them at the same time.

however, the live preview is a necessity for people who are not yet comfortable with a light-markup system (like markdown).

and it's worth noting that the desire of writers to "have it look nice" was a big part of the driving force behind wysiwyg, and if we really want to elevate people from that dark pattern, we need to use a live preview to give them their satisfaction.

-bowerbird

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