14 ms·

Show HN: Markdown New Tab – A new tab replacement to jot down notes in Markdown

218 points by plibither8 8y ago

ravenstine 8y ago
Serious question: does anyone regularly use a Markdown notes app/site/extension? I've seen this kind of thing appear a few times a year and, while they are cool and I like Markdown, I find I stop using them rather quickly in favor of things like the macOS Notes app or Slack because of things like convenience, ease of sharing, better search, more ease of mind that my notes won't one day disappear because of a side effect of clearing history or because the developer didn't understand browser storage API quirks. For example, I used Dillinger.io until the interface was updated and my notes were gone. I seem to remember another one that interacted with gist.github.com until one day it didn't. Hurray. I think a company around a Markdown based app or extension would be good because other solutions don't embrace Markdown, and the ones that do might be a flash in the pan.
- bdickason 8y ago
  I use IA Writer for my mac which is a great notes app that supports dropbox syncing, focus mode, etc and also offers markdown support.
  - erikbye 8y ago
    Any editor supports syncing. Just save your files in your sync folder. Alternatives: Caret, Typora, Emacs, Vim, VS Code.
- lytedev 8y ago
  I use markdown in vim for absolutely all note taking and prose. But no, I don't use any of these little applets, browser or otherwise. I imagine lots of people do, though, if they don't have a text editor religion they subscribe to!
- cabalamat 8y ago
  > does anyone regularly use a Markdown notes app/site/extension? Yes, I've been using my CatWiki software for programming and general notes now for several years. https://github.com/cabalamat/catwiki https://github.com/cabalamat/catwiki CatWiki adds extensions to Markdown including code highlighting and MediaWiki-style links: https://github.com/cabalamat/catwiki/blob/master/data/catwiki/CatWiki%20enhancements%20to%20Markdown.md https://github.com/cabalamat/catwiki/blob/master/data/catwik...
- jcastro 8y ago
  https://hackmd.io/ https://hackmd.io/ has changed my life, especially if you need to share notes with a team.
- gramstrong 8y ago
  I've been using BoostNote pretty regularly for about 6 months, and I like it fine, but I wish it weren't an Electron App. There's not really any sharing/collaborating as far as I know, and the note structuring/search leaves a little bit to be desired (compared to say, OneNote). The good news is that it's open-source! And I think one of the reasons I like it is because it is simple..it also has decent support for embedded LaTex, and it handles code snippets well. It does the job well for what I use it for, which is normally lecture notes, TODO lists, and idea captures. I don't really use it for documentation or anything else more formal.
- bombtrack 8y ago
  I use Quiver[0] ($10) to store and organize work and personal notes. Their "cells" of content can be written in plaintext, code, markdown, or LaTeX. You can organize with folders, tags, favorites, etc. The different viewing modes are perfectly flexible via toggle-able panes and a "presentation" mode. The db is just a file you can choose to sync however you want. I use Resilio[1] to keep work/laptop/desktop machines in sync. [0]: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/quiver-take-better-notes/id866773894?mt=12 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/quiver-take-better-notes/id8... [1]: https://www.resilio.com/individuals/ https://www.resilio.com/individuals/
- Prefinem 8y ago
  I used it so much in my text editor, I ended up creating a site that did the same thing but kept things synced https://todos.md/ https://todos.md/
- locofocos 8y ago
  I recently started taking notes in markdown. I previously had notes scattered across txt files, Word docs, ColorNote, and emails to myself. I take journal-type notes about personal things, and I demand that I have them available conveniently decades from now. I strongly prefer a dark theme. I was going to jump ship entirely to OneNote, but I can't get a dark theme on Desktop and mobile. Moving to markdown has tremendous benefits. You have proper separation of concerns- "how do I edit on X platform" vs "how do I store my notes". For storage, I've considered a git repo, but I'm using Dropbox for now. It has 30 day history, so I can correct for any mistake I'd care about. For editing, I pick an editor on my current platform. Atom on Desktop. IA writer on Android. I don't currently have great search, but I think I can do that with Dropbox. I'm more concern about future-proofing and dark theme.
  - ycombinete 8y ago
    Sounds like you might be a candidate for ConnectedText [0] [0] http://www.connectedtext.com/ http://www.connectedtext.com/
- erikbye 8y ago
  I try to minimize browser and extension use (I make my own "forks" and vet the code for every extension) so I take my notes using Emacs, placed in a sync folder. Ease of sharing? I use text files (markdown) precisely because it is the most easily shared and portable format to store notes. As far as search, I have not seen anything come close to Emacs with its combination of regex grep, narrowing, and fuzzy FTS possibilities. Your whole org/markdown root folder can be a projectile project. I agree with you, if you are taking notes for keeps, why use browser storage? Why not just save directly to a sync folder using your favorite editor?
- 01100011 8y ago
  I guess I'm beholden to 'the man', but I just use google docs these days. I'm not really a fan of markdown. I'd rather write HTML than remember more syntax. Before Google Docs, I just used text files.
- crooked-v 8y ago
  I use the desktop apps Quiver and Highland 2 regularly, but both produce files that are just fancy wrappers around what's ultimately accessible file formats if the companies die (macOS package folders with .md or .json contents and image files alongside).
- stockkid 8y ago
  For the similar reasons I don't really use markdown notes apps. Instead I write all important notes to Evernote despite it being rather heavy weight. When I do use markdown note apps is if I want to quickly jot down an idea or what I just learned. Four months ago I shared this technique with HN [0]. If I were to adopt a markdown app to use regularly, an important factor would be that it is open source. The reason is that, like you, I'd be worried about losing data due to a developer be mistake. Granted, something like Evernote is not open source, but I'm less worried about losing data. [0] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16357917 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16357917
  - fraudsyndrome 8y ago
    I started using onenote after realizing how bad storing my uni notes in text and word docs was. I moved onto evernote for my work laptop and found it horrendous on windows - it wouldn't let me do something as simple as auto-capitalizing first words of the sentence. I'd run into issues quite often and googling it would amount to someone complaining about it on the forums a couple years back and nothing changing. After that I just moved back to onenote.
- dejawu 8y ago
  I built my own because I got fed up with Evernote: https://nanote.co https://nanote.co The most valuable thing hasn't been any individual feature (though those are nice since I can tailor them to me) but rather the fact that if I don't like the way it works, I can just pop the hood and change it myself. Been using it for about three years now.
- elyobo 8y ago
  vim; I don't need a markdown editor, because markdown is (by design) readable as plain text. I tend to note things in markdown just because it's more readable than "plain" plain text.
- theknarf 8y ago
  Personally, I use the Typora app for taking notes in markdown and sticking everything in a git repo. The main thing I'm missing is some kind of built-in git feature, would have been nice if it auto-committed for me instead of me having to do that manually. So I'm planning on making my own desktop app that's Apple Notes, but in Markdown, and with some kind of git auto-commit feature. But the nice thing about Markdown + Git is that I'm not locked into using one app! If I ever want to try out another Markdown app in the future I can do so, if I want to make my own I can do so, if I later stop updating my app and need another one I can just switch. Emacs people kinda figured this out a long time ago with Org-mode.
  - kookoopuffs 8y ago
    please please make this! Apple notes with markdown and git!
- arendtio 8y ago
  I use vim to write Markdown documents and task lists since two years or so. For a while, I had some trouble with the tooling as most stuff is npm based and authors releasing on npm do not embrace system package managers (install locally vs. globally etc.). Recently, Okular (the KDE document viewer) got Markdown support, but I don't really like the default style and the font is the only thing you can change. Nevertheless, yesterday I wrote a script and a css file to convert my Markdown files to PDF files from the command line easily (and with a style I like). The conversion to PDF is important for me as some of the humans around me do not seem to appreciate my markdown files ;-) For synchronization across devices I use my Nextcloud.
bsg75 8y ago
This is interesting. Where are notes saved?
- faheywf 8y ago
  The documentation states that the notes are saved in localStorage.
vanderZwan 8y ago
> The code makes use of localStorage() to save the raw text and the time and date of when the edit has been made. Given that localStorage only has 5MiB available to it, you could try using the localForage library to have a localStorage-like API around IndexedDB, so that people can store even larger notes (you could even support storing pasted images as PNG blobs). Even better: is has automatic localForage fallback. Alternatively, you might want to either compress the text with LZ-String before storing it[1]. (BTW, version 2.0 is currently in the works and much faster, especially if you use the "Unsafe" version[2]) [0] https://localforage.github.io/localForage/ https://localforage.github.io/localForage/ [1] http://pieroxy.net/blog/pages/lz-string/index.html http://pieroxy.net/blog/pages/lz-string/index.html [2] https://github.com/pieroxy/lz-string/pull/98#issuecomment-404166788 https://github.com/pieroxy/lz-string/pull/98#issuecomment-40...
- PretzelFisch 8y ago
  I am pretty sure you can ask the user to use more and 5mb is just the mobile default for a site. https://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/offline/quota-research/ https://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/offline/quota-resear...
  - vanderZwan 8y ago
    I just checked MDN, since I've had problems with html5rocks tutorials being outdated due to specs changing in the past (not related to localStorage though), but all pages I can find on it seem to overlook the whole quota aspect[0]. However, the Chrome dev page on the topic[1] mentions this: > Unlimited storage is similar to persistent storage, but it is available only to Chrome apps and extensions (.crx files). The size of unlimited storage is limited only by the availability of space in the user's hard drive. You can ask for the unlimitedStorage permission in the manifest file for an app or extension. At installation, the user is informed of permissions required by the app or extension. By proceeding with the installation, the user implicitly grants permission for all pages whose URLs are listed in the manifest.json file. [0] https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Storage https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Storage [1] https://developer.chrome.com/apps/offline_storage https://developer.chrome.com/apps/offline_storage
halite 8y ago
How do you interpret these licensing terms: License Copyright (c) Mihir Chaturvedi. All rights reserved. Licensed under the MIT License. If Mihir has all rights reserved, what's the purpose of adding MIT with it?
- ghostly_s 8y ago
  Isnt't "All rights reserved" typical language, even with open source licenses?
  - ChristianBundy 8y ago
    No, it's generally "Copyright <name>" to explain where the license is coming from, but a copyright license is the exact opposite of "all rights reserved".
    - blattimwind 8y ago
      No, not really. The phrase itself has no legal significance any more, anyway, but even if it did, this would basically work like an ACL: Allow MIT terms Deny * # all rights reserved (implied) Am I using it under MIT terms? Allowed. Otherwise not.
      - JdeBP 8y ago
        That is not in fact true on either point. Some legal significance remained for a while, and it is not nor was like an ACL. * http://jdebp.info./FGA/law-copyright-all-rights-reserved.html http://jdebp.info./FGA/law-copyright-all-rights-reserved.htm...
- Nokinside 8y ago
  Open source license does not mean giving up intellectual property rights. You can only license the work if you own the rights to the work. MIT License starts with copyright notice: Copyright (c) <year> <copyright holders> Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal ....
discaler 8y ago
Look good. However, on mac I would really prefer using native apps for taking notes as they are fast and has a nice design like bear. Chrome can slow down easily and is unreliable at times.
- jehlakj 8y ago
  Or because I usually have a gazillion tabs open.
arxpoetica 8y ago
This is really cool and I'll use it. My only negative comment is that white on black is really harsh on my eyes. It would be nice if the theme could be toned down a bit somehow.
- swsieber 8y ago
  I much prefer it to a lower contrast setup. And it does mimic a terminal. I do wonder if it's controlled by the current chrome theme, given that the tab recorded in the window is also dark.
  - stronglikedan 8y ago
    To be fair, most terminals I've encountered aren't white on black, but more of a light grey on black. I believe that's what OP means by toning it down a bit. While I do prefer a higher contrast as you do, I agree with OP in that this is too high.
nautilus12 8y ago
Too bad I gave up on Chrome...
- 40four 8y ago
  Haha, I did recently as well. Cool concept though
- princekolt 8y ago
  Not to diminish the usefulness of this extension, but aren't all browsers incredibly bloated software nowadays? (especially chrome)
- mcguire 8y ago
  Apparently, the Firefox API is now similar to Chrome's, if you use that. (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17507819 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17507819)
  - nitemice 8y ago
    Similar enough that it's possible to run some Chrome extensions in Firefox. I've been using Foxified [1] to do this for a while, and while it's not always perfect, it worth a try in most cases. [1] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/chrome-store-foxified/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/chrome-store-...
davidjhall 8y ago
Nice - but I wish it didn't take over the New Tab button since I use that for quick access; Since it's icon is in the status bar, why not just click on it to open a markdown tab? *Edit: Yes, I know it's in the name of the extension :-) -- just wish I could change the default.
- ake1 8y ago
  just fork it and add your "quick access" at the top of the page? i've been using a custom new-tab-page extension for a long time, it even comes with an integrated alarm-clock!
bdickason 8y ago
This is a great idea!
bendavis381 8y ago
Why would you use markdown to take notes? Markdown is designed to be displayed as rich-text (headings, lists, etc) after authoring. If you only ever view it in plaintext as an editor, what's the point?
- imaoreo 8y ago
  Haven't used the app but the gif in the readme shows you can switch between view and edit mode.
- bdickason 8y ago
  I take notes in Markdown in an editor that formats it automagically called IA Writer. Bullets are indented, headlines bolded and out-dented, etc.
  - goddtriffin 8y ago
    This looks absolutely amazing.
  - erikbye 8y ago
    Also: https://caret.io/ https://caret.io/ https://typora.io/ https://typora.io/
    - cben 8y ago
      Also the venerable https://stackedit.io/ https://stackedit.io/. Also the new GitBook https://docs.gitbook.com/v2-changes/feature-highlights#unified-experience-between-reading-and-editing https://docs.gitbook.com/v2-changes/feature-highlights#unifi... I'm sure there are a few more markdown "WYSIWYM" I'm forgetting... To build your own see also https://simplemde.com/ https://simplemde.com/. Basically CodeMirror is friendly to mixed-font syntax highlighting. Also yours truly https://mathdown.net https://mathdown.net
- mixedmath 8y ago
  I frequently take notes in markdown even though I rarely view it non-plaintext myself. But I use markdown because it's well-suited to conversion to other formats through pandoc, and I sometimes send notes to others (who don't like plaintext/markdown). It's particularly nice to convert to .doc, .docx, and .pdf (through LaTeX). Perhaps this is a silly reason, but I use vim and I like my markdown syntax highlighting. I rather like reading my plaintext markdown + (default) syntax highlighting. I suppose it would be possible to write/use some txt syntax+highlighting (or some .note format, etc.), but I reinvent the wheel in enough other places to not want to do that here.
HashBasher 8y ago
How can I add new notes? Or is it just a single page for all notes?
drcode 8y ago
Thanks, I'll use this for entering my "three goals for the day" in the morning! (also, for those who missed it: The particle effects can be disabled in the settings.)
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- nickjj 8y ago
  If you like things like that, try out the Momentum extension. It's focused on short lived todo lists but also has some amazing random scenery pictures. I've never had a more pleasant and welcoming new tab window. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/momentum/laookkfknpbbblfpciffpaejjkokdgca https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/momentum/laookkfkn...
coolgoose 8y ago
I am really confused on why this is useful and not any other proper-ish note taking application.
- wruza 8y ago
  It reminds me the times when we were happy to install all desktop extensions, tray tools and destroy the wallpaper with ms plus. Anything but doing something structured and useful (hey, we were kids back then!)
- braythwayt 8y ago
  Think about "Why text files won for programming source code." Rich formats like Smalltalk's images are vastly superior as long as you stay within the ecosystem. But plain text is "worse is better" at scale. You get more tools, more interoperability, more of everything. Markdown is the plain text file winner for uncomplicated words. It's somewhat portable between a myriad of tools. When you drop into a "Better" tool like OneNote, you get all sorts of amazing wins... Provided you stay within the walled garden it provides. Speaking as an author, I blog in markdown, I take notes in markdown, and I publish my books from markdown source for this very reason. Heck, being able to put my books in GitHub and do pull requests is enough reason all by itself! --- If you meant, "Why a tab instead of a separate app that works with Markdown," none of what I wrote above applies. I was speaking strictly to why Markdown instead of some proprietary-format notes app.
  - mcguire 8y ago
    "Why a tab instead of a separate app that works with Markdown" I'll bet the answer is similar: Everyone already has a browser open and quite a lot of notes are copy-n-pasted from other tabs. Availability, interoperability, etc.
olalonde 8y ago
Cool idea. A vim mode would be neat (e.g. https://codemirror.net/demo/vim.html https://codemirror.net/demo/vim.html).
hknd 8y ago
Reminds me on "Mindful Chrome Extension", which I've been using a lot https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mindful-beta/cieekmjjdkckhpidgaffphlaljdfhhab https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mindful-beta/cieek...
coryfklein 8y ago
I love this, and I wish I could use it, but I've moved to Firefox. You'd have an instant daily user right here if you released it in Firefox.
- rhelmer 8y ago
  I just tried and appears to work OK (Firefox 61.0.1, macOS)... since it's unsigned I loaded it as a temporary add-on in about:debugging plibither8, would you mind adding instructions to load this into Firefox in your README as well as Chrome? Also please upload to addons.mozilla.org as well as the Chrome Store. Nice work!
  - rhelmer 8y ago
    In case anyone is curious why this works, Firefox switched to a new extensions API which tries to stay compatible with the one Chrome uses: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/WebExtensions https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/WebExtensions
  - plibither8 8y ago
    Sure! I'll do this as soon as i get time. Thanks!
- plibither8 8y ago
  Hey! I'll try to work on building a Firefox extension too, but until then why not make this: https://mdnt.surge.sh https://mdnt.surge.sh the default page? Thanks a lot!
- keb_ 8y ago
  I made something kinda like this for Firefox for my own purposes, but less of a note-taking app, and more something just to write markdown in columns. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/colm/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/colm/ https://gitlab.com/kevinfiol/colm https://gitlab.com/kevinfiol/colm I don't expect it to be bug-free because it is something I made somewhat haphazardly for myself.
- Bokagha 8y ago
rutierut 8y ago
For Apple users, I use macdown[0] a stand-alone application that does basically the same thing, like it a lot. [0] https://macdown.uranusjr.com/ https://macdown.uranusjr.com/]
soared 8y ago
I just use the papier chrome extension. Same exact thing except it actually displays styles and is easier to install. https://getpapier.com/ https://getpapier.com/
- vanderZwan 8y ago
  Not open source though, as far as I can tell. Also, and I know this is stupid, but any website this fancy for a simple extension makes me a bit suspicious.
  - weaksauce 8y ago
    That’s fine to be skeptical but they are a design and consulting firm. Makes sense that they could bang something nice out and if it’s popular the link back will help their seo and perhaps directly get them business.
- mderazon 8y ago
  Papier is great but it's not markdown
tom_usher 8y ago
I'm a big Moo.do[0] fan - I use it for notes, my todo list, and agenda, so at the moment I've got it set up as my new tab with some custom CSS to hide the stuff I don't need to see in that context. This seems to distill the concept down very nicely - quicker to load and straight to the point. Sadly I'd miss the structure of Moo.do but I can definitely see a world in which I'd use it - nice work. [0] https://www.moo.do https://www.moo.do
j2kun 8y ago
I just have a bookmarklet. If you're writing something so detailed it needs formatting, you shouldn't be doing it in a browser tab. data:text/html;charset=utf-8,<title>Notepad</title><style>body{background:#fbfbfb;color:#333;margin:0 auto;width:60rem}textarea{background:#fbfbfb;border:0;color:#333;font-family:monospace;font-size:1.5rem;height:98%;line-height:1.2;margin:0 auto;outline:0;padding:4rem;width:100%}@media (max-width:768px){body{width:100%;padding:0}textarea{padding:10px}}</style><body><textarea contenteditable id=TE spellcheck=false autofocus></textarea>
writepub 8y ago
Dear HN - you might be interested in Write.Pub (http://write.pub http://write.pub) It has both a WYSIWYG and raw markown editing mode. The USP is built-in git - if you ever wanted to showcase the power of version control to a non-programmer, but didn't want to put them through a git bootcamp, this might be the right tool for a common use case - note taking and writing
mderazon 8y ago
It would have been nice to have the text automatically formatted while you type instead of having "edit mode" to switch between plain text and formatted md. Dropbox Paper does that really nicely.
jordanwallwork 8y ago
Neat idea. I hope this idea gets dropped though > To do: Other gimmicks to make it less minimalistic (?)
- plibither8 8y ago
  I too was considering to remove that, I probably will!
crehn 8y ago
For those using iCloud, another simple trick is to alias n='vim ~/Library/Mobile\ Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs/Notes.md' Then just type n to access your scratch pad. All nicely synced between devices.
- codetrotter 8y ago
  Wait, so if I do this in macOS, do I get formatted notes when I sync them to my iPhone if I use markdown syntax?
SolarNet 8y ago
Use the Gingko App instead. It's even local these days. Whole tree of markdown in a single page, http://gingkoapp.com/ http://gingkoapp.com/
ax0ar 8y ago
I like this. Could you guys add a mode that hides the right and bottom part and only shows the notes? Also, popping up a Markdown cheatsheet via a shortcut would be dope for those who don't use the syntax often.
askvictor 8y ago
This is neat, but are there any like this that you can pull up on your phone?
robszumski 8y ago
My favorite scratch pad is a simple bookmarklet: "data:text/html, <textarea style="font-size: 1.2em; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: none; outline: none" autofocus></textarea><script>window.onbeforeunload = function(e) { return 'really close?'; };</script>" Keep it open as long as you need, and it prompts to confirm before you close it.
neya 8y ago
Personally, I bookmarked this piece of code, so that everytime I open a new tab and want to take notes, I just open one and press my bookmark link: data:text/html, <body contenteditable style="font: 2rem/1.5 monospace;max-width:60rem;margin:0 auto;padding:4rem;"> Alternatively, you could also paste this in your browser URL bar and press enter. I got this code from some GitHub gist, but it has served me well for many years.
- vanderZwan 8y ago
  This works great! I can combine it with Firefox' often-forgotten "Keyword" feature of bookmarks so that typing note in the URL bar automatically opens this. And to save a note I just press CTRL+S Microscopic tweak: white font on black background data:text/html, <body contenteditable style="font: 2rem/1.5 monospace;max-width:60rem;margin:0 auto;padding:4rem;color:white;background-color:black;"> EDIT: Another tweak: give the body focus automatically data:text/html, <html><body id='.' contenteditable style="font: 2rem/1.5 monospace;max-width:60rem;margin:0 auto;padding:4rem;color:white;background-color:black;"></body><script type="text/javascript">var div = document.getElementById('.');setTimeout(function() {div.focus();}, 0);</script></html>
TruthSHIFT 8y ago
I've been using this all day and it's amazing. It's not a replacement for a notes app. Instead, I'm using it to remind me where I left off on my work. It's helping me stay focused. Instead of seeing the distracting new tab screen, I see what I'm supposed to work on.
Anm 8y ago
I have the following URL as the first bookmark on all browser bookmark bars: data:text/html, <html contenteditable> It isn't nearly as featureful as a full Markdown editor, and it won't save the contents of the tab to localstorage or anywhere else, but it is about as simple a solution as you can get.

218 points by plibither8 8y ago

Serious question: does anyone regularly use a Markdown notes app/site/extension? I've seen this kind of thing appear a few times a year and, while they are cool and I like Markdown, I find I stop using them rather quickly in favor of things like the macOS Notes app or Slack because of things like convenience, ease of sharing, better search, more ease of mind that my notes won't one day disappear because of a side effect of clearing history or because the developer didn't understand browser storage API quirks. For example, I used Dillinger.io until the interface was updated and my notes were gone. I seem to remember another one that interacted with gist.github.com until one day it didn't. Hurray. I think a company around a Markdown based app or extension would be good because other solutions don't embrace Markdown, and the ones that do might be a flash in the pan.

bdickason 8y ago
I use IA Writer for my mac which is a great notes app that supports dropbox syncing, focus mode, etc and also offers markdown support.
- erikbye 8y ago
  Any editor supports syncing. Just save your files in your sync folder. Alternatives: Caret, Typora, Emacs, Vim, VS Code.
lytedev 8y ago
I use markdown in vim for absolutely all note taking and prose. But no, I don't use any of these little applets, browser or otherwise. I imagine lots of people do, though, if they don't have a text editor religion they subscribe to!
cabalamat 8y ago
> does anyone regularly use a Markdown notes app/site/extension? Yes, I've been using my CatWiki software for programming and general notes now for several years. https://github.com/cabalamat/catwiki https://github.com/cabalamat/catwiki CatWiki adds extensions to Markdown including code highlighting and MediaWiki-style links: https://github.com/cabalamat/catwiki/blob/master/data/catwiki/CatWiki%20enhancements%20to%20Markdown.md https://github.com/cabalamat/catwiki/blob/master/data/catwik...
jcastro 8y ago
https://hackmd.io/ https://hackmd.io/ has changed my life, especially if you need to share notes with a team.
gramstrong 8y ago
I've been using BoostNote pretty regularly for about 6 months, and I like it fine, but I wish it weren't an Electron App. There's not really any sharing/collaborating as far as I know, and the note structuring/search leaves a little bit to be desired (compared to say, OneNote). The good news is that it's open-source! And I think one of the reasons I like it is because it is simple..it also has decent support for embedded LaTex, and it handles code snippets well. It does the job well for what I use it for, which is normally lecture notes, TODO lists, and idea captures. I don't really use it for documentation or anything else more formal.
bombtrack 8y ago
I use Quiver[0] ($10) to store and organize work and personal notes. Their "cells" of content can be written in plaintext, code, markdown, or LaTeX. You can organize with folders, tags, favorites, etc. The different viewing modes are perfectly flexible via toggle-able panes and a "presentation" mode. The db is just a file you can choose to sync however you want. I use Resilio[1] to keep work/laptop/desktop machines in sync. [0]: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/quiver-take-better-notes/id866773894?mt=12 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/quiver-take-better-notes/id8... [1]: https://www.resilio.com/individuals/ https://www.resilio.com/individuals/
Prefinem 8y ago
I used it so much in my text editor, I ended up creating a site that did the same thing but kept things synced https://todos.md/ https://todos.md/
locofocos 8y ago
I recently started taking notes in markdown. I previously had notes scattered across txt files, Word docs, ColorNote, and emails to myself. I take journal-type notes about personal things, and I demand that I have them available conveniently decades from now. I strongly prefer a dark theme. I was going to jump ship entirely to OneNote, but I can't get a dark theme on Desktop and mobile. Moving to markdown has tremendous benefits. You have proper separation of concerns- "how do I edit on X platform" vs "how do I store my notes". For storage, I've considered a git repo, but I'm using Dropbox for now. It has 30 day history, so I can correct for any mistake I'd care about. For editing, I pick an editor on my current platform. Atom on Desktop. IA writer on Android. I don't currently have great search, but I think I can do that with Dropbox. I'm more concern about future-proofing and dark theme.
- ycombinete 8y ago
  Sounds like you might be a candidate for ConnectedText [0] [0] http://www.connectedtext.com/ http://www.connectedtext.com/
erikbye 8y ago
I try to minimize browser and extension use (I make my own "forks" and vet the code for every extension) so I take my notes using Emacs, placed in a sync folder. Ease of sharing? I use text files (markdown) precisely because it is the most easily shared and portable format to store notes. As far as search, I have not seen anything come close to Emacs with its combination of regex grep, narrowing, and fuzzy FTS possibilities. Your whole org/markdown root folder can be a projectile project. I agree with you, if you are taking notes for keeps, why use browser storage? Why not just save directly to a sync folder using your favorite editor?
01100011 8y ago
I guess I'm beholden to 'the man', but I just use google docs these days. I'm not really a fan of markdown. I'd rather write HTML than remember more syntax. Before Google Docs, I just used text files.
crooked-v 8y ago
I use the desktop apps Quiver and Highland 2 regularly, but both produce files that are just fancy wrappers around what's ultimately accessible file formats if the companies die (macOS package folders with .md or .json contents and image files alongside).
stockkid 8y ago
For the similar reasons I don't really use markdown notes apps. Instead I write all important notes to Evernote despite it being rather heavy weight. When I do use markdown note apps is if I want to quickly jot down an idea or what I just learned. Four months ago I shared this technique with HN [0]. If I were to adopt a markdown app to use regularly, an important factor would be that it is open source. The reason is that, like you, I'd be worried about losing data due to a developer be mistake. Granted, something like Evernote is not open source, but I'm less worried about losing data. [0] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16357917 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16357917
- fraudsyndrome 8y ago
  I started using onenote after realizing how bad storing my uni notes in text and word docs was. I moved onto evernote for my work laptop and found it horrendous on windows - it wouldn't let me do something as simple as auto-capitalizing first words of the sentence. I'd run into issues quite often and googling it would amount to someone complaining about it on the forums a couple years back and nothing changing. After that I just moved back to onenote.
dejawu 8y ago
I built my own because I got fed up with Evernote: https://nanote.co https://nanote.co The most valuable thing hasn't been any individual feature (though those are nice since I can tailor them to me) but rather the fact that if I don't like the way it works, I can just pop the hood and change it myself. Been using it for about three years now.
elyobo 8y ago
vim; I don't need a markdown editor, because markdown is (by design) readable as plain text. I tend to note things in markdown just because it's more readable than "plain" plain text.
theknarf 8y ago
Personally, I use the Typora app for taking notes in markdown and sticking everything in a git repo. The main thing I'm missing is some kind of built-in git feature, would have been nice if it auto-committed for me instead of me having to do that manually. So I'm planning on making my own desktop app that's Apple Notes, but in Markdown, and with some kind of git auto-commit feature. But the nice thing about Markdown + Git is that I'm not locked into using one app! If I ever want to try out another Markdown app in the future I can do so, if I want to make my own I can do so, if I later stop updating my app and need another one I can just switch. Emacs people kinda figured this out a long time ago with Org-mode.
- kookoopuffs 8y ago
  please please make this! Apple notes with markdown and git!
arendtio 8y ago
I use vim to write Markdown documents and task lists since two years or so. For a while, I had some trouble with the tooling as most stuff is npm based and authors releasing on npm do not embrace system package managers (install locally vs. globally etc.). Recently, Okular (the KDE document viewer) got Markdown support, but I don't really like the default style and the font is the only thing you can change. Nevertheless, yesterday I wrote a script and a css file to convert my Markdown files to PDF files from the command line easily (and with a style I like). The conversion to PDF is important for me as some of the humans around me do not seem to appreciate my markdown files ;-) For synchronization across devices I use my Nextcloud.

bsg75 8y ago

This is interesting. Where are notes saved?

faheywf 8y ago
The documentation states that the notes are saved in localStorage.

vanderZwan 8y ago

> The code makes use of localStorage() to save the raw text and the time and date of when the edit has been made. Given that localStorage only has 5MiB available to it, you could try using the localForage library to have a localStorage-like API around IndexedDB, so that people can store even larger notes (you could even support storing pasted images as PNG blobs). Even better: is has automatic localForage fallback. Alternatively, you might want to either compress the text with LZ-String before storing it[1]. (BTW, version 2.0 is currently in the works and much faster, especially if you use the "Unsafe" version[2]) [0] https://localforage.github.io/localForage/ https://localforage.github.io/localForage/ [1] http://pieroxy.net/blog/pages/lz-string/index.html http://pieroxy.net/blog/pages/lz-string/index.html [2] https://github.com/pieroxy/lz-string/pull/98#issuecomment-404166788 https://github.com/pieroxy/lz-string/pull/98#issuecomment-40...

PretzelFisch 8y ago
I am pretty sure you can ask the user to use more and 5mb is just the mobile default for a site. https://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/offline/quota-research/ https://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/offline/quota-resear...
- vanderZwan 8y ago
  I just checked MDN, since I've had problems with html5rocks tutorials being outdated due to specs changing in the past (not related to localStorage though), but all pages I can find on it seem to overlook the whole quota aspect[0]. However, the Chrome dev page on the topic[1] mentions this: > Unlimited storage is similar to persistent storage, but it is available only to Chrome apps and extensions (.crx files). The size of unlimited storage is limited only by the availability of space in the user's hard drive. You can ask for the unlimitedStorage permission in the manifest file for an app or extension. At installation, the user is informed of permissions required by the app or extension. By proceeding with the installation, the user implicitly grants permission for all pages whose URLs are listed in the manifest.json file. [0] https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Storage https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Storage [1] https://developer.chrome.com/apps/offline_storage https://developer.chrome.com/apps/offline_storage

halite 8y ago

How do you interpret these licensing terms: License Copyright (c) Mihir Chaturvedi. All rights reserved. Licensed under the MIT License. If Mihir has all rights reserved, what's the purpose of adding MIT with it?

ghostly_s 8y ago
Isnt't "All rights reserved" typical language, even with open source licenses?
- ChristianBundy 8y ago
  No, it's generally "Copyright <name>" to explain where the license is coming from, but a copyright license is the exact opposite of "all rights reserved".
  - blattimwind 8y ago
    No, not really. The phrase itself has no legal significance any more, anyway, but even if it did, this would basically work like an ACL: Allow MIT terms Deny * # all rights reserved (implied) Am I using it under MIT terms? Allowed. Otherwise not.
    - JdeBP 8y ago
      That is not in fact true on either point. Some legal significance remained for a while, and it is not nor was like an ACL. * http://jdebp.info./FGA/law-copyright-all-rights-reserved.html http://jdebp.info./FGA/law-copyright-all-rights-reserved.htm...
Nokinside 8y ago
Open source license does not mean giving up intellectual property rights. You can only license the work if you own the rights to the work. MIT License starts with copyright notice: Copyright (c) <year> <copyright holders> Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal ....

discaler 8y ago

Look good. However, on mac I would really prefer using native apps for taking notes as they are fast and has a nice design like bear. Chrome can slow down easily and is unreliable at times.

jehlakj 8y ago
Or because I usually have a gazillion tabs open.

arxpoetica 8y ago

This is really cool and I'll use it. My only negative comment is that white on black is really harsh on my eyes. It would be nice if the theme could be toned down a bit somehow.

swsieber 8y ago
I much prefer it to a lower contrast setup. And it does mimic a terminal. I do wonder if it's controlled by the current chrome theme, given that the tab recorded in the window is also dark.
- stronglikedan 8y ago
  To be fair, most terminals I've encountered aren't white on black, but more of a light grey on black. I believe that's what OP means by toning it down a bit. While I do prefer a higher contrast as you do, I agree with OP in that this is too high.

nautilus12 8y ago

Too bad I gave up on Chrome...

40four 8y ago
Haha, I did recently as well. Cool concept though
princekolt 8y ago
Not to diminish the usefulness of this extension, but aren't all browsers incredibly bloated software nowadays? (especially chrome)
mcguire 8y ago
Apparently, the Firefox API is now similar to Chrome's, if you use that. (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17507819 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17507819)
- nitemice 8y ago
  Similar enough that it's possible to run some Chrome extensions in Firefox. I've been using Foxified [1] to do this for a while, and while it's not always perfect, it worth a try in most cases. [1] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/chrome-store-foxified/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/chrome-store-...

davidjhall 8y ago

Nice - but I wish it didn't take over the New Tab button since I use that for quick access; Since it's icon is in the status bar, why not just click on it to open a markdown tab? *Edit: Yes, I know it's in the name of the extension :-) -- just wish I could change the default.

ake1 8y ago
just fork it and add your "quick access" at the top of the page? i've been using a custom new-tab-page extension for a long time, it even comes with an integrated alarm-clock!

bdickason 8y ago

This is a great idea!

bendavis381 8y ago

Why would you use markdown to take notes? Markdown is designed to be displayed as rich-text (headings, lists, etc) after authoring. If you only ever view it in plaintext as an editor, what's the point?

imaoreo 8y ago
Haven't used the app but the gif in the readme shows you can switch between view and edit mode.
bdickason 8y ago
I take notes in Markdown in an editor that formats it automagically called IA Writer. Bullets are indented, headlines bolded and out-dented, etc.
- goddtriffin 8y ago
  This looks absolutely amazing.
- erikbye 8y ago
  Also: https://caret.io/ https://caret.io/ https://typora.io/ https://typora.io/
  - cben 8y ago
    Also the venerable https://stackedit.io/ https://stackedit.io/. Also the new GitBook https://docs.gitbook.com/v2-changes/feature-highlights#unified-experience-between-reading-and-editing https://docs.gitbook.com/v2-changes/feature-highlights#unifi... I'm sure there are a few more markdown "WYSIWYM" I'm forgetting... To build your own see also https://simplemde.com/ https://simplemde.com/. Basically CodeMirror is friendly to mixed-font syntax highlighting. Also yours truly https://mathdown.net https://mathdown.net
mixedmath 8y ago
I frequently take notes in markdown even though I rarely view it non-plaintext myself. But I use markdown because it's well-suited to conversion to other formats through pandoc, and I sometimes send notes to others (who don't like plaintext/markdown). It's particularly nice to convert to .doc, .docx, and .pdf (through LaTeX). Perhaps this is a silly reason, but I use vim and I like my markdown syntax highlighting. I rather like reading my plaintext markdown + (default) syntax highlighting. I suppose it would be possible to write/use some txt syntax+highlighting (or some .note format, etc.), but I reinvent the wheel in enough other places to not want to do that here.

HashBasher 8y ago

How can I add new notes? Or is it just a single page for all notes?

drcode 8y ago

Thanks, I'll use this for entering my "three goals for the day" in the morning! (also, for those who missed it: The particle effects can be disabled in the settings.)

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
nickjj 8y ago
If you like things like that, try out the Momentum extension. It's focused on short lived todo lists but also has some amazing random scenery pictures. I've never had a more pleasant and welcoming new tab window. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/momentum/laookkfknpbbblfpciffpaejjkokdgca https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/momentum/laookkfkn...

coolgoose 8y ago

I am really confused on why this is useful and not any other proper-ish note taking application.

wruza 8y ago
It reminds me the times when we were happy to install all desktop extensions, tray tools and destroy the wallpaper with ms plus. Anything but doing something structured and useful (hey, we were kids back then!)
braythwayt 8y ago
Think about "Why text files won for programming source code." Rich formats like Smalltalk's images are vastly superior as long as you stay within the ecosystem. But plain text is "worse is better" at scale. You get more tools, more interoperability, more of everything. Markdown is the plain text file winner for uncomplicated words. It's somewhat portable between a myriad of tools. When you drop into a "Better" tool like OneNote, you get all sorts of amazing wins... Provided you stay within the walled garden it provides. Speaking as an author, I blog in markdown, I take notes in markdown, and I publish my books from markdown source for this very reason. Heck, being able to put my books in GitHub and do pull requests is enough reason all by itself! --- If you meant, "Why a tab instead of a separate app that works with Markdown," none of what I wrote above applies. I was speaking strictly to why Markdown instead of some proprietary-format notes app.
- mcguire 8y ago
  "Why a tab instead of a separate app that works with Markdown" I'll bet the answer is similar: Everyone already has a browser open and quite a lot of notes are copy-n-pasted from other tabs. Availability, interoperability, etc.

olalonde 8y ago

Cool idea. A vim mode would be neat (e.g. https://codemirror.net/demo/vim.html https://codemirror.net/demo/vim.html).

hknd 8y ago

Reminds me on "Mindful Chrome Extension", which I've been using a lot https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mindful-beta/cieekmjjdkckhpidgaffphlaljdfhhab https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mindful-beta/cieek...

coryfklein 8y ago

I love this, and I wish I could use it, but I've moved to Firefox. You'd have an instant daily user right here if you released it in Firefox.

rhelmer 8y ago
I just tried and appears to work OK (Firefox 61.0.1, macOS)... since it's unsigned I loaded it as a temporary add-on in about:debugging plibither8, would you mind adding instructions to load this into Firefox in your README as well as Chrome? Also please upload to addons.mozilla.org as well as the Chrome Store. Nice work!
- rhelmer 8y ago
  In case anyone is curious why this works, Firefox switched to a new extensions API which tries to stay compatible with the one Chrome uses: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/WebExtensions https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/WebExtensions
- plibither8 8y ago
  Sure! I'll do this as soon as i get time. Thanks!
plibither8 8y ago
Hey! I'll try to work on building a Firefox extension too, but until then why not make this: https://mdnt.surge.sh https://mdnt.surge.sh the default page? Thanks a lot!
keb_ 8y ago
I made something kinda like this for Firefox for my own purposes, but less of a note-taking app, and more something just to write markdown in columns. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/colm/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/colm/ https://gitlab.com/kevinfiol/colm https://gitlab.com/kevinfiol/colm I don't expect it to be bug-free because it is something I made somewhat haphazardly for myself.
Bokagha 8y ago

rutierut 8y ago

For Apple users, I use macdown[0] a stand-alone application that does basically the same thing, like it a lot. [0] https://macdown.uranusjr.com/ https://macdown.uranusjr.com/]

soared 8y ago

I just use the papier chrome extension. Same exact thing except it actually displays styles and is easier to install. https://getpapier.com/ https://getpapier.com/

vanderZwan 8y ago
Not open source though, as far as I can tell. Also, and I know this is stupid, but any website this fancy for a simple extension makes me a bit suspicious.
- weaksauce 8y ago
  That’s fine to be skeptical but they are a design and consulting firm. Makes sense that they could bang something nice out and if it’s popular the link back will help their seo and perhaps directly get them business.
mderazon 8y ago
Papier is great but it's not markdown

tom_usher 8y ago

I'm a big Moo.do[0] fan - I use it for notes, my todo list, and agenda, so at the moment I've got it set up as my new tab with some custom CSS to hide the stuff I don't need to see in that context. This seems to distill the concept down very nicely - quicker to load and straight to the point. Sadly I'd miss the structure of Moo.do but I can definitely see a world in which I'd use it - nice work. [0] https://www.moo.do https://www.moo.do

j2kun 8y ago

I just have a bookmarklet. If you're writing something so detailed it needs formatting, you shouldn't be doing it in a browser tab. data:text/html;charset=utf-8,<title>Notepad</title><style>body{background:#fbfbfb;color:#333;margin:0 auto;width:60rem}textarea{background:#fbfbfb;border:0;color:#333;font-family:monospace;font-size:1.5rem;height:98%;line-height:1.2;margin:0 auto;outline:0;padding:4rem;width:100%}@media (max-width:768px){body{width:100%;padding:0}textarea{padding:10px}}</style><body><textarea contenteditable id=TE spellcheck=false autofocus></textarea>

writepub 8y ago

Dear HN - you might be interested in Write.Pub (http://write.pub http://write.pub) It has both a WYSIWYG and raw markown editing mode. The USP is built-in git - if you ever wanted to showcase the power of version control to a non-programmer, but didn't want to put them through a git bootcamp, this might be the right tool for a common use case - note taking and writing

mderazon 8y ago

It would have been nice to have the text automatically formatted while you type instead of having "edit mode" to switch between plain text and formatted md. Dropbox Paper does that really nicely.

jordanwallwork 8y ago

Neat idea. I hope this idea gets dropped though > To do: Other gimmicks to make it less minimalistic (?)

plibither8 8y ago
I too was considering to remove that, I probably will!

crehn 8y ago

For those using iCloud, another simple trick is to alias n='vim ~/Library/Mobile\ Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs/Notes.md' Then just type n to access your scratch pad. All nicely synced between devices.

codetrotter 8y ago
Wait, so if I do this in macOS, do I get formatted notes when I sync them to my iPhone if I use markdown syntax?

SolarNet 8y ago

Use the Gingko App instead. It's even local these days. Whole tree of markdown in a single page, http://gingkoapp.com/ http://gingkoapp.com/

ax0ar 8y ago

I like this. Could you guys add a mode that hides the right and bottom part and only shows the notes? Also, popping up a Markdown cheatsheet via a shortcut would be dope for those who don't use the syntax often.

askvictor 8y ago

This is neat, but are there any like this that you can pull up on your phone?

robszumski 8y ago

My favorite scratch pad is a simple bookmarklet: "data:text/html, <textarea style="font-size: 1.2em; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: none; outline: none" autofocus></textarea><script>window.onbeforeunload = function(e) { return 'really close?'; };</script>" Keep it open as long as you need, and it prompts to confirm before you close it.

neya 8y ago

Personally, I bookmarked this piece of code, so that everytime I open a new tab and want to take notes, I just open one and press my bookmark link: data:text/html, <body contenteditable style="font: 2rem/1.5 monospace;max-width:60rem;margin:0 auto;padding:4rem;"> Alternatively, you could also paste this in your browser URL bar and press enter. I got this code from some GitHub gist, but it has served me well for many years.

vanderZwan 8y ago
This works great! I can combine it with Firefox' often-forgotten "Keyword" feature of bookmarks so that typing note in the URL bar automatically opens this. And to save a note I just press CTRL+S Microscopic tweak: white font on black background data:text/html, <body contenteditable style="font: 2rem/1.5 monospace;max-width:60rem;margin:0 auto;padding:4rem;color:white;background-color:black;"> EDIT: Another tweak: give the body focus automatically data:text/html, <html><body id='.' contenteditable style="font: 2rem/1.5 monospace;max-width:60rem;margin:0 auto;padding:4rem;color:white;background-color:black;"></body><script type="text/javascript">var div = document.getElementById('.');setTimeout(function() {div.focus();}, 0);</script></html>

TruthSHIFT 8y ago

I've been using this all day and it's amazing. It's not a replacement for a notes app. Instead, I'm using it to remind me where I left off on my work. It's helping me stay focused. Instead of seeing the distracting new tab screen, I see what I'm supposed to work on.

Anm 8y ago

I have the following URL as the first bookmark on all browser bookmark bars: data:text/html, <html contenteditable> It isn't nearly as featureful as a full Markdown editor, and it won't save the contents of the tab to localstorage or anywhere else, but it is about as simple a solution as you can get.