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I don't know why this is attracting so much hate here. It's a novel and useful idea. Sure, you're relying on Docs, but that's an established, mainline Google

I don't know why this is attracting so much hate here. It's a novel and useful idea. Sure, you're relying on Docs, but that's an established, mainline Google service which makes them money through their enterprise work stack (so I doubt it'll get Google Reader'd). If you were using Google's cloud, nobody in the comments would know or care. Sometimes HN is just negative for the sake of being negative. I think this is a great solution for anyone who wants to throw some articles online without having to muck about with frameworks or the minutiae of managing a blog. Good work, OP!

patwalls 8y ago
Thanks! That's a good point. People might crap on your idea because it relies on a Google product, but massive companies like Snapchat and Airbnb use Google Cloud. Obviously GDocs are a bit different but lots of businesses are built on top of Google products (e.g. Google Maps)
- onetimemanytime 8y ago
  *<< "...but lots of businesses are built on top of Google products (e.g. Google Maps) " And if they forgot that, Google just reminded them with massive price hikes and limits on free use https://www.mapsmarker.com/docs/misc/google-maps-tos-changes/ https://www.mapsmarker.com/docs/misc/google-maps-tos-changes...
  - moolcool 8y ago
    There's a big difference between a neat side hustle you made in 24 hours, and Uber. I genuinely don't understand why people on this website are so critical of things like this.
XJOKOLAT 8y ago
Bollocks.
ndnxhs 8y ago
They might not shut down google docs but they will randomly lock your documents for a few days because a script thought they seemed unusual. Had it happen to me and apparently lots of others have had it as well.
bachmeier 8y ago
> I think this is a great solution for anyone who wants to throw some articles online without having to muck about with frameworks or the minutiae of managing a blog. Your comment might be right, but this sentence is puzzling. How does this require less minutiae than, say, Medium or tumblr?
- moolcool 8y ago
  (As good as) No login (if you're logged into Google) Docs UI -- Editing documents in a proper word processor is better than most blogging platforms This lets you make a blog of existing docs It's not a drop-in replacement for everything, but it's novel and makes sense as an option for a lot of people
- amelius 8y ago
  Medium is the "YouTube" of text blogs, and may (soon) be in the same league of evilness. The point is to have a blog without a gatekeeper that controls who sees what. Using Google docs fulfills this requirement (at this moment).
interfixus 8y ago
> If you were using Google's cloud, nobody in the comments would know or care I would. Deeply unhappy with all the fashionable reliance on external monoliths as a matter of course. Whenever I have the choice, I simply discount technologies that can't stand on its own legs. I would not trust Google with my shopping list. Why would I trust them with a website?
- CRConrad 8y ago
  Try "Google Keep", it's great for shopping lists.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
onetimemanytime 8y ago
Google Docs might not go away but Google might charge for it. Or you will be locked out of Docs because you uploaded a video on YouTube featuring your toddler listening to copyrighted music. Wordpress is here to stay and relatively under your control
- remify 8y ago
  I mean it's not like migrating some pages will be hard anyway ... I say it's a quick and easy way to put some things out there.
  - kalleboo 8y ago
    Only if you remembered to back them up before you got denied access. That said now that's actually a concern to me. Anyone know of any decent automated google docs backup services?

patwalls 8y ago

Thanks! That's a good point. People might crap on your idea because it relies on a Google product, but massive companies like Snapchat and Airbnb use Google Cloud. Obviously GDocs are a bit different but lots of businesses are built on top of Google products (e.g. Google Maps)

onetimemanytime 8y ago
*<< "...but lots of businesses are built on top of Google products (e.g. Google Maps) " And if they forgot that, Google just reminded them with massive price hikes and limits on free use https://www.mapsmarker.com/docs/misc/google-maps-tos-changes/ https://www.mapsmarker.com/docs/misc/google-maps-tos-changes...
- moolcool 8y ago
  There's a big difference between a neat side hustle you made in 24 hours, and Uber. I genuinely don't understand why people on this website are so critical of things like this.

XJOKOLAT 8y ago

Bollocks.

ndnxhs 8y ago

They might not shut down google docs but they will randomly lock your documents for a few days because a script thought they seemed unusual. Had it happen to me and apparently lots of others have had it as well.

bachmeier 8y ago

> I think this is a great solution for anyone who wants to throw some articles online without having to muck about with frameworks or the minutiae of managing a blog. Your comment might be right, but this sentence is puzzling. How does this require less minutiae than, say, Medium or tumblr?

moolcool 8y ago
(As good as) No login (if you're logged into Google) Docs UI -- Editing documents in a proper word processor is better than most blogging platforms This lets you make a blog of existing docs It's not a drop-in replacement for everything, but it's novel and makes sense as an option for a lot of people
amelius 8y ago
Medium is the "YouTube" of text blogs, and may (soon) be in the same league of evilness. The point is to have a blog without a gatekeeper that controls who sees what. Using Google docs fulfills this requirement (at this moment).

interfixus 8y ago

> If you were using Google's cloud, nobody in the comments would know or care I would. Deeply unhappy with all the fashionable reliance on external monoliths as a matter of course. Whenever I have the choice, I simply discount technologies that can't stand on its own legs. I would not trust Google with my shopping list. Why would I trust them with a website?

CRConrad 8y ago
Try "Google Keep", it's great for shopping lists.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

onetimemanytime 8y ago

Google Docs might not go away but Google might charge for it. Or you will be locked out of Docs because you uploaded a video on YouTube featuring your toddler listening to copyrighted music. Wordpress is here to stay and relatively under your control

remify 8y ago
I mean it's not like migrating some pages will be hard anyway ... I say it's a quick and easy way to put some things out there.
- kalleboo 8y ago
  Only if you remembered to back them up before you got denied access. That said now that's actually a concern to me. Anyone know of any decent automated google docs backup services?