Show HN: I made paperboat.website, a platform for friends and creativity
Paperboat.website launches as a refreshing, minimalist platform for personal blogs, emphasizing a 'no JavaScript, no ads' philosophy. It aims to offer a simple, distraction-free space for sharing stories, resonating deeply with the Hacker News community's desire for a less bloated internet. The service invites users back to the early web's ethos of user-centric content, free from modern web complexities.
The Lowdown
Paperboat.website is a new platform for creating simple, friendly, and accessible personal sites and blogs. Conceived as a serene online space free from modern web distractions and advertisements, it offers a lightweight alternative for individuals to share their thoughts and creations.
- Users can create their own personal site and publish blog posts with a choice of rich text editing or Markdown.
- Key features include a complete absence of JavaScript, no advertisements, accessibility, keyboard-friendliness, and automatic RSS feeds for every blog.
- A paid tier (5€) unlocks additional benefits such as creating up to 10 sites, inviting three friends, uploading images and audio files, using custom domains, and choosing custom color themes.
- The platform is maintained by Marv from Leipzig, Germany, who encourages feedback to continuously improve its user-centric design.
Paperboat.website positions itself as a return to a more personal and uncluttered web experience, prioritizing user content and simplicity over modern web bloat.
The Gossip
Jubilant Journey & Minimalist Mission
Commenters enthusiastically congratulated the developer, Marv, on the launch of paperboat.website. There was widespread appreciation for the platform's core philosophy: a simple, lightweight, ad-free, and no-JavaScript approach to personal blogging. This ethos was praised for offering a refreshing alternative to the often-cluttered modern web, with many expressing admiration for its aesthetic and stripped-down spirit.
Bearblog's Brethren & Platform Parallels
A significant portion of the discussion involved comparisons to existing minimalist blogging platforms, most notably `bearblog.dev` and `fika.bar`. Users acknowledged the positive similarities and, in some cases, inquired about paperboat.website's unique differentiators. Suggestions were also made, such as adding a 'discover' page akin to Bearblog's, to foster community and content visibility.
Data Dilemmas & Portability Principles
A critical concern raised by the Hacker News community revolved around data ownership and content portability. Specific questions were posed regarding the Terms of Service, inquiring whether the platform or a future acquirer could claim commercial rights to user-published content. The ability to export blog posts, particularly in formats like Markdown, was highlighted as a crucial factor for users considering committing to the platform, underscoring the community's value for user control over their digital creations.