10 ms·

I'm building an app that is, in a way, a modern take on Lotus Notes (https://github.com/superegodev/superego https://github.com/superegodev/superego), and I cou

by pscanf 6mo ago

I'm building an app that is, in a way, a modern take on Lotus Notes (https://github.com/superegodev/superego https://github.com/superegodev/superego), and I couldn't feel this more: > It is hard, today, to explain exactly what Lotus Notes was. Whenever I try to explain what it does to a non-tech person, I'm met with confused looks that make me quickly give up and mumble something like "It's for techies and data nerds". I think to myself "they're not my target audience". But I actually would like them to be, at some point. In the 90s "the generality and depth of its capabilities meant that it was also just plain hard to use", but now LLMs lower a lot the barrier to entry, so I think there can be a renaissance of such malleable¹ platforms. Of course, the user still needs to "know what they need" and see software as something that can be configured and shaped to their needs which, with "digital literacy" decreasing, might be a bigger obstacle than I think. ¹ https://www.inkandswitch.com/malleable-software https://www.inkandswitch.com/malleable-software

dharmatech 6mo ago
Just watched your demo here: https://youtu.be/vB3xo2qn_g4?si=y2udkdfezSR9ktUO https://youtu.be/vB3xo2qn_g4?si=y2udkdfezSR9ktUO Pretty cool!
- dharmatech 6mo ago
  I like that you can generate new programs from within the system. That's something I miss with Notion. I basically want a Notion but extensible and malleable like Emacs.
  - pscanf 6mo ago
    Yes! That's more or less the angle I'm going for. I mean, I don't aim just yet for Emacs-levels of malleability, but at least for something where you can create some useful day to day personal tools.
dharmatech 6mo ago
Many people seem to associate "ego" with negative connotation. The name gives a weird vibe. But, it's free and it's your project so, whatever. ¯ \ _ ( ツ ) _ / ¯
- pscanf 6mo ago
  Yeah, I agree, though it wants to be slightly provocative as well: it's all about you, your data, your software, your rights.
  - dharmatech 6mo ago
    Ah... Ok, that makes sense.
dharmatech 6mo ago
Is there a story behind the old guy in the logo?
- allenu 6mo ago
  It must be a nod to Freud (i.e. id, ego, and super ego)
  - deleted 6mo ago
    [deleted]
  - pscanf 6mo ago
    Correct. Admittedly, graphic design is not even my passion, so there's probably lots of room for improvement. But at this point I've grown accustomed to the friendly face. :D
jasondigitized 6mo ago
If you squint, Notion and Coda are childish versions of Lotus Notes.
cess11 6mo ago
Thanks for sharing. The demo linked below looked pretty cool, I think this might be a nice complement to Glamorous Toolkit in some of my personal and work flows.
WillAdams 6mo ago
One noted science fiction author, C.J. Cherryh, notes, “It is perfectly okay to write garbage --- as long as you edit brilliantly.”[1] --- for a while I've been wondering if this adage was applicable to Vibe-coding, and your methodology would seem to be a reasonable approach/response to get the benefits of this and to shield against the detriments, and to ensure that a human developer understands the code before committing. 1 - https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/398754-it-is-perfectly-okay-to-write-garbage--as-long-as-you https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/398754-it-is-perfectly-okay...
- pscanf 6mo ago
  > your methodology would seem to be a reasonable approach/response to get the benefits of this and to shield against the detriments If you're referring to the sandboxing / isolation of each app, I agree. Plus, the user can change the app quite easily, so if when they spot a bug, they can tell the agent to fix it (and cross their fingers!). > ensure that a human developer understands the code before committing Just to clarify: for Superego's app there's no human developer oversight, though. At least for the ones the user self-creates. Obviously the user will check that the app they just made works, but they might not spot subtle bugs. I employ some strategies to _decrease the likelihood of bugs_ (I wrote a bit about it here https://pscanf.com/s/351/ https://pscanf.com/s/351/, if you're interested), but of course only formal verification would ensure there aren't any.
  - WillAdams 6mo ago
    I was referring more to your commentary/explanation about it not being a Vibe-coded app. Yeah, I can see that one is on their own recognizance when letting an LLM run unsupervised.
    - pscanf 6mo ago
      Ah yeah, I understand now. And I also agree with the quote then! (Though it does change the nature of the job, and it's not terribly enjoyable...)

by pscanf 6mo ago

dharmatech 6mo ago

Just watched your demo here: https://youtu.be/vB3xo2qn_g4?si=y2udkdfezSR9ktUO https://youtu.be/vB3xo2qn_g4?si=y2udkdfezSR9ktUO Pretty cool!

dharmatech 6mo ago
I like that you can generate new programs from within the system. That's something I miss with Notion. I basically want a Notion but extensible and malleable like Emacs.
- pscanf 6mo ago
  Yes! That's more or less the angle I'm going for. I mean, I don't aim just yet for Emacs-levels of malleability, but at least for something where you can create some useful day to day personal tools.

dharmatech 6mo ago

Many people seem to associate "ego" with negative connotation. The name gives a weird vibe. But, it's free and it's your project so, whatever. ¯ \ _ ( ツ ) _ / ¯

pscanf 6mo ago
Yeah, I agree, though it wants to be slightly provocative as well: it's all about you, your data, your software, your rights.
- dharmatech 6mo ago
  Ah... Ok, that makes sense.

dharmatech 6mo ago

Is there a story behind the old guy in the logo?

allenu 6mo ago
It must be a nod to Freud (i.e. id, ego, and super ego)
- deleted 6mo ago
  [deleted]
- pscanf 6mo ago
  Correct. Admittedly, graphic design is not even my passion, so there's probably lots of room for improvement. But at this point I've grown accustomed to the friendly face. :D

jasondigitized 6mo ago

If you squint, Notion and Coda are childish versions of Lotus Notes.

cess11 6mo ago

Thanks for sharing. The demo linked below looked pretty cool, I think this might be a nice complement to Glamorous Toolkit in some of my personal and work flows.

WillAdams 6mo ago

One noted science fiction author, C.J. Cherryh, notes, “It is perfectly okay to write garbage --- as long as you edit brilliantly.”[1] --- for a while I've been wondering if this adage was applicable to Vibe-coding, and your methodology would seem to be a reasonable approach/response to get the benefits of this and to shield against the detriments, and to ensure that a human developer understands the code before committing. 1 - https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/398754-it-is-perfectly-okay-to-write-garbage--as-long-as-you https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/398754-it-is-perfectly-okay...

pscanf 6mo ago
> your methodology would seem to be a reasonable approach/response to get the benefits of this and to shield against the detriments If you're referring to the sandboxing / isolation of each app, I agree. Plus, the user can change the app quite easily, so if when they spot a bug, they can tell the agent to fix it (and cross their fingers!). > ensure that a human developer understands the code before committing Just to clarify: for Superego's app there's no human developer oversight, though. At least for the ones the user self-creates. Obviously the user will check that the app they just made works, but they might not spot subtle bugs. I employ some strategies to _decrease the likelihood of bugs_ (I wrote a bit about it here https://pscanf.com/s/351/ https://pscanf.com/s/351/, if you're interested), but of course only formal verification would ensure there aren't any.
- WillAdams 6mo ago
  I was referring more to your commentary/explanation about it not being a Vibe-coded app. Yeah, I can see that one is on their own recognizance when letting an LLM run unsupervised.
  - pscanf 6mo ago
    Ah yeah, I understand now. And I also agree with the quote then! (Though it does change the nature of the job, and it's not terribly enjoyable...)