https://www.cerveau.app/ is pretty much ready to be opened to the public. But before I announce it everywhere, would anybody like to 'test drive' it and let me know some things that absolute must be changed before wider announcement?
So another minor point of feedback: I signed up, connected it to my Github, then scratched my head for a moment until I saw the '2. Install Cerveau ...' link, so I did that, then went back and nothing seemed to have happened. Eventually I saw that the page had changed, there was now a 'Your repositories with Cerveau installed' section, and no problem, I've found it. So there's no technical problem here, everything works. It just wasn't bleedingly obvious what I should be doing. I would suggest more hand-holding: Maybe something like three big button-links across the top of the 'Welcome to Cerveau' page: "Create your Neuron", "Install Cerveau", "Visit your Cerveau". Grey out the ones that won't work yet, give a bright colour to the next step, and a great big tick on the ones that are done.
@Alex Chapman Awesome, thanks! That's useful feedback. Once you click one of the repositories under the repository list, it would take you to z-index view -- any thoughts on that UI there?
Now that it's installed, my user experience is still a little jerky: I don't remember my full Cerveau URL (and it's long), so while I'm still too lazy to bookmark it I go to www.cerveau.app to get there, but then I have to wait for it to redirect me to 'Welcome to Cerveau', and then I have to click on the link to my repo.
On the z-index... it seems odd at first glance that the repository revision is featured at the top like that. It's good that there's mouse-over text for it, but maybe say why it's important? Or link to something that does?
When I 'Add a new zettel', the choice on whether to have a Custom Zettel ID is disconcerting... what's the significance of this? Should it be the post title? Can I see what the random one would be?
When editing (again as a naive user), I expected Ctrl+S to save the note, but it tries to save the html page. I think there must be a js API to override this?
Oh, and don't let me leave the page with unsaved changes! I made a change, then clicked the 'Back arrow' (which I now see says "Cancel editing"), and lost my changes.
Looks like a bug: In Firefox 79.0 on NixOS, from the edit-zettel page, click 'Lookup ID', none of the pages in the search list are clickable at all. The dialog does nothing except list pages I can't get to. image.png
That's expected. "Lookup ID" exists as a workaround until proper link autocomplete is implemented. It exists so you can copy-paste the ID manually into the textbox, without leaving the editor (or having to open another tab/window)
https://www.cerveau.app/ is pretty much ready to be opened to the public. But before I announce it everywhere, would anybody like to 'test drive' it and let me know some things that absolute must be changed before wider announcement?
Alright, I've opened up the beta to everyone: http://www.cerveau.app/
Just announcing it to selected places for now. A wider announcement will be made in a day or two, along with a blog post re: technology.
Minor suggestion: redirect cerveau.app to www.cerveau.app.
So another minor point of feedback: I signed up, connected it to my Github, then scratched my head for a moment until I saw the '2. Install Cerveau ...' link, so I did that, then went back and nothing seemed to have happened. Eventually I saw that the page had changed, there was now a 'Your repositories with Cerveau installed' section, and no problem, I've found it. So there's no technical problem here, everything works. It just wasn't bleedingly obvious what I should be doing. I would suggest more hand-holding: Maybe something like three big button-links across the top of the 'Welcome to Cerveau' page: "Create your Neuron", "Install Cerveau", "Visit your Cerveau". Grey out the ones that won't work yet, give a bright colour to the next step, and a great big tick on the ones that are done.
@Alex Chapman Awesome, thanks! That's useful feedback. Once you click one of the repositories under the repository list, it would take you to z-index view -- any thoughts on that UI there?
s/UI/UX
Now that it's installed, my user experience is still a little jerky: I don't remember my full Cerveau URL (and it's long), so while I'm still too lazy to bookmark it I go to www.cerveau.app to get there, but then I have to wait for it to redirect me to 'Welcome to Cerveau', and then I have to click on the link to my repo.
I should shortern to the URL, to something like
https://www.cerveau.app/@/srid/notes/foo
And put the dashboard in its own route, like
/dashboard
so there is not that janky redirectOn the z-index... it seems odd at first glance that the repository revision is featured at the top like that. It's good that there's mouse-over text for it, but maybe say why it's important? Or link to something that does?
Maybe the tree view could have 'Add zettel' links?
You mean in addition to the "+" button in the top bar?
Yeah, just a thought...
btw, roadmap is here: https://github.com/srid/cerveau-issues/issues
link autocomplete is super important i think
When I 'Add a new zettel', the choice on whether to have a Custom Zettel ID is disconcerting... what's the significance of this? Should it be the post title? Can I see what the random one would be?
Hmm, yea, the UX there can be improved. Zetel graph is available in frontend, so we can generate and show the random ID in the dialog box.
If using custom ID, that would be something the user chooses - and not always the post title, eg: https://github.com/srid/alien-psychology
That would be good. Default to the random ID but let me edit it if I want?
Right
That's much simpler UX
So let the user know what their choices for custom ID are, in the interface, e.g. by linking to a discussion of this from the 'Add a new zettel' page.
I'm assuming very naive users -- if you're expecting your users to already be expert Neuron users then no problem.
/me records this convo at https://github.com/srid/cerveau-issues/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3Apublic-beta
When editing (again as a naive user), I expected Ctrl+S to save the note, but it tries to save the html page. I think there must be a js API to override this?
Right, keyboard shortcuts -- last time I tried doing this there were some issues on the reflex side. I also want to do
ctrl+o
for quick open of zettelOh, this is Reflex? NIce.
ya, its all obelisk
Oh, and don't let me leave the page with unsaved changes! I made a change, then clicked the 'Back arrow' (which I now see says "Cancel editing"), and lost my changes.
i plan to write a blog post describing the tech stack behind cerveau, along with the official announcement of public beta
I look forward to that :)
it compiles neuron source code (the library) to javascript
Oh yeah, I see that, 17MB js file :)
... 2MB packed :-D
if you are on mobile, you can use 'add to home screen' to make it an app.
Looks like a bug: In Firefox 79.0 on NixOS, from the edit-zettel page, click 'Lookup ID', none of the pages in the search list are clickable at all. The dialog does nothing except list pages I can't get to.
image.png
That's expected. "Lookup ID" exists as a workaround until proper link autocomplete is implemented. It exists so you can copy-paste the ID manually into the textbox, without leaving the editor (or having to open another tab/window)
Oh, ok
I should probably put what I just said in the textbox
Yeah :)
And link to the syntax from the edit page?
yup
I should link to https://neuron.zettel.page/2011404.html
Deployed new verison with new short URLs
Is this eventually going to be open source?
If I get enough sponsors, yes. :nerd:
Anybody want to review the draft blog post for Cerveau (to be announced tomorrow)?
Draft link: https://www.srid.ca/689c4a39.html
Looks pretty good after a quick read-through. Typo at the end though: sponsership
I added small video demo to the blog post: https://www.srid.ca/static/cerveau-live-preview.webm
https://lobste.rs/s/xajgsn/cerveau_future_proof_web_app_for_notes
posted in HN https://news.ycombinator.com/newest (upvote will count only from this page or the main page)
did the issues repo go away? https://github.com/srid/cerveau-issues/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3Apublic-beta