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Show HN: A web typewriter where backspace only strikes through (ouachitalabs.com)

2 points by faxmeyourcode ↗ HN
This is "typewriter". A little POC I built with the help of claude code. I wanted something that had similar constraints as a typewriter (with some modern affordances here and there). These constraints have been argued to help get people into the flow state easier.

- No formatting choices. You get monospace black and white fonts, no italics, no bold, no formal headings, and no images or tables.

- Most importantly, no backspace key. Only a -strikethrough- option.

In a world dominated by A.I. generated text, it is more important than ever to get the rough draft of your own thoughts down yourself, before they're interpreted and twisted in subtle ways by a large language model. A typewriter-esque experience like this, with no backspace allowed, frees yourself from the endless self-criticism and rewriting things before they're ready. By all means edit your writing, but don't do that until you've got _something_ *ANYTHING* down on the page.

This is the number one mistake I make myself. It's the best procrastination tactic. So here it is, an app to help avoid that. :-)

2 comments

[ 2.8 ms ] story [ 16.3 ms ] thread
patrakov
It is not sufficient to disable backspace. This thing fails the authenticity test as follows:

    * Type a few letters
    * Use the left arrow several times to go to the beginning of the line
    * Type something else
Expected result: overlapping letters, or, if the same letter has been typed twice, bold letters.

Actual result: new letters are inserted - something that a typewriter cannot do.