HN Explorer

26 comments

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minimaxir
...$7/mo for a blog platform you don't control?
marban
Yes. I will post how it turns out.
uxwtf
So instead of complex algorithms that detect meaningful content, you resort to $7?
marban
The network part is just something for later. Since when does medium use an algorithm?
minimaxir
I wouldn't expect that to work well in the long-run, since Ghost (http://tryghost.org/features.html) has the same features (Markdown + minimalistic design), and it's open source.

And that's not counting the fact that Medium itself is free.

johnrob
Debug Assertion Failed! Implicit broken rule: "Startups rarely fail because of the competition".
marban
I'm not targeting users who are capable of hosting their own blog, let alone caring about whether it's open source or free. There are still people who are astounded by the simple possibility of putting their own content on the web.
AlisdairO
At first glance the blogs look very attractive - I really like the design. Do you have plans to increase the level of personalisation over time, or are you trying to keep the look relatively homogenous?
marban
I focus on equal looks across all platforms but more custom stuff is of course planned.
wasd
Looks nice. Despite the naysayers, I like your service better most blogging platforms. One thing that kills me about medium.com is that I don't have analytics. Does your service offer something like number of page views, time on page, bounce rate, etc?
marban
you can only add your analytics account right now but the stats part is something i'll add later.
PavlovsCat
Collecting the stats you are likely to want/need is much easier and quicker than figuring out how to display them, just a thought :)
schuylerlarson
Your login buttons design doesnt seem to fit... this includes the blue and the sharp corner.
rk0567
Looks nice and clean :) I've one question though, What would you do if the bloggers stop paying after sometime ?
marban
Their blog just turns private if the membership is cancelled.
jwarren
Lovely! Good job on the overall look and feel. If the posting experience is as slick as the reading experience, I think you'll do well.

I do agree that the Login and Express Signup buttons feel "off", but that's just a few lines of CSS to fix.

When you've got the time and money, I'd also encourage you to work with a copywriter to set your tone a bit better.

marban
Agreed on the login/copy. Last minute changes...
ziko
You really shouldn't mention medium.com in one line you have. Serious bloggers will stop reading right there.

Overall, I give you thumbs up.

marban
the reference was just for the HN post.
pseut
You think the "for the novice blogger" part won't turn off serious bloggers?
null_ptr
Do you support comments? The whole props/kudos/like trend is replacing meaningful interaction between users and creators. It's so much easier to click a thumbs-up icon than it is to formulate a clear opinion and articulate your thoughts, but the end result when you take the time to do so is so much more fulfilling for both parties.
marban
They're most definitely on the upcoming list, but probably default off.
null_ptr
Why default off? Are today's bloggers afraid of feedback beyond "n people liked this"?
marban
Not at all but I think users should rather enable features on purpose since comments might turn into work.
FR6
"You can sign up for free and try out Postagon for 3 days — no credit card required. To launch your blog to the public, simply activate your membership."

Why only 3 days of tryout if it's not even public?

marban
Longer trial periods usually don't lead to better conversions. I might extend it to a week though.