Prevent Default — The Future of Authoring Tools
summary
Argues that documents must be websites not simulated paper, with the web as the authoring platform and plain text as the kernel. Shows a working Swipe presentation tool that treats slides as web pages, describes why browser contenteditable is buggy (spec abandoned, navigation/selection/state problems), explains how React makes reimplementing input state possible, recounts building a React-based editor inspired by Trix and finding it insufficient, and points to Notion-style blocks/outliner as a practical, composable model that already supports collaborative, stateful documents.
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chapters (9)
- 0:00Introduction and speaker background
- 4:03Defining authoring tools
- 8:46The web as the future platform
- 14:57Empowering creators with smart tools
- 18:30Challenges of rich text editing
- 23:50Structured documents over word processors
- 27:29Building blocks for complex workflows
- 29:27The future of authoring tools on the web
- 30:37Conclusion and call to action
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