Remote Writer released!

As Conal mentioned in an earlier post, we've been working on a browser-based word processor to allow people to create content for collections and projects such as the NZETC via a simple interface without having to learn the intricacies of TEI XML.

Well, the good news is that it's finally free for all to use (and extend if desired), and can be found at remotewriter.wordpress.com.

If you follow that link, it should explain the features and answer questions about it, including what it is, what it's good for and how to install it, but briefly, Remote Writer is an open-source tool for collaboratively creating documents using a simple-to-use interface in a similar fashion to other browser-based word-processors such as Google Docs and Zoho Writer.

Like Zoho Writer, Remote Writer even allows the creation and maintenance of documents using your browser while offline (for example, when travelling). When online again, all changes are synchronised to and from the server, though it is also possible to use Remote Writer as a stand-alone client.

However, what makes Remote Writer unique is:

• the ability to define custom block-level and inline styles
  
  
• its status as the only open-source solution (at least to this point) that features both online and offline functionality
  

Because Remote Writer is open-source, and is built on other open-source efforts (including the tinyMCE Javascript content editor, and Google Gears), it is freely available to anyone for use and further modification / enhancement.

We're happy to make it freely available, and would be interested if anyone has any feedback to offer about it.