Online word processors - rec me something!

[littlebutfierce]

I started off using Google Docs for my fic for portability reasons, but I decided I didn't want to have quite everything in my online life linked to Google, just in case of hacking, etc. So I've been using Zoho Writer for months. It's very similar to Google Docs but a bit more basic. I've also found that it's occasionally buggy--formatting does odd things, or you have to paste something in twice before it actually pastes, etc.

However, twice now it's randomly erased the entire text of a document instead of the one word I'd intended. Fixable, because with the document versions (what they have instead of track changes) I was able to revert to the previous version. But still, disturbing!

I also wish you could mass export files--I think you have to do them individually, as far as I can tell.

Keeping all that in mind, does anyone have any recommendations for other web-based word processors I could try? Or does everyone use stuff like Dropbox? If you love the system you have set up, I am open to persuasion! Alternatively, of course, if there's something you'd suggest I avoid, please share.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Comments

[charamei]

I use Dropbox, personally. I've never been comfortable with keeping stuff solely in the cloud (OMG what if the server dies and I lose everything?!11), so I appreciate the extra security of knowing that anything in my Dropbox account exists multiple times over - on their server and on every hard drive it's linked to. It's also really nice to be able to set up the folder structure exactly how I want it.

[littlebutfierce]

That makes a lot of sense! Automatic online backups=awesome. I should probably just go ahead & do Dropbox already--somehow the knowledge that I'd have to set it up on my desktop & laptop (& phone, ha) makes it feel onerous in my head. I'm sure it's not, but compared to signing up for something like Zoho Writer it is!

It's silly, but part of what I like about online word processors is not having to open another program. Well, I open another browser to write in, but it's not like I'd have to open up Word or Open Office like I would downloading things from Dropbox. My laptop especially is not the fastest running thing ever, so minimal programs running is good.

But so are multiple backups!! Oh, I should just give in. ^^;;

[charamei]

Setting up Dropbox takes less than a minute on each machine :) Seriously, the longest part of the process is downloading the program.

I totally understand the problem with word processors - I prefer to use one, but it's just not feasible on my netbook. You could try something like FocusWriter? It's a very lightweight Rich Text (or just text if you're feeling brave) editor that's got everything you need to write and very little besides - the only things it's really missing are commenting features/track changes. YMMV on how much of a problem that is. It even remembers what files you were working on form session to session, and opens them automatically when you restart it :)

[linaewen]

FocusWriter looks interesting! I use Google Docs, but the formatting sometimes does odd things for me. I never post a chapter directly from Google Docs, as I invariably get some weird thing or stupid spacing issue coming along with it! I really hardly ever use any of the other features of GD, so something more lightweight would almost be better for me.

[littlebutfierce]

Heh, I did go ahead & set it up--I am intrigued. So far it seems to be working well, & it is reassuring to have things in multiple places, like you said. There is something v. satisfying about seeing the little icon up at the top of the screen whirling as it saves a document after you've made changes!

FocusWriter looks intriguing--my laptop is a netbook too, so yeah, the more lightweight the better.

Thanks!