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Hacker News

Why Prefer Textfiles? (2010)

39 points by kmstout

by kehvyn

1 subcomments

It's always interesting to me that these plaintext sites are flagged as "insecure" and "risky" by modern browsers. I don't have a good solution, but it reminds me of [1]
[1](https://meyerweb.com/eric/thoughts/2018/08/07/securing-sites...)

by childintime

2 subcomments

Turns out text files are a binary format also, with any number of encodings, ever more binary as UTF8 grows, requiring constant updates, hidden by the OS. Text files are just the name for a renderer built in into every OS.
So what exactly distinguishes them? The OS knows how to render them? It's just a linear list of characters? The reliance on a fixed font to allow some form of layout or positioning? Good basis for embedded DSL's, like Markdown?
Don't forget they are a binary format also. Oh, I just said that. I anticipate the day UTF8 will be a fond memory of a big mistake we made in our youth, that held us back for decades.
Don't forget that all of IT is a shit show sprinkled over with dollar paint, much like alchemy was. We don't yet know what the formation in Information is.

by eviks

1 subcomments

by orionblastar

5 subcomments

Unlike Word files, there is no chance of a Macro Virus in them. I sent our family lawyer some documents converted to Text by request.

by curtisf

0 subcomment

My favorite concrete example of this is the textually beautiful "xd" crossword puzzle format.
Interesting video story: https://youtu.be/9aHfK8EUIzg (2016)
Data site: https://xd.saul.pw/data

by Twey

0 subcomment

I enjoy the (unironic?) juxtaposition of ‘use plain text files because they are universally understood and will still be accessible in the future’ with ‘stop writing things on paper like it's the 1900s and put everything on computers’.

by textfiles

0 subcomment

This is the most "here is a glass of orange juice - argue about it" post about my site I can recall.

by koehr

0 subcomment

For me this really speaks for intermediate text formats like Markdown, that are easy to read and render, while covering most formatting needs.

by HeavyStorm

1 subcomments

by edelkas

0 subcomment

Here's a full up to date dump of the Textfiles archive for those interested: https://mega.nz/file/RMxlCKDa#gWDISvCcx8wv-1P-eflYyFMc6-Ps2k...
Or if you prefer magnet/ed2k download links: https://pastebin.com/UZNDd564