https://www.meadapp.com/<p>TLDR; Mead is a special case static site generator that automates the process of compiling and uploading to <i>your</i> S3 account.<p>Mead is a desktop application that combines the flexibility of static site generators (Jekyll, Hugo, etc) with Medium's ease of publishing. I created Mead because I wanted to write more and the present options put up too many obstacles.<p>Like many others, I don't like the experience Medium offers to readers. Modals and banners distract the user from engaging with the content and in some cases, prevents them entirely.<p>Static site generators are great in terms of their flexibility. They're the only way we can fully control what trackers and advertisements readers are exposed to. However, the writing process is a bit cumbersome. I often forget the commands I need to run, and I'd like to not have to run 3 git commands every time I notice a typo.<p>Mead, at its core, prioritizes simplicity. It was made so I could easily open up an app on my computer, write some text, add an image (automatically uploading to S3), paste in a code snippet, click a button, and have the whole thing public without any other effort.<p>Mead is also an experiment in creating a product that does not need advertisements or trackers to continue existing. My goal here is to fully respect the privacy of others. If I'm failing in some way, please gently point it out and I will make the necessary corrections.<p>If you have any comments, feedback, or feature requests, please feel free to reach out. My email is [my username] at gmail
I don't understand pricing models that limit the amount of posts you can make. That literally stops the user from doing the thing that was the whole point of doing the thing.<p>(Yes, wrote that like that on purpose)<p>Cool that you launched and want to build a business 100% but reconsider your features vs cost design and the value you want to deliver. You'll have a lot better chance at building a solid platform to push back on the monetary building tactics Medium has been pushing the hard the past couple years.<p>Limit on things like custom domains, customization, or tack on features that aid in growth or marketing if you want to wrap cost up in gained features/value by paying.
I agree with your sentiment and congrats on the launch. I have a few questions for feedback:<p>1. Why S3 rather than an entirely free service like netlify, github pages, or surge?<p>2. Isn't one of the main advantages of medium the discovery element? As a reader of medium, I get connected to articles from new authors based on my interests. As an author, readers are connected to me who may not have otherwise heard of me.
I was interested in trying it out as I already use Hugo + S3 for hosting with my own scripts but the added value is just not worth the cost and the free tier is not viable at all. By that I mean other online services that offer a free tier generally make it so it's a viable option with fewer features. Your free tier might as well be non-existent, none of your tech-focused audience is going to use a blogging service that allows them only 5 posts and no access to CSS.<p>I hope I don't sound too harsh, seems like a good idea overall.