Shrib it up!

All about shrib.com

Here's what we've been working on lately:

• You can now access the shrib.com infrastructure and your notes throuh an API (follow link for details, and to get your API key)
• The page has been optimized for smartphones (iPhone, Android, Blackberry etc.) - test it with yours!
• Various measures have been taken to speed up page loading
• You can now switch between monospace/fixed font and proportional/arial font - and the setting is stored on your PC (in a cookie) - this is especially useful for all you ASCII artists, and for sharing code snippets between different PCs
• I am adding twitter, flattr, and soon an facebook link to the page so you can spread the word about your favorite tool... Thanks a lot!

shrib.com is meant to be such a simple web app that no instructions are needed. If you need them, we have failed. However, it may be that you will find a few details and uses for this website by going through this page of instructions.

The document is split up into different uses of the tool:

• take a simple note
• take a note and keep it
• take a confidential note

At the very bottom, you'll find a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section, our little legal disclaimer and some final comments and links.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact us!

take a simple note

This one's simple, really...

1. Think of a name for your note. For the example, let me call it "stuff"
2. Go to http://shrib.com/stuff
3. Write your note into the text area
4. hit the button "save notes" in the top left corner
5. Do whatever you like in your life
6. when you come back to the internet, call up the same web address again (http://shrib.com/stuff in this example)
7. read your note
8. edit your note
9. hit the button "save notes" in the top left corner again
10. ...and so on...

Note: You will realize that your notes can be overwritten or changed by others, and that they can be read by others. If this is a concern, read on. Otherwise: enjoy!

take a note and keep it

If it is important for you that your note persists, you will need to save copies or backups. If you don't, it might happen that someone else will use your note name ("stuff" in the example above) and save a different note with it - overwriting yours.

You will need the "advanced options" to be turned on to use the following features.

• save backup means that the previous version of the note with the current name is backed up when you hit the "save notes" button
• save copy means that a copy of the current version of the note with the current name is saved - along with the actual note - when you hit the "save notes" button

These are the details:

• before you save your important notes, make sure you check the "save copy" option
• If your notes are changed when you come back to them: click on the "view old versions" link and retrieve the version you had saved before. Note that only the most recent 10 copies (and backups) are displayed.
• The backup checkbox shouldn't really ever bother you. It is automatically checked if there has been other content in the note when you called it, and unchecked otherwise.

For now, copies are kept for at least one month and backups for at least one week. Feel free to challenge this arbitrary decision with your good arguments! Please read through our legal disclaimer at the bottom of this page, by the way.

Note: Your important notes will now be safe from overwrites by others, but they can still be read by others. If this is a concern, read on. Otherwise: enjoy!

take a confidential note

If you are so confident as to use shrib.com for your secrets, let us first thank you very much for your trust. The good thing is we can assure you that if you use the provided locking feature, neither your password, nor your note's clear text will be sent over the internet, nor is it known to us who have access to the server.

You will need the "advanced options" to be turned on to use the following features.

Here's how you lock and unlock your notes:

1. write your notes, as described above
2. before saving, click on "lock these notes".
3. You will see a dialog asking for a password. The longer and the more complicated your password, the more secure. A very long and very complicated password is proposed, but feel free to change it to whatever you like - and whatever you can remember!
4. Hit "Ok", and the frame background will switch from blue to orange.
5. The next time you hit "save notes", your notes will be locked (or "encrypted") before being sent to the server. Please note that, depending on your computer, this might take a long time if you have a very long text.
6. When the saving is done, a new popup will appear, asking you for the password again. This happens because the server (and us) doesn't know your password. So if you want to see your notes in clear text again, you'll need to re-enter your password. Note the frame background color change again.
7. As before, you can now continue editing the text and saving it. As long as the background is orange, your text is locked.
8. To unlock your notes again, just hit the "unlock" link. The frame background color will change back to blue, and the next time you save the notes, they will be saved in clear text.

Note: the locking feature is only available in Javascript-enabled browsers. Specifically, notes saved with a Javascript-enabled browser will never be readable with a browser without Javascript support!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send someone a direct link to the "nice view" of my note?

Yes. simply add a "?niceview" to the URL. Example:
http://shrib.com/stuff
becomes
http://shrib.com/stuff?niceview

How do I know whether my note is "safe"?

If the frame of the text area is blue, the contained text would be saved in clear text. If it is orange, the text will be locked (encrypted) in your browser before being saved on the server.

I forgot the password to unlock my note. How can I get it back?

You cannot get it from us. Due to the strong client-side encryption used by shrib.com, we don't know either your password, or your clear text note. Your note is lost unless you do remember the password after all.

How do I know whether the most recent edits on my note are saved?

As long as the "save notes" button is disabled ("greyed out"), your notes have not been changed. You can safely browse away from the page without losing data.

legal disclaimer

By using the shrib.com, you acknowledge that there are no guarantees related to its services. Specifically, none of the notes transmitted to this server is guaranteed to ever arrive here or find its way back to you or anyone else. Also, the encryption is done by and inside your browser. There are no guarantees that this process is not tampered in one way or another. Specifically, passwords and clear text might be read, copied and transmitted by other programs or code on your computer. And someone might be looking over your shoulders while you enter the password.

Due to spam and bots (malicious software that litters a lot of webspace), we had to introduce some basic spam filtering. We hope you are not hindered in your sensible use of shrib.com. If you encounter a completely empty page at shrib.com, it means you are confronted with our spam filter. Please let us know if you are and feel we should improve our filter.

final comments and links

This web app is brought to you by Luzi Schucan.

And finally, here's your chance to let us know what you think! Have fun with shrib.com!

TERMS

The following terms of use apply to all visitors of the shrib.com ("shrib") website (the "site"). By accessing the site, you acknowledge acceptance of these terms of use. shrib may amend these terms of use at any time without notification.

The notepad application on this site is copyrighted by the site owners, and may not be copied, hotlinked, or used outside of the shrib.com domain without specific prior permission from the site owner.

All information and functionality provided on this site is intended for informational purposes only. shrib.com assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information provided on this site.

THE INFORMATION AND SOFTWARE ON THIS SITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS," WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. SHRIB.COM FURTHER DISCLAIMS ANY LIABILITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE SITE OR THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THE SITE. IN NO EVENT WILL SHRIB.COM, OR ITS OWNERS, BE LIABLE TO ANY PARTY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL OR OTHER CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES FOR ANY USE OF THE SITE, THE INFORMATION PRESENTED ON THE SITE, OR ANY OTHER HYPERLINKED WEBSITE, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY LOST PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF DATA OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF SHRIB.COM OR ITS OWNERS ARE EXPRESSLY ADVISED OF POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

The site may contain links to other sites controlled by third parties. shrib.com is not responsible for and does not endorse the contents or use of these sites.