EtherPad

EtherPad is a web-based editor for collaborative editing of texts ( collaborative real-time editor). Etherpad allows multiple people to edit a text in real time, with any changes immediately be visible to all participants. The changes of the various agents can be differentiated by color. Another convenient feature is the ability in addition to text editing in the edit window to chat.

The software was released in 2008. In December 2009 it was bought by Google Inc., and provided under an open source license. Currently Etherpad is installed on some free-access servers in the network. The software development is the EtherPad Foundation.

A basic reprogramming is the slimmer and faster EtherPad Lite.

Analogous to the Etherpad there is also a EtherCalc as a collaborative spreadsheet.

Functions and implementation

On a Etherpadserver can of each, without any access restrictions, a new text document ( 'Pad' ) are created. Each text document case has a fixed URL with default for the creation of a pad a crypto link is assigned, ie a URL containing a long random string. Only with knowledge of this URL you can see the pad and edit, as well as communicate via the associated chat. The staff are differentiated in the chat window through freely chosen name and the text document on different colors. In the original version also password-protected pads are possible.

The edited text is saved on the server side at short intervals, moreover, every author at any time to explicitly save a particular processing level again. About a timeline can fluently and mostly down to the individual keystroke each processing status for each time point are considered without delay. The document may at any time as plain text, HTML, Microsoft Word document ( on Abiword ), PDF, OpenDocument as well as, where appropriate, exported in other formats and stored on your own computer. Copy & Paste is also possible at any time.

The most public Etherpad servers are aligned so that nothing is cleared. This means that everything that is written is permanent for each available from the version history ( timeline ), who knows the URL of the respective pads.

EtherPad Lite is implemented in JavaScript. The real-time functionality is Comet, an Ajax programming technique realized. The Pro version is written in Java, JavaScript, and Scala.

In the first publication EtherPad was the first of its kind web application with real-time execution, which ( platform independent both) was achieved only with desktop programs such as SubEthaEdit previously (Mac) or Gobby MoonEdit. Other collaborative Web Editors reached only approximately real-time capability.

Initial publication

EtherPad was published on 19 November 2008 by David Greenspan, as well as the Google employees Aaron Iba and JD Zamfirescu. Later, the former Google employee and serial entrepreneur Daniel Clemens and the designer David Cole were added. The original site was etherpad.com. Slashdot reported on EtherPad in November 2008, whereby the Slashdot effect in the form of server overload was noticeable. Then, the developer changed the software in beta status, where they are no longer allowed to create new pads, but unrestricted access to existing documents. Then the server infrastructure was upgraded. After the software was rewritten, it was in January 2009 and was returned to service in February freely accessible again.

Acquisition by Google

When Google Wave was announced, the EtherPad team wrote about it in his blog and made ​​comparisons of the two platforms, and it was found that the minimalist and targeted EtherPad user interface in some cases could be an advantage. In December 2009, the acquisition by Google for the purpose of integration into Google Wave was announced in Etherpad blog. Previous Etherpadnutzer would receive invitations for Google Wave. In March Etherpad announced that it would allow the creation of new pads to April, existing pads could be used to May. Options for exporting and downloading were available. The service provided by Google was set in May.

Open Source

After a number of users had expressed their dissatisfaction with the way the takeover and the incompatibility between Google Wave and the basic principles and features of EtherPad, the teams of the two projects recanted their decision to suppress the creation of new pads, promised the Etherpad code in to convert open source and insured to maintain the service without restrictions until the transfer is completed. Google released the source code in December 2009 under the Apache license. Then asked Google for the code maintainers of Etherpad to the removal of JSMin from the code after. Reason was the license clause "The software Shall be used for Good, not Evil"; this is not compatible with Google's License Requirements for Open Source. After the release as open source were set up by a number of people EtherPad server as clones of the original site. Soon afterwards called user and programmer of any organizational meeting on IRC channel on Freenode # Etherpad Etherpad the Foundation for further coordination of development in life.

The website of the Etherpad Foundation maintains a list of a growing number of websites that are operated with EtherPad software.

EtherPad Lite

EtherPad Lite is a fundamentally new variant of EtherPad. The Lite version is based on Node.js, offers fewer features, but also consumes significantly less memory and is easier to setup. The conventional EtherPad provides example On passwords and is designed more for larger installations.