When I first started the Web Editors list, I did it mostly as a private resource (you may remember my first post about this: What is your favorite web based rich text editor?) to help me with testing what is now called CoexEdit. One reader contributed a whole list of editors, which I incorporated in my list. It later turned out that the list which had been contributed was actually created by Paul Browning. I wrote to Dr. Browning to ask for permission to keep using the list, and he turned around and asked if I would take over maintenance of the list, since he no longer worked for the University of Bristol (where it was developed) and did not have time to keep it up. I agreed, but it raises a question.
Since my semi-private web editors list has now morphed into a public resource, what should I do to make it more useful? A lot of people come looking for these editors, but there is little in the way of a rating or other way to differentiate them. I don't have time or breadth of systems to evaluate every one, but it seems like it would be good to be able to tell people a bit more about the strengths and weaknesses of each. There is a feed back link on the page, but I am wondering if people think there should be a more specific link for each editors, perhaps with a rating and comments, so that it would be possible for readers to self-rate the way they do on Amazon or on hotel sites. Would that be overkill, or valuable? What do you think? Are there other ideas you have about how to make the list more valuable.
Go check out the Web Editors list right now, even if you have been there before, and come back and let me know what you think. Don't worry, I'll wait. Copyright © 2005 Genii Software Ltd.