This is something I’ve been tinkering with for a while, but I think it’s now complete enough to be generally useful. It’s an alternative frontend for LessWrong 2.0, using the GraphQL API.
Features:
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Fast, even on low-end computers and phones
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Quickly jump to new comments in a thread with the “.” and “,” keys
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Archive view makes it easy to browse the best posts of years past
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Always shows every comment in a thread, no need to “load more”
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Log in and post using your existing username and password, or create a new account
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Simple markdown editor
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Typography enhancements
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Switch between fixed-width and fluid layouts and several different themes
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Easily view a comment’s ancestors without scrolling by hovering over the left edge of a comment tree
Thanks to Said Achmiz for designing the themes and writing much of the frontend JavaScript.
Give it a try: https://www.greaterwrong.com
A choice of clients is good for users. If an interface sucks, but multiple clients are available, you can switch to one with an interface that does not suck. If no clients have interfaces that do not suck, in principle you have the option of writing your own, which seems to be what happened here.
The best people at administering a service are not necessarily the best at programming a UI, and vice-versa. Allowing alternate clients lets you make use of comparative advantage.
Competition between clients is good for users for the same reasons it is good for customers in the market. New features are created for advantage; good ones are copied and spread. Niche preferences (especially those of power users) stand a chance of getting accounted for.
In short, multiple robust clients makes all clients better. If I may mount my hobby horse for a moment, the lack of client (and service) choice is part of why "modern" web clients still have not caught up to 90s-era newsreaders. This can only be a good thing for LW.
This one is a complaint I think I agree with, although the issue only affects web clients. From the LW2 thread it sounds like the author is working on it.
How haven't they caught up to 90s-era newsreaders.