Notepad Tab

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

How it works

  • App stores note contents in the URL fragment using compressed + base64-encoded text.
  • Every keystroke updates the URL (often via location.hash), so the note is “saved” in the address bar and shareable by copying the URL.
  • Some experiments show similar behavior can be implemented as a single HTML file, a data URL, or a bookmarklet.

Privacy, Cloudflare, and “no analytics” claims

  • Site claims no analytics and thus strong privacy.
  • Commenters note Cloudflare’s injected beacon/RUM script is present; it’s described as part of Cloudflare’s anti‑DDoS / reputation system, not ad analytics.
  • However, the RUM payload includes the full page URL, which in this app means the entire note content is sent to Cloudflare, contradicting the “local-only”/privacy narrative.
  • It’s unclear whether Cloudflare sells this data, but users cannot fully opt out while using its protection.

History pollution and UX

  • Updating the hash on each keystroke spams browser history for many users (back button “untype” behavior).
  • One browser reportedly avoids this; others (Firefox, Safari, Chrome) do not.
  • Some see this as “infinite undo,” but most consider it annoying and suggest replaceState or batching updates.

Scaling limits and reliability

  • URL length limits mean only relatively short notes are safe; large pasted text can silently truncate and reload as “undefined.”
  • Compression (e.g., via pako) helps, but URLs still grow and eventually hit practical limits; noted as a fundamental constraint of the design.

Security concerns

  • URL fragments normally aren’t sent in HTTP requests, which would protect note content.
  • But Cloudflare’s injected analytics call includes the full URL (including fragment) in its JSON payload, so notes are visible to Cloudflare.

Alternatives and use cases

  • Many argue a basic local text editor or OS notes app solves this better: autosave, no URL limits, no history spam.
  • Others like the browser-based scratchpad because the browser is always open, new tabs are low-friction, and notes can live in the same tab group/context.
  • Numerous similar tools are shared (simple HTML pads, extensions, local-storage notes, TiddlyWiki, etc.), plus ideas for local “mini web app” servers or PWAs to avoid third-party hosting entirely.