
Ask HN: How would you design a version control system for prose instead of code? - webmaven
Git&#x27;s fundamental concepts are difficult enough for coders to understand, let alone non-technical users. Entrenched solutions like MS Word&#x27;s (or LibreOffice&#x27;s) &quot;Track Changes&quot; are challenging to use well in their own way and encourage waterfall-like workflows[0], yet the tools we use to version code aren&#x27;t a particularly good fit either - even a simplified approach of forks and pull requests doesn&#x27;t make collaborating on prose particularly easy.<p>So, what sort of version control system do you think might actually feel natural to authors and editors of prose?<p>[0] eg. author to editor to author to editor to copyeditor to author to editor (deep breath) to printed galleys to author to editor to final.
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pmtarantino
I tried to do this in the past - a software for authors, editors, etc. It is
almost impossible. Unless you create a Microsoft Word plugin, you won't be
able to make the authors (specially) and editors a new software.

Most authors write on Word, and they won't change their software. Plus, most
authors write before they have a publisher, editor, etc., so you will have to
convert the Word file to your own software without loosing formatting or
anything like that.

