Parchment (2024-25)

Captured Sun is an Austin, TX startup. We are creating Parchment: the next computer desktop.

Since 1984, the time of the original Macintosh, the computer desktop has not changed. It has square icons, representing files or applications, which can be dragged around the screen or dropped into a folder.

Since 1984, the computer has experienced a 31,000 times increase in RAM, and 100 times increase in clock speed. Yet, the desktop - the primary workspace of the computer - has remained the same.

We have an enormous number of applications available - Obsidian, Arc Browser, Notion, Evernote, Mural, Miro, Google Drive, iCloud Drive, Dropbox - which all call themselves workspaces. But isn’t that what a desktop is? A workspace? And yet, we barely use it for our projects. Tech has evolved - but not the desktop.

Parchment is the next computer desktop. For the first time, Parchment combines the three main layers of abstraction on the computer - the filesystem, the browser, and the page - into one platform. It does so by transforming each folder on the computer into a “Space” - an interactive HTML page which can be customized, shared, and collaborated in with anyone.

Objectives


We are looking for students to help us build Parchment.

The ideal student is someone with a strong technical, mechanical, or artistic background, a desire to work in a startup, and an interest in shaping how a new product is made. We would like students to join our daily standup for 5-10 minutes and give updates on their progress.

We will officially consider you as interns - part of our team - so there will ideally be few formalities once we get going. Feel free to put the internship on your resume.

Many things about Parchment are still undefined, and there is a huge wealth of opportunity for you guys to help shape it. Anybody who has a strong interest in C/C++/OS, Swift/MacOS, C#/Windows, or Web/Javascript/Browser development will have a great time. We are totally willing to teach you anything you don’t know.

Currently, Parchment runs on MacOS and Windows, and we are hoping to make a mobile application at some point as well.

Some interesting problems we have tackled so far:

●  Making a new Javascript framework called Quill to work with the browser’s Custom

Elements API (similar to https://lit.dev/) (more on custom elements: https://web.dev/custom-elements-v1/ - they are the cutting-edge future of frontend development.)

●  Figuring out how to let people see and touch the filesystem tree in a new way, allowing people to zoom in and out of Spaces (folders) and drag things in and out without having to fully navigate into them.

●  Creating our own SSL Certificate authority and using C to give each user their own certificate and allow them to have their own HTTPS URL.

●  Exploring the possibilities of blockchain / P2P algorithms and methods for sharing Spaces and files directly between computers / caching them so they are available when one peer is not online.

If we work well together, we will absolutely explore bringing you onto the team in a deeper capacity. This may include equity in the company, hourly pay, or anything else that seems fitting. Captured Sun currently makes money from software consulting work, so there is the always the possibility for you to join that too.

Motivations


The ideas of Parchment are especially similar to the ideas of Notion and Arc Browser - but the vision is bigger. Instead of simply giving people customizable pages like Notion, or a more powerful browser like Arc, we aim to map these new technologies onto the structure of the computer itself. We believe that if the technology is essential for people to do work, it should be synonymous with the operating system.

Qualifications


Minimum Qualifications:

We mostly just want people who are interested, able, and eager to learn. Since Parchment combines many languages, there will likely be something you don't know. But if you are a strong engineer, mechanic, or artist (or even businessman), we would love to have you.

Preferred Qualifications:
None Listed


Details


Project Partner:

Samuel Russell

NDA/IPA:

NDA/IP Required

Number Groups:

3

Project Status:

Accepting Applicants

Website:
https://parchment.page
Keywords:
CC#WebComputer ArchitectureOperating System (OS)SwiftConsultancy
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