The document stack is fragmented.
It doesn't have to be.
Text, tables, decks, games, anything: Ziran documents can be built to be any of those as well as anything else you can think of. They're built on an open standard called Web Tiles that can share anything safely. In Ziran, tiles are used to share documents that are contain their own editor which means you can always edit any Ziran document no matter how new or wild, without ever installing anything new.
This system also makes dual-view documents possible: behind the scenes the content can be Markdown that an LLM will read happily (unlike PDFs) but renders like an elaborate document that makes humans happy.
Documents that carry their own editor
Self-editing
A Ziran document packs content and editor together. A document can always be edited and you can invent new document types to your heart's content.
Any document can become a model: if someone shares a new document type that you like with you, you can install it as a model and use that to make new documents of the same kind.
Local-first
Your documents are files on your device. No cloud required, no account required, nothing phones home. You opt into sharing with others, if you want to, when you want to.
Safe by design
Zoran documents run in strict isolation: a document can edit itself, but it can't touch the network on its own or interact with your device.
Collaborate, with no middleman
Go live on any document and invite people by their Atmosphere handle. (If you have a Bluesky account, you already have one. If not, you can create one with Eurosky.) Communications on shared documents are end-to-end encrypted.
End-to-end encrypted
Whichever server you pick to sync with others, they can never read your documents.
Roles the document defines
An editor, a reviewer, one chess opponent with any number of watchers: each document declares its roles and enforces what they mean. Different document models can create all kinds of approaches to collaboration.
Everyone keeps a copy
Collaboration is between copies you each own, not access to someone else's server. You always have access to your own documents.
Publish when you want to
Ziran documents get published to the Atmosphere when you decide to.
Get Ziran
Ziran is a desktop app (mobile coming): one download, everything included. These are early, alpha builds — use at your own risk.
Builds are not yet signed: on macOS, right-click the app and choose Open the first time; on Windows, pick “More info → Run anyway”; on Linux, mark the AppImage executable. If you want to, verify what you got against SHA256SUMS.txt. Ziran is built in the open, follow along at @robin.berjon.com.