Ted needs three rulings from Mara

Three rulings for version 2.4

Reading time about 5 minutesWritten 2026-10-02For: MaraExample with made-up data

For sharing in 2.4, I recommend edit access at launch, keeping both copies when two people clash, and a free limit of 3 shared notebooks.

Keep in your head (only these)
  1. Three rulings decide how sharing works in 2.4.
  2. My pick is starred. If you skip one, my default ships.
  3. My picks use 11 of my 14 build days.

Your three rulings

Rule on the first one first

Take: my pick is starred in each row, and the first ruling still waiting is the tinted one.

  1. What sharing meansFour steps, and where each ruling bites.
  2. Edit or view onlyRuling 1: can the other person write?
  3. When edits clashRuling 2: whose words survive?
  4. The free limitRuling 3: how many shared notebooks?
  5. After you ruleWhat I build, in which order.

Chapter 1 of 5, about 1 minute

What does sharing a notebook mean?

Before this: the answer lists three rulings, and each one shapes how sharing works in 2.4.

Sharing lets one other person open a notebook of yours on their own phone or in the web app. It takes four steps, and the last three each hide a ruling.

  1. InviteYou send a link from the notebook.
  2. OpenThey join. Ruling 1: can they write?
  3. WriteRuling 2: what if two edits clash?
  4. Share moreRuling 3: how many are free?

Take from this: the first step is settled. The other three each need an answer from you before I build them.

Show what is already settled
  • A notebook is shared with one other person. Groups wait for 2.5.
  • Both people need an account.
  • The owner can stop sharing at any time, and the notebook stays with the owner.

Remember: sharing has four steps, and the last three each hide a ruling.

Chapter 2 of 5, about 2 minutes

Should the other person be able to edit?

Before this: sharing has four steps, and the last three each hide a ruling.

Picture a shopping list you share with Sam. The ruling decides who types the milk.

View only
  • Sam sees your list in the app.
  • To add milk, Sam texts you.
  • You type it in yourself.
Edit
  • Sam adds the milk in the app.
  • You see it a few seconds later.
  • Nobody types for anyone.

Take from this: with view only, shared notebooks stay one-person notebooks that someone else can read.

Can the other person edit?

Editing takes 8 build days. View only takes 4.

Let them edit

  • Lists and trip plans work
  • Nothing to ship twice
  • 4 more days of build
  • Two people can clash

Cost: 8 build days.

View only

  • Ships in 4 days
  • Nothing can clash
  • The other person cannot add a word
  • Editing waits for 2.5

Cost: a headline feature that only reads.

If you do nothing: I build view only, the smaller job, and editing moves to 2.5.

Can the other person edit a shared notebook at launch?
Show the beta numbers
  • 40 testers used an early view-only build from 14 to 27 September.
  • 31 of the 40 asked, in the feedback form, to edit a shared notebook.
  • 25 shared at least one notebook, and they shared 65 in all.

Remember: editing costs 4 more days than view only, and 31 of 40 beta testers asked for it.

Chapter 3 of 5, about 2 minutes

What happens when two people edit at once?

Before this: editing costs 4 more days than view only, and 31 of 40 beta testers asked for it.

This depends on ruling 1

If you pick view only, nobody can clash. Skip this ruling and I will ignore it.

Ted and Mara both fix the same shopping list within one second. The sync server has to keep one version. It can keep the newest, or keep both.

Ted saves "Milk, eggs" and Mara saves "Milk, oat milk" within a second. The sync server gets both. With last write wins, one note remains and Ted's eggs are gone. With keep both copies, two notes remain and nothing is lost. Ted savesMilk, eggs Mara savesMilk, oat milk Sync servergets both saveswithin a second Last write winsOne note: Milk, oat milkTed's eggs are gone Keep both copiesTwo notes, one eachNothing is lost Ted saves "Milk, eggs" and Mara saves "Milk, oat milk" within a second. The sync server gets both. With last write wins, one note remains and Ted's eggs are gone. With keep both copies, two notes remain and nothing is lost. Ted savesMilk, eggs Mara savesMilk, oat milk Sync servergets both within a second Last write winsOne note:Milk, oat milkTed's eggsare gone Keep both copiesTwo notes,one eachNothingis lost
Take from this: last write wins loses words without telling anyone. Keeping both copies loses nothing and asks someone to tidy up.

What happens when two edits clash?

Keeping both copies takes 2 more build days than keeping the newest.

Keep both copies

  • Nobody loses words
  • The copy is named after its writer
  • Someone tidies up the copies

Cost: 2 more build days.

Last write wins

  • Nothing to tidy up
  • No extra build
  • The earlier words vanish with no sign

Cost: someone's words, unannounced.

If you do nothing: last write wins ships, because the sync server already works that way.

When two people save the same note at once, what happens?
Show how the server tells them apart

The server stamps each save with the time it arrives. Last write wins keeps the newest stamp and drops the other. Keeping both copies keeps the newest as the note and saves the older text as a new note named after its writer.

Remember: if the default ships, a clash silently loses someone's words.

Chapter 4 of 5, about 2 minutes

How many shared notebooks are free?

Before this: if the default ships, a clash silently loses someone's words.

Every shared notebook costs a little to host. A limit keeps the cost predictable. No limit keeps things simple.

2.6shared notebooks per beta sharer
4 in 5of beta sharers shared 3 or fewer
$0.40a month to host one notebook

Take from this: a limit of 3 would have stopped one beta sharer in five, and capped what any one free account costs.

How many shared notebooks are free?

About 2,900 of our 3,400 weekly people are on the free tier.

A limit of 3

  • Hosting cost stays predictable
  • It is easy to raise later
  • Some people hit it in week one

Cost: 1 build day for the upgrade prompt.

Unlimited

  • Nothing to explain
  • No extra build
  • Hosting cost grows with every notebook

Cost: a limit added later feels like a loss.

If you do nothing: no limit ships, because nothing in the build enforces one.

How many shared notebooks does a free account get?
Show where the cost comes from

The $0.40 averages the 65 beta notebooks: disk, sync traffic and backup. A free account with 40 shared notebooks would cost $16 a month and bring in nothing.

Remember: a limit of 3 fits four in five sharers, and raising it later costs nothing.

Chapter 5 of 5, about 1 minute

What happens after you rule?

Before this: a limit of 3 fits four in five sharers, and raising it later costs nothing.

With my picks, sharing takes 11 of my 14 build days. That leaves 3 days for fixes.

  1. Copy your answers back to me. The bar at the bottom of this page does it.
  2. I build in this order. Invite and join, then editing, then the clash rule, then the limit.
  3. You try a build on Friday 16 October. It reaches your phone with invite, join and editing working.

Take from this: your answers decide what the first build holds, and nothing is built until they arrive.

Remember: copy your three answers back, and you try a build on 16 October.

Recap

  1. Sharing has four steps, and the last three each hide a ruling.
  2. Editing costs 4 more days than view only, and 31 of 40 beta testers asked for it.
  3. If the default ships, a clash silently loses someone's words.
  4. A limit of 3 fits four in five sharers, and raising it later costs nothing.
  5. Copy your three answers back, and you try a build on 16 October.