In a discussion titled “Docu-centric Discourse: Docs, Spreadsheets, Math Editor, Charts, Forms?” under the WordPress category, Muiran explores tools for integrating document collaboration into WordPress/Discourse. They critique Etherpad Lite as limited and mention Collabora Online’s CODE (LibreOffice VM) as promising but not production-ready. Muiran highlights WebODF — a JavaScript-based ODF editor working entirely in-browser — as ideal for WordPress/Discourse integration due to its lightweight, app-free nature and AGPL license. They also note Hive.js, a modular, real-time collaboration platform with REST/websocket APIs, and GeoGebra as the only viable open-source math editor for STEM collaboration. Simon cautions that some tools (like those tied to BuddyPress) may not easily integrate with Discourse, suggesting instead using them as models for new plugins. Muiran clarifies they don’t intend to replace BuddyPress but seeks Discourse features like social friending, profile customization, and tiered group visibility (Stealth/Closed/Open), plus offsite visibility toggles. They emphasize the need for Google Drive–like, docu-centric collaboration — ideally with self-hosted LibreOffice Online — and envision embedding editors (word processor, spreadsheet, math) directly into Discourse’s comment interface, asking if such an upgrade plugin exists or if grammar/spell-checking can be added. Albjeremias notes Collabora works well on Nextcloud and asks if a plugin exists for Discourse. The thread reflects a vision of deeply integrated, self-hosted, document-centered collaboration within Discourse, blending social features with real-time editing tools.
Bernhard Fürst appears to have done a great job putting together an Etherpad Lite plugin. My problem is the Etherpad Lite is an evolutionary cul de sac. Nobody is planning on it becoming a word-processor.
I found CODE which is a free LibreOffice VM offered by Collabora Online.
Great idea but clearly it’s far from ready for production.
What I have found with potential are . . . WebODF | JavaScript Library
WebODF is optimized for creation, collaboration, management of Open Document Format (ODF) and I could be wrong but I believe it’s the only editor that doesn’t need an app installed to work. That makes it the best solution I’ve found for integration in a WordPress/Discourse portal. The man says it uses HTML and CSS to display ODF documents. WebODF is Free Software. Available under the AGPL. Soon it is going to have support for bitmap and vector graphics and spreadsheets.
The Hive.js Editor https://github.com/hivejs/hive
A real-time collaboration platform that is modular, scalable, integratable, and extensible. It’s a Node.js-based server with an accompanying web app that works in your browser.
It allows you to integrate your applications with it (so the web app is optional). It is scalable and allows spin up of multiple server instances sharing the same documents for enhanced performance and is integratable through a rich RESTful API and a web socket-based interface. There is support for adding additional interface elements.
Math editor for notational logic. GeoGebra
https://dev.geogebra.org/
The only candidate I found for math is GeoGebra dynamic mathematics software.mathematics software, supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and innovations in teaching and learning worldwide. GeoGebra is open source software and available free of charge for non-commercial users. You can find our source code online and we are actively collaborating with the open source community and other open source projects used by GeoGebra.
That looks interesting, but it looks like it is very tightly integrated with BuddyPress. It might be easier to use it as a model to make something new with WordPress/Discourse that it would be to swap out Discourse for BuddyPress in that plugin.
I hadn’t any intention of replacing BuddyPress but I understand your point.
Thank you for your consideration and time.
Perhaps your idea would be simpler, more effective.
I just don’t see how the social dynamics BuddyPress encourages are present in Discourse.
If I’m not imposing, could you roughly sketch out how Discourse could be configured like the following,
The ability to “Friend” other members or just “Subscribe” to see their posts sort of like twitter.
A pre-formated, “Personal Profile” akin to a WP micro-blog/FB user profile. Control of who can see the user or content of the profile.
Groups of Affinity, “Stealth” completely invisible unless invited to join, “Closed” group description and membership visible with content unviewable until a request for membership is approved, and “Open” that can be joined without qualification.
A toggle that lets individuals and groups decide if their Profile or Groups they manage are visible offsite.
Something I don’t see available on any platform is the faculty for collaboration in a “Docu-centric” fashion like Google Drive. That is really a necessity, in my opinion, to make a scientific cooperative possible online. LibreOffice Suite Online is available as a FOSS alternative to Google Drive but I have yet to see it offered in Self-Hosting form. To branch, it so as to present more fluid movement and organization between document types would be my personal choice to focus on.
The collaboration would be an extension of this comment editor. A few additional buttons that pull up a word processor, spreadsheet, notational-logic editor. Files are associated either to a froup or the user’s personal profile.
By the way, is there an upgrade plugin for this editor?