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I'm using org-mode. How do I collaborate with other people who are not using Emacs?

It seems like the standard for document collaboration is Google Drive/Google Docs. This is fine, but my preferred environment is Emacs org-mode. Short of cutting the full text, editing it in Emacs, and then pasting it when I'm done, is there a way to share edits and updates back and forth with people who are not using Emacs?

Bill the Lizard
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incandescentman
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    I take it Dropbox won't cut it? org-mode files are just plain text, so anyone can edit them. Depending on what you're doing with org, you might also want to check out something like org-trello (https://github.com/ardumont/org-trello) for synchronization. – shosti Aug 22 '13 at 02:23
  • I had assumed people would laugh at me if I asked them to work with text files with funny stars on them, but maybe I am wrong. And are people OK with editing local text files rather than collaborating online? – incandescentman Aug 22 '13 at 02:51
  • My impression is that it's impossible to do collaboration on org-mode files, even if all parties are using emacs. – Slaven Rezic Aug 22 '13 at 05:37
  • I think that the only way is to write the code that will do it. – jcubic Aug 22 '13 at 06:11
  • I think the question is more of a kind "how you can a. export Org documents to some format that people who don't use Emacs can edit, and then b. import that document into Org?" Exporting is the easy part, you probably already know how to do that. But importing... I'm afraid that's not readily available / something you'd probably have to build... –  Aug 22 '13 at 07:10
  • Also, here are some converters: http://orgmode.org/worg/org-tools/ (most converters *to* Org are targeting some sort of organizer rather then a general purpose markup format, still could be a start). –  Aug 22 '13 at 07:15
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    Collaboration is easy when using a DVCS (Git/Bazaar/DaRCS/...) and working on a document using a "mostly plain text" format such as LaTeX, Org, ReST. – Stefan Aug 22 '13 at 14:56
  • For non-technical people asking them to start using VC is asking a lot I think. I just wish there were a way to hook into Google Docs with Emacs. – incandescentman Aug 22 '13 at 20:27

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I've read a great story of people collaborating on a book on github: Homotopy Type Theory.

The repository is here.

This was two dozen mathematicians working simultaneously for half a year on a 600 page book. I thought it was pretty cool.

abo-abo
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    And github's wiki accept syntax in orgmode and other format (interchangeably I think?): it would be a good tool for collaborators who do not use emacs, while emacs user can edit the text of the wiki locally and interact with github via git. – J..y B..y Aug 22 '13 at 10:44
  • Where did you read the story, is it connected to org-mode? – Erwann May 13 '23 at 03:42