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Posted by bnc319 9/11/2025

Why our website looks like an operating system(posthog.com)
684 points | 487 commentspage 5
greatgib 9/12/2025|
I had to look at their website to find doc recently and I found that highly stupid and frustrating. It didn't pushed me to want to use their service.

Sure, the os-like interface is really very impressive and sleek. That impressed me. But it was awful to use when you just wanted a simple doc page.

Ar the same time, their doc sucks...

So my immediate reaction was to think that they probably spent a lot of time on developing this website instead of improving their product and it's documentation...

alberth 9/12/2025||
I’m really curious from the marketer angle on does this help or hurt convert to sales.

My gut is it’ll dramatically hurt. Since the call to action is way more challenging for users to find.

straydusk 9/12/2025||
I'll tell you what, I was interested in this place, but this would stop me in my tracks. For an A/B testing shop to do this (which I can promise you they did not A/B test), it pretty much invalidates everything they supposedly stand for. This is one of the goofiest, most non-functional things I've ever experienced on the internet. This would be a fun hackathon project... should have stayed there.
sceptic123 9/12/2025||
The solution to long scrollable web pages is a website that pretends to be an OS that has lots of long scrollable web pages inside a non-scrollable webpage.
jacknews 9/12/2025||
It looks great, but now we have tabs inside windows inside tabs in windows inside displays ...

This is all the job of the window manager. We need better window managers.

paddw 9/12/2025||
It's all marketing. But it's good marketing.
tracker1 9/12/2025||
I keep debating doing something similar for a web-based BBS, in the classic BBS sense in terms of messages, files, doors/games, etc. I remember some of the thick clients like WorldGroup/Wildcat offered in later versions, and I'm mixed.

I wouldn't use it for a general website, but something more akin to an app space, I can see it kind of working.

junon 9/12/2025||
I didn't like working with posthog when I had to because the level of analytics they do goes against my personal ethics viewpoint but I do have to say they do very good technical work. The landing page is a good reflection of the skill they have even in the product itself. Very neat landing page, and I chuckled at their "cookie banner".
chatmasta 9/13/2025||
I think this is cool - I won’t comment on the utility of it.

But you gotta work on the performance. My iPhone 15 Pro is practically burning my hand and I don’t even have the tab open anymore. I’ve lost 5% of battery just reading two pages on the site and iOS dimmed my screen in an attempt to cool down the device.

theamk 9/12/2025|
Looks neat, but also makes feels really slow in my browser. I'd take the regular windows at any time, especially since it's super simple to detach a tab from browser, check "Always on top", and put next to code editor or something.

Also there are non-removable bars on top and bottom of the page, even if window is "maximized".

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