FriendCodeis the latest in a string of cloud code editors show up in the StartupStats system over the past week. In contrast to MadEye, which we covered on our email a couple weeks ago, FriendCode doesn’t focus on a video interface for developers to see each other. In fact, you can’t hear each other either. Instead you just chat in a chat room. Let’s be honest though, if you aren’t pair programming with someone, chat is the primary mode of communication for most developers.

FriendCode appears to be one of the more feature-rich cloud editors we’ve seen so far. Just like MadEye, FriendCode saw some traction thanks to showing up on HackerNews back in may. Yesterday Smashing Magazine also gave the company a shout-out on Twitter.

While cloud editors are great in theory, there are still a lot of problems. For power developers who have mastered the short-cuts of their favorite editors, it’s going to be a hard sell to make the switch. Additionally, it’s not clear how effective the transitions is between online vs offline editing. This online/offline issue actually seems to be ignored by most of the cloud editors. As someone who likes to code on the plane and occasionally in coffeeshops, I can tell you that offline support is absolutely critical.

Despite the hurdles, this is a trend to keep an eye on over the coming years. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date!