From: Carsten Eckelmann Date: 2004-02-23T18:32:35+09:00 Subject: Re: [ANN] Tycho - A PIM under development Hal Fulton wrote: > Hello, all. > > I hate announcing things that don't really exist yet, but I'm > wanting assistance on this. So here goes. > I will like to assist. > The idea for Tycho stems from my intense desire to have a good > Linux-based PIM (Personal Information Manager). > I hear you! After having tried various PIM's, Mindmappers, Outliners, wikis (everyone has to write one at some time in his life) and more exotic programs (like VKB from http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/VKB/) I feel lost in a sea of unstructured yet structured thought. > Unlike many PIMs, this one is built around the concept of > *random* data -- structureless, unformatted, context-limited -- > the kind of data we get in everyday life. This will be the place > to store not just your phone numbers and addresses, but also > your ideas, quotations, account numbers, and anything else that > might go on a sticky note, a napkin, or an envelope. > Actually it somehow is all connected somehow even if the overall structure is not easily recognized at first sight. > In my opinion, IS nowadays suffers from "feature bloat" -- so it > is unlikely I would add all of its features even if I could. > What goes in and what stays out is, of course, partly a function > of who else gets interested in this project and wants to contribute > to it. I think this calls for a 'pluggable' architecture. This is what makes JEdit so attractive. The core team concentrates only on making the Basics just right and let users add their favorite 'pet' function themselves by giving them a well defined API. By looking at the first picture on your website my hair stood on end, because I have drawn the exact same picture just some weeks ago, when you started this thread on rub-talk. I like tree-based information but I also like sticky-notes. I tried using these desktop-sticky-notes that float around always hidden under other windows, when you need them, and there's no way of grouping them or organising them. The cool thing about sticky-notes is, that you can drag them around and visually group them, which you could never do with any other PIM out there (not even with the famous MindMappers). When using Unix I easily could create many virtual desktops and fill them just with sticky-notes, but then theres no search capability, well that's what Tycho has to offer I guess. I would be glad to help out if only to not do it myself (I think the features that you suggest 'click' close enough with my ideas, to make this happen). One suggestion: how about moving this discussion to the rubyforge forum (or create a tycho mailing list)? Cheers, Carsten.