Re: Software to handle bits and pieces of information.

[Gilbert Sullivan <whirlygig@comcast.net>]

On 08/04/2010 04:06 PM, Carl Johnson wrote:
> Gary Roach<gary719_list1@verizon.net>  writes:
>
> > Hi;
> > I could use some suggestions. I seem to collect a lot of snippets of
> > information scribbled on pieces of paper, old napkins, etc. Examples
> > are notes on harware, sources for stuff, notes on possible projects,
> > book that I might want to buy in the future and on and on. This has
> > generated numerous scraps of paper and sticky notes with the result
> > that chaos reigns. I recently tried knotes which helped a lot but
> > didn't cover tasks. I have now switched to Kontact. This takes care of
> > scheduling things, projects and short term notes. I still am not sure
> > what to do about those notes that could be around for a long time like
> > maybe  a note on the "proton boron fusion reaction energy" . I may
> > never use it but would like to be able to find the information if need
> > be. I guess I need a repository for disparate information (how's that
> > for fuzzy). I hope this makes some sense.
>
> There is something called kjots in kde, but I prefer the zim program.
> Zim is called a personal wiki and allows any number of pages with
> pretty much any type of text or links on each.  It also has searches,
> a calendar, and todo items.  It doesn't have any type of appointments
> or automated reminders.  Kjots seems more limited, but that might be
> my lack of experience with it.  Both have debian packages.

I consider Zim to be a standout application among many favorites used 
over a 30 year history of personal computing. I use it -- in conjunction 
with Iceowl for appointments / reminders -- as an ad hoc project manager 
which works surpassingly well for the type of disparate projects and 
tasks I have to manage. Though it's still a little rough around the 
edges, and you can tell that it's still fairly early in its development, 
it supports equations (latex), GNU R plots, screenshots (scrot), 
spell-checking (gtkspell), and version control (bzr). And it's a hoot to 
use. It's actively developed, with a well-motivated primary developer 
who responds quickly and helpfully to bug reports. (They use launchpad.) 
For me it's just about a perfect combination of ease of use and 
versatility for a work load that simply won't accommodate the use of a 
more standard type of project management tool. I don't believe that I've 
ever had to bother to use its manual.

Come to think of it, I ought to delve into the documentation. Who knows 
what I might be missing?

Good luck in finding the right tool(s) for yourself. I know a lot about 
"fuzzy" minds and vaguely defined tasks. It's what I do for a living!

;-)