Thinking Space

Anchor for SenseMaking via My Social Media Mix. See NoteBook.

I used to think of this as a Thought Space, but that's too static-sounding. Hmmm, does that mean I need to change my planned product name of Thought Flux?

There is this public-readable space, plus a completely private space. Sometimes I think it would make sense to combine them, but probably not. Though I may want an easy way to copy/move/clone a page from one space to the other. (Update: Tending Your Inner And Outer Digital Gardens)

older notes

I'm also interested in public collaborative/shared spaces (Collaboration Ware). But my current beliefs are:

  • these need a tangible goal/outcome ("when are we done?")
  • they probably need to have a controlled population (or some process of rapidly building/maintaining trust)

So I'm not trying to handle such a thing right now.

So what are my needs?

Multiple Thinking Spaces

my individual public writing space (Reading And Writing)

  • content types
    • blog bits (short items) (need to be able to be multiple paragraphs). Before I consider dropping my current Userland Manila site, I'd better think hard about how much of Replicating Userland is necessary.
    • longer "articles": use Wiki pages for this (since it provides the easiest HyperText creation approach). Would it be OK to have separate WikiSpace, and just write blog bits to promote them? But then don't get other features like Group Discussion tied to them (though I suppose you post discussions to the blog bit...) (or does C M F Wiki do this?).
      • Support inline images (link to bigger ones?)
    • hmm, these can be combined. See WikiLog.
  • views (for visitors)
    • all items by time period (usually by editDate, but also offer by createDate)
    • just articles (by editDate or createDate)
    • search fulltext
    • RSS for weblogs.com

Private writing: journal (NoteBook), psych, etc.

  • content
    • short journal entries
    • long journal entries
    • wiki pages of running themes (e.g. ADD)

Storing content in XML would be nice, but Wiki is lite enough that it probably warrants a gimme on that criterion. (hah, ancient remark - though combining Wiki And Outlining might have value, plus JSON for Structured Wiki PIM).


plans from late-2000

I'm considering using ZopeCMF, with its Cmf Wiki, but my experiments so far have been a bit frustrating, and I think there will be significant blurring between "core" ZopeCMF content and Cmf Wiki content as time goes on, so I think I'll wait a bit. In the meantime...

What needs to be added to Zwiki to make it better for diaries and blogging?

  • naming could be an issue. Does it make sense to try and assign a label to each entry? Should I just use a date/number? If I use a name, is it important to be able to rename? For now, thinking that using a date-driven name (e.g. B20011001A) for blog/diary entries can make sense for multiple reasons.
  • if deep wiki pages are in same space as little blog entries, RecentChanges listing won't be great for a blog reader. Would like (a) listing of new pages, then separate (b) listing of changed pages (moddate = today & createdate < today)
    • but createdate isn't even stored: can I live without it?
    • and how do I override moddate for first entry of historical stuff?
    • this is one reason for using special date-driven names for blog entries.
  • listings of pages need to show more than title. Entire document if fewer than 4 paragraphs, 1st paragraph if longer?
    • again, using custom name format for blog entries makes it easier to distinguish them.
  • maybe cache listings?
  • could end up with lots of pages, probably want some way to go back in time x pages (or days) at a time.
    • or is this really not necessary?
    • or is key to have structured query on range of dates?
  • want pretty intro page
  • would like to pass XML-RPC update flag to Dave, would like to have RSS view of my blog, etc.
  • once I'm comfortable with my set-up, will need to worry about Migrating Content.

My grander vision is to integrate this into a broader structured data space (Object Browser): PIM, Project Manager, etc.

Also see Jorn Barger (Robot Wisdom) idea of archiving proxy server to log/cache everything you browse (Personal Web Archive)


Inspirations

Bill Seitz Writing Tool History

Some links from a recent thread on an email list:


Feb2004 thoughts

Some annoyances:

  • hosting costs too much money, esp when hit for extra charges: process memory, bandwidth, etc.
  • system is too slow (page response lag): static rendering?
    • this is relevant to public readers
    • and to writing - want to feel like I can tear off a scratchpad and jot a note. Maybe it's just an attitude thing.
  • because of cost/performance, don't want to integrate old archives from other sources
  • no structured data (I want my PIM Address Book to feed my FOAF file, and to generate a wiki-like page for each person with public info, etc.) (and want my To-Do List in it)
  • not sure I like separating personal and publishable content with walls - prefer something more flexible...
  • really smells like it's time to break content up into Information Block chunks

Some stuff I've blabbed about: Universal Toolbox, Node Web, Mind Mapping

Random thoughts:

  • I wish OSAF would avoid trying to become an EMail client. Seems like a resource suck. Would prefer some way to integrate into Mozilla (make OSAF the Address Book, etc.). Need a SOA model?
  • maybe what I'm looking for is a plastic PIM/PKM which has static wiki-esque publishing as one function. And can be grown to support some new mode of collaborative discussion with others (Node Web, TupleSpace, Jabber).
  • need to be able to move Data Store smoothly from home Lap Top to office DeskTop to unconnected PDA (I'm assuming a LinuxOS machine - but will it have the storage of Keychain Memory or an IPod?)

Reader comments

(also: Mind Mapping app for Android. Shares nicely with FreeMind. http://www.thinkingspace.net )


Have you already seen my http://www.ourpla.net/john/wikiweblogpim.html page? --JohnAbbe

  • reply: yep, definitely

Have you seen my BlogFace? -KarlAnderson

  • hadn't seen it, see my questions on BlogFace page. -BillSeitz

Hi Bill! Is your Wiki in the Primarily Public Domain? http://www.primarilypublicdomain.org ? Then we could use it for our ideafeeds http://www.ideafeeds.com Andrius http://www.primarilypublicdomain.org/post/


You might want to check out phpWiki http://phpwiki.sourceforge.net -it does many of the things you mention above. The Aphid

I just want to practice using this licensing mechanism. Andrius Kulikauskas, http://www.ms.lt http://www.reversible.org/ThisPostIsPublicDomain

I just want to practice using this licensing mechanism. Andrius, http://www.reversible.org/ThisPostIsCC/by-nc-sa/1.0

I just want to practice using this licensing mechanism. Andrius. http://www.reversible.org/ThisPostIsCC

Why I like what you've done and would not change it all that much. --2003/10/24 03:39 GMT
Bill,

I think your design of using a zwiki for a weblog is great. I like it's simplicity. Please don't muck it up by going to the CMF.

I am using your same idea for my wikilog and had to make that same decision - that is, I chost to do separate blogs, one public - one private.

Why make your site collaborative? Why not have a way to find out who links to your entries in their own weblogs. This way your collaborative site spans anyone whose interested and has the ability to post their thoughts to the web in whichever way works for them.

  • thanks very much. I'm sticking with this structure for the foreseeable future. I could see maybe authoring in OSAF/Chandler and rendering the public subset of stuff to here. I never migrated my archives because it's easy to fill up the memory cache here... --BillSeitz

Thought Flux --2003/10/27 14:33 GMT
"I used to think of this as a [Thought Space], but that's too static-sounding. Hmmm, does that mean I need to change my planned product name of [Thought Flux]?"

I don't see why. Thought Space does indeed sound static. Thought Flux is clearly dynamic. :) http://hamish.blogs.com/

This seems to be exactly what I'm looking for! --2003/11/09 19:16 GMT
Hello Bill, I have been looking for a system like this for a long time. If you're interested in some of the tools I've looked at, see

http://www.ii.com/#whichWikiBlog

Is your system open-source software? I.e., can I set it up on my web hosting provider? Thanks and Congratulations on creating what seems like a great tool!

-Nancy

Edit and annotation to my "this seems to be exactly what I'm looking for" entry --2004/01/18 11:54 GMT
Hello Again,

Annotation: I just wrote an item called Just What is a Blog and I refer to this page because I'm still impressed with the vision that you lay out here.

Edit: The tools I've looked at, including comments about them, are now on this page.

Thanks for your interesting site and your vision! Nancy McGough


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