Looking for PIM / Thesis Writing Software for the PC

Posted by Dr Andus
Apr 13, 2012 at 02:11 AM

Lucas wrote:
>Dr Andus,
> >Thanks for describing your setup. The distinction between creating the
>meat and creating the outline is useful. I actually find it easiest to generate text
>hierarchically to begin with (in a single-pane outliner like Ecco Pro,
>OmniOutliner, or Microsoft Word), but the resulting text often becomes
>unmanageable. I end up generating lots of complex hierarchies of text with various
>themes reiterated throughout, and ultimately it becomes extremely time-consuming
>to organize all the text, even though I produced it very quickly. Now that I have begun
>using ConnectedText, my workflow has changed. Instead of generating text in a
>hierarchy, I create a new “topic” for each significant idea (like in Ideamason). I can
>still indicate all the hierarchical relationships among my ideas using the built-in
>functionality for assigning topic relationships and categories (and this actually
>allows for richer webs of connection than a straight hierarchy does). The initial
>task of creating text takes longer, for me, with this method, but the overall time for a
>writing project becomes significantly shorter, because the text I generate is much
>more manageable and better organized. (And the dividends pay off even more when one is
>faced with a new writing project on similar themes, and it turns out half the work is
>already done.) The next stage with this method is very similar to what you describe
>doing with Bonsai, only it does not requite a separate program. ConnectedText has a
>built in Outline module that is designed for arranging existing topics into an
>outline for export (to be worked on, for instance, in a word processor). Anyway, it
>seems that the workflow here is somewhat similar to what you accomplish with
>WhizFolders and Bonsai.
> >So, what I am learning is that while I love the freedom of
>generating text in a single-pane outliner, I get better results when I am forced to
>separate the text I generate into discrete topics from the get-go. And this becomes
>even more palatable when I still have the freedom to assign complex hierarchical
>relationships (including bi-directional ones), as in CT. When I used outliners, I
>was always in search of robust “cloning”. But with a wiki like CT, I suddenly have
>infinite cloning. I can make any topic a parent and/or child of any other
>topic.
> >Lucas

Lucas,
I wish I had paid more attention to what you were saying in this post 3 years ago. I have ended up doing exactly what you describe, for the reasons you describe, but unfortunately it took me 3 years to get to that point. Argh! Anyway, did you stick with CT to the bitter end of your dissertation? I’m curious about your experience.