Re: Is outlining the best free form database organization?

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Note: This message is from the outliners.com archive kindly provided by Dave Winer.

Outliners.com Message ID: 1905

Posted by jonathan.probber
2004-05-14 19:14:40

Stephen D. -

You’re flying high here….not sure I’m getting you. Would keywords function as “what if” markers, around which to build alternative forms of the same outlines? The same way you’d plug in different numbers to create different spreadsheet scenarios?

You’re completely right about ADM. The templates are silly, and in no way demonstrate the software’s power. The software’s creators do indeed seem reluctant (unable?) to convey the full breadth and power of their own baby.

I’ve never used a Mac; your comparision of More 3.1 to ADM was unexpected and interesting. The universal affection for More 3.1 expressed in this forum has made me wish I’d experienced it.

Lastly, I’m still thinking about the question you pose at the top of this thread. Suppose we completely ignore the existence of all the software tools discussed so thoroughly here. What if we just concentrate on the work we do, and how we do it. We outline to write coherent and organized documents, and deploy information (retrieved from databases?) to flesh out our writing. So outlining (hieracrhy) *must* come first. Secondarily, keywords inside the outline can link to other information and turn those skeletal outline elements into full sentences/thoughts. So when you say “Hierarchy doesn’t exclude key words” you’re absolutely right. I just think that the outline (hierarchy) must always come first.

Organizing thoughts for writing and storing/retrieving information are different activities, and I think these deliberations (and all that powerful, confusing software) confirm that. Fun to think about, though!

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