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Goalscape @ BitsDuJour on Friday
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Posted by Alexander Deliyannis
Jan 7, 2013 at 05:16 PM
Steve, I’ve purchased a license for Goalscape during their 2010 promotion. I have used it off and on since then, mostly for presentation purposes. It is quite well thought out as a project management program, but in my case it didn’t ‘click’. I can think of several reasons for this, but most are subjective, so others may be very enthusiastic about it.
Some indicative issues:
- it is well suited for tasks whose progress can be quantified, but in my case many are not, and looking at my goalscape overview can be quite disheartening (even when I have done quite some work…)
- in terms of screen real-estate use, it is quite inefficient: after the third level, you can no longer see the sub goals unless you hoist towards them—but then lose the overview
- I really don’t like Adobe AIR applications and now AIR is no longer supported in Linux; so, the reason for using AIR (cross-platform) in the first place is gone
Goalscape has the information and project management tools I would have liked TreeSheets to have; their combination would make the perfect environment for me.
By the way, today’s discussion at BdJ is well worth following, in particular re Goalscape’s potential for information management, including writing projects http://www.bitsdujour.com/software/goalscape-desktop
Posted by Hugh
Jan 7, 2013 at 06:22 PM
Thank you for the writing link, Alexander.
Leaving aside the issue of cost, Goalscape’s UI appears better than a not-dissimilar rival called GoalEnforcer. I wish it exported in OPML and then one could feed its output into some of the Mac outliners or task managers. There’s probably a way round this using csv and, say, OmniOutliner Pro, which imports and exports a range of formats, but I haven’t worked out quite how that would work.
Posted by Stephen Zeoli
Jan 7, 2013 at 06:25 PM
Thank you, Alexander. After posting my question here, I noticed your comment at BdJ about the Air issue. I’ve decided to go ahead and purchase the desktop version, as I can run it on my PC and my MacBook. It will, I think, be useful in both realms (work and private). It won’t be my main project management tool on either device, but I think it will help me manage one particular sticky project I’ve been dealing with in my volunteer life, and in the office I think it will help me get a handle on some bigger, long-term projects, as well as facilitating reporting to my boss.
Thanks, again!
Steve Z.
Posted by Alexander Deliyannis
Jan 7, 2013 at 08:26 PM
@ Hugh
I believe your best bet is GoalScape’s MindManager (.mmap) import/export. The .mmap format is almost universal in mind mapping programs. My suggestion is to install Freemind or Freeplane which as I recall can read and write .mmap files, as well as many other formats such as tab indented texts, which many outliners should be able to read/write.
@ Steve
Hope you like it; I’m sure you’ll be able to get things out of it, as you have method and persistence in your CRIMP endeavours :-)
Posted by Stephen Zeoli
Jan 7, 2013 at 08:39 PM
Alexander Deliyannis wrote:
@ Hugh
>I believe your best bet is GoalScape’s MindManager (.mmap)
>import/export. The .mmap format is almost universal in mind mapping
>programs. My suggestion is to install Freemind or Freeplane which as I
>recall can read and write .mmap files, as well as many other formats
>such as tab indented texts, which many outliners should be able to
>read/write.
I tried this very thing before I saw your recommendation, Alexander, and you are indeed correct. Freemind, however, had trouble with the file, while Freeplane imported it without a hitch, including the notes. It does not appear to include the meta-data (tags, etc…).
>
>@ Steve
>Hope you like it; I’m sure you’ll be able to get things out of it, as
>you have method and persistence in your CRIMP endeavours :-)
>
Thanks, Alexander.
Steve Z.