Gonna show my ignorance here, but it seems to me that people so interested in writing ought to define their terms once in a while, usually towards the beginning of a thread.

So does anyone, anywhere on this site ever define the term "CRIMPing"???

George Entenman wrote:

So does anyone, anywhere on this site ever define the term "CRIMPing"???

Yes, in a thread titled "CRIMP defined" (http://www.outlinersoftware.com/topics/viewt/17/
Stephen Zeoli describes it thus:

CRIMP stands for a make-believe malady called compulsive-reactive information
management purchasing. Symptoms include:

- never being satisfied with your current system of information management
- continuously being on the look-out for something newer and better
- purchasing every new PIM program you learn about
- and secretly hoping you won’t find the perfect PIM, because then you’d
have to stop looking for a better one

So, when someone speaks of succumbing to his or her CRIMP, it means
acknowledging that they’ve purchased another PIM program even
though they really don’t think they need it.

There must be a 12-step program for over-coming CRIMP,
but who really wants to? It’s too much fun.

The site search engine is quite good, in fact. You'll see it in the left-hand navigation bar (admittedly slightly obscured by ads etc.)

Thanks for the definition. It's a terrific acronym and I would even be a CRIMPer is I weren't too cheap to actually buy much information software.

I uh DID search. The 5 titles and other 202 hits for CRIMPing don't find the definition page. Gotta search for CRIMP w/o the 'ing' to find the definition. That's really unreasonable.

I still say that it's good writing practice to define an unusual acronym when first used in an article. I especially recommend the practice if you're interested in attracting newbies.

1Password tells me that I've been a member since June 2009, reading on and off, so I'm somewhat familiar with the site and I've been seeing CRIMPing for a long time and feeling mystified. I'm glad I asked even if it did draw the accusation that I hadn't searched.

@George Entenman: Yes, it is recommended good practice to define terms, acronyms, or technical buzzwords when using them for the first time in a written piece.
I too have been a relatively longtime reader of OutlnerSoftware.com, but I think I have only been posting comments since about 2011/12. I had to search around for the definition of "CRIMP" in 2014.
This discussion forum's technology could probably do with being updated - Google Groups, for example. I recall that the site's website search seemed a bit constipated at the time I was looking for that definition, though that may have been because I was simply not used to searching with it.
I had seen the definition of CRIMP before, but had not made a note of it. That time in 2014 when I searched and found it, I copied the post and pasted it into my OneNote section labelled "Definitions", and left it in the CHS (Clipboard Help &Spell) clip database tagged as a "Definition" - so it is now always to hand, one way or the other:
_______________________________________
CRIMP defined.
Posted by Stephen Zeoli
May 10, 2006 at 01:05 PM
 
CRIMP stands for a make-believe malady called compulsive-reactive information management purchasing. Symptoms include:
• never being satisfied with your current system of information management
• continuously being on the look-out for something newer and better
• purchasing every new PIM program you learn about
• and secretly hoping you won’t find the perfect PIM, because then you’d have to stop looking for a better one

So, when someone speaks of succumbing to his or her CRIMP, it means acknowledging that they’ve purchased another PIM program even though they really don’t think they need it.
There must be a 12-step program for over-coming CRIMP, but who really wants to? It’s too much fun.
Steve Z.

From
_______________________________________

In terms of the "P" in CRIMP, I don't spend much money nowadays on purchasing PIMs (Personal Information Managers).
The most I spent was on a few successive versions of InfoSelect, over the years, but I stopped at IS8 (current version is IS10, with IS11 apparently in a preliminary design stage, or something).

My main PIM now is OneNote, which comes bundled with the Microsoft Office suite. I bought a licence to MS Office Pro 2013 for US$10.00, under the "Home Use Licence" scheme. Superb value and a kinda "no-brainer", as the MSO products (including Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, OneNote) are all integrated with one another, and with IE (Internet Explorer), and the integration works smoothly and also supports OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) and hyperlinks - including Wiki-like hyperlinks.
That doesn't stop me trialling and evaluating new PIMs or newer versions of older PIMs as they are released.
For example:
InfoSelect - this originally met my requirements quite well, but after my having discovered new requirements. IS development of new versions since IS8 (which I still use) seemed unimpressive, with quite a lot of earlier versions' functionality being lost and no major added value.. .
WizNote - this could be a partial contender to OneNote. It has been described as a potential "killer app", because it is so good.
Wezinc - pretty good, several quirks, not fully developed, shows huge potential. I'm still evaluating this as it was new to me.
Zoot - I like this but, working with it seems difficult. It seems not terribly intuitive and to have lots of idiosyncrasies.
GS-Base - this is new to me. I bought it for US$9.00 from BitsDuJour. I am trialling it as an experimental tool for building a file archive database for my FireFox "Scrapbook" extension's copies of web pages.

In terms of operating systems, I have come from XP, to Win7-64 HP, to Win8-64 Pro, to Win8.1-64 Pro. Win7 was rock-solid, and Win8 would have been better without all that Metro junk (I installed "Classic Start Menu" and would highly recommend same to others), but I still think Win8.1 is probably an evolutionary step forwards. It is in terms of integration for the MS Office suite, at any rate (reflecting its improved SharePoint integration).

Don't be put off - it really is a friendly group, and it would have taken less effort - on their part and yours - for someone simply to define "CRIMP" rather than telling you to use the search engine. It would have made for a nice welcome and possibly initiated a conversation very different from the one we're now having. I don't know what CRIMP stands for myself, by the way, and don't think it matters one way or the other.

George Entenman wrote:

I uh DID search. The 5 titles and other 202 hits for CRIMPing don't
find the definition page. Gotta search for CRIMP w/o the 'ing' to find
the definition. That's really unreasonable.

I still say that it's good writing practice to define an unusual acronym
when first used in an article. I especially recommend the practice if
you're interested in attracting newbies.

1Password tells me that I've been a member since June 2009, reading on
and off, so I'm somewhat familiar with the site and I've been seeing
CRIMPing for a long time and feeling mystified. I'm glad I asked even
if it did draw the accusation that I hadn't searched.

I took the liberty of adding a link to the CRIMP definition topic in the left side bar and on the home page. Still not overly obvious, but maybe that will help some new users in the future.

Chris

Slartibartfarst wrote:

This discussion forum's technology could probably do with being updated
- Google Groups, for example. I recall that the site's website search
seemed a bit constipated at the time I was looking for that definition,
though that may have been because I was simply not used to searching
with it.

I'm not against improvements but I like the current simplicity of the forum software and I personally never warmed to Google Groups for whatever aesthetic, usability and privacy reasons.

What's missing for me is the ability to search for a phrase in quotation marks (though I recall Alexander saying one can do that somehow by putting the URL through a Google search).

Also, it's possible to download the entire forum contents as a text file (see left column, when you're logged in), and you can search it to your heart's content using a free external text editor like Notepad++

Dr Andus wrote:

I'm not against improvements but I like the current simplicity of the
forum software and I personally never warmed to Google Groups for
whatever aesthetic, usability and privacy reasons.

I would have to agree. The site may not be perfect, and I do not know of one that is, but it is reasonably functional and refreshing in its lack of bells and whistles. I am not opposed to any site improvements, but not much comes to mind that frustrates me when I need to find past posts.

--Ken

Don't worry: most of the replies have been informative and supportive. Once the humor behind the acronym is revealed, it's hard not to enjoy it!

Thx,
ge

bobmclain wrote:

Don't be put off - it really is a friendly group, and it would have
taken less effort - on their part and yours - for someone simply to
define "CRIMP" rather than telling you to use the search engine. It
would have made for a nice welcome and possibly initiated a conversation
very different from the one we're now having. I don't know what CRIMP
stands for myself, by the way, and don't think it matters one way or the
other.

George Entenman wrote:
I uh DID search. The 5 titles and other 202 hits for CRIMPing don't
>find the definition page. Gotta search for CRIMP w/o the 'ing' to find
>the definition. That's really unreasonable.
>
>I still say that it's good writing practice to define an unusual
acronym
>when first used in an article. I especially recommend the practice if
>you're interested in attracting newbies.
>
>1Password tells me that I've been a member since June 2009, reading on
>and off, so I'm somewhat familiar with the site and I've been seeing
>CRIMPing for a long time and feeling mystified. I'm glad I asked even
>if it did draw the accusation that I hadn't searched.