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Structure or metaphor used in info management software
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Posted by tsahar
Mar 14, 2017 at 07:32 PM
As far as I understand, some of the earliest info management (IM) software mimicked the index card tray (or the Rolodex device). In this case, the IM software was modeled after the structure of a card to record unit level of information. We also have IM software that use the structure/metaphor of notebook (or journal). The Wikipedia entry for Comparison of notetaking software [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_notetaking_software ] has listed the structure/metaphor under the heading of “organizing principle(s)”.
Is there any good article, etc. that discusses the evolution of IM (or notetaking) software from a structure/metaphor point of view? Or some article that compares various structures and their suitability with various types of information?
Posted by Jeffery Smith
Mar 15, 2017 at 12:20 AM
Not sure how far back you are indicating. I found Leading Edge Nutshell to be pretty much a file card metaphor. and the MSDOS version of askSam allowed making fields on a template using field names and brackets. Both had the advantage of not being limited to 254 characters per field.
Posted by tsahar
Mar 15, 2017 at 07:04 AM
Jeffery Smith wrote:
Not sure how far back you are indicating. I found Leading Edge Nutshell
>to be pretty much a file card metaphor. and the MSDOS version of askSam
>allowed making fields on a template using field names and brackets. Both
>had the advantage of not being limited to 254 characters per field.
I don’t know about Leading Edge Nutshell but according to Wikipedia, it later evolved into FileMaker which was a relational database software. Have used askSam which was a wonderful free-form database. As far as I know, one of the earliest card-based software was called NoteCards [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NoteCards ], but I am sure that there must be other contenders.
Please note that I am not primarily interested in the history of IM software per se. I am more interested in learning more about the *typology* of IM software on the basis of its structure/metaphor/model.
Posted by Paul Korm
Mar 15, 2017 at 10:46 AM
I suggest you correspond with Mark Bernstein, proprietor of Eastgate and creator Tinderbox. Mark has deep expertise in hypertext and note taking / information management. He can help, or he can point you to the right sources for your question.
On Eastgate’s site press Contact and send an email—he gets all the incoming mail there.
tsahar wrote
>Is there any good article, etc. that discusses the evolution of IM (or notetaking) software from a structure/metaphor point of view? Or some article that compares various structures and their suitability with various types of information?
Posted by Ken
Mar 15, 2017 at 03:13 PM
You may want to look for articles about Bill Atkinson’s HyperCard. This was also an early pioneer effort in the world of Macintosh. I suspect that later articles about it might lead to efforts that occurred afterwards.
Good luck,
—Ken