Bridging the PDA - paper gap, perhaps

[zen_tiggr]

[Moved this over here because it really is an implementation thing, not a concept thing.]

(This is my third or fourth posting of stages in the evolution of my system. For those wanting to filter this quickly, I'm using an unmodified Palm m515 to implement everything but filed papers.)

My last post (Thinking out loud ...), set forth a system of DateBook, ToDo Lists for NAs, and Memos for Projects, Someday/Maybe, and Reference.

I ran into another detail of Palm application handling that got in my way, after a short while. Every time I wanted to put an NA in Someday/Maybe for a bit, I found I had to cut the ToDo text, then switch to MemoPad, start a new entry, paste the text, and hit Done. Whew... now I also found out that if you try to export ToDos and import them anywhere else, you can't. Only back into ToDos.

That issue, along with other advice that some of the best hackers use just a flat text file, got me thinking that I could put everything into Memos, and use the categories and alpha sorting with symbols to arrange everything.

So now, I have contacts in Addresses, and *everything* else in Memos. I can sync to my Desktop, select "All", and export my entire system to a text file in one shot. Backups, snapshots before major changes, whatever I want. Or if I ever lose/break/??? my Palm, I can go paper in a minute or two.

I implement contexual NA lists, a tickler section on each of those lists, an Active Projects list, a huge Someday/Maybe section, and an "Info" category for reference material that doesn't require archived paper. I use the sort order of symbols prefixed to each type of entry to get them arranged in the "All" view just the way I like, to facilitate quick "What to Do?" scans all the way up to my Long Term Reviews; but I do most of my system scanning in the category views so I see just the focus items.

Comments / devil's advocate? / Contrasts?

[Anonymous]

All right, I'll be the devil's advocate.

First of all, I believe that no one needs to change his system if it works for him, even if he maintains it on the backs of envelopes (like my dad does). So if your system really works for you, I have no criticism.

But I for one would not be tempted to switch to your system any more than I would go back to a typewriter after using a word processor. And for large documents with graphics, I wouldn't go back to a word processor after using LaTex. My opinion is that vanilla Palm apps suck. Switching to more sophisticated tools has enabled me to be much more productive while being much more relaxed doing many more projects that are much more complicated.

-andersons

[TesTeq]

My opinion is that vanilla Palm apps suck. Switching to more sophisticated tools has enabled me to be much more productive while being much more relaxed doing many more projects that are much more complicated.

Aren't you afraid of the software complexity? I mean that loading external applications increases the likelihood of the software failure and data loss. So I'm trying to limit the number of software packages I'm using. You can use plain vanilla Palm for GTD, but for complicated projects I prefer the Desktop PC.
TesTeq

[zen_tiggr]

Just the sort of commentary I was hoping for, andersons. :) I'm reminded of one of the major reasons I've gravitated toward this Memo-only thing.

Part of me has grown frustrated with so many different possible tools, some with bugs, some with reasonable-but-irritating-anyway limitations, that I've chosen to do without. (Yes TesTeq, that possibility enters into my thinking too - I don't want somebody's "I'm not going to support this program anymore" to bite me in the butt later.)

I'm also trying to reduce my 'system-tweaking as procrastination' tendencies. (DateBook 5 and LifeBalance were serious black holes of perfectionistic tweaking!) Ok, I can fiddle and tweak with any system, true, but I tend to do that less to my personally created systems than to somebody else's adapted tools.

And part of it is following the "Who Owns Your Data?" idea that I described in my original post... that sort of lock-in issue makes me go looking for an alternative that doesn't impose arbitrary limits on my workflow.

I understand very well your idea of using tools of the right sophistication to optimize your system's performance, and I agree with that, other than my specific exception on this topic. I've chosen to take more of the administration manually, to gain the freedom of defining the rules myself.

Thanks for a very illuminating contrast!

[Anonymous]

Aren't you afraid of the software complexity? I mean that loading external applications increases the likelihood of the software failure and data loss. So I'm trying to limit the number of software packages I'm using. You can use plain vanilla Palm for GTD, but for complicated projects I prefer the Desktop PC.

No, I'm not afraid of the software complexity. The risk really doesn't seem that great and is easy to minimize, while the benefit of different applications is huge. To me it's like being afraid of driving a car because of the risk of an accident. I have had a couple of hard crashes with my PDA, but the first occurred in a vanilla configuration. Apparently the Palm OS itself (or in combination with the Sony hardware?) crashes when the power gets sufficiently low. Fortunately, it's quick and easy to back up data and restore it.

I have lots of great applications installed on my PDA that make the PDA tremendously more useful to me. I wouldn't want to sacrifice the benefit I get from that functionality, day in and day out, just for fear of the possibility of an occasional crash.

-andersons

[TesTeq]

There is another drawback of using many different applications for Personal Information Management:
Despite the manufacturers claims their applications do not like to share the information with other applications.
Everybody uses proprietary file formats and there is no common protocol to exchange the data between the software packages. Of course there is SyncML, vCard, vCal, and synchronisation to Microsoft Outlook but I cannot directly synchronize my Palm with my Nokia phone. The easiest way is via some kind of text file (export from one device, small manual modifications and import to another device).
There is also no guarantee that the information I backed up yesterday will be directly readable after five years. To support new hardware you must upgrade operating system and applications and your data may become unreadable. The only stable standard is text file (fortunately the Unicode revolution did not break the backward compatilbility in this area).
TesTeq

[Anonymous]

Way back in the dark ages (early 1990's?) I started using an HP95lx for information management. By the time I moved to an HP100lx, I had a hundred or so people in my address book, and some good information in various applications.

After I got my first Palm, I was able to move all that information to it by creating Tab delimited files and moving it all over; it was a relatively painless process. By this time I had a few hundred people in the address book and a few relatively small files.

I now have several hundred people in the address book of my T3, and a lot of important information in memo format, in Shadow, and in the datebook. I want to make sure that when I move to something else, I can transport that information. Think of the future, and make sure your information is transportable somehow!

[TesTeq]

Think of the future, and make sure your information is transportable somehow!

How can you know if PalmOne will survive and will continue to manufacture and support PDAs. Sony abandoned Palm compatible devices. Once upon a time there was a REX Organizer - PCMCIA-sized device...
I cannot predict the future so I cannot predict if my data will be easily transportable. Even you had to use intermediate text file for conversion. That's the whole point - text files are the only standard, cross-platform way to store information.
TesTeq

[webagogue]

text files are the only standard, cross-platform way to store information.

To a slightly lesser extent, RTF is a pretty good cross-platform alternative to text files, but I do agree completely with TesTeq - Text is best.

Because of this, I've made the decision (and kept with it, pretty well) that as much as possible I will keep my information in an open format.

I do not use tools that do not allow me to save as RTF or export my data to an open format. For the exceptions, I usually get by with saving the final file as a PDF (using the free PDFCreator).

Regarding PIMs specifically, many will sync with Outlook. Do so, and then use the open source tool "Outport" (search http://sourceforge.net) to get your data in a more open format.

[Anonymous]

Think of the future, and make sure your information is transportable somehow!

How can you know if PalmOne will survive and will continue to manufacture and support PDAs. Sony abandoned Palm compatible devices. Once upon a time there was a REX Organizer - PCMCIA-sized device...
I cannot predict the future so I cannot predict if my data will be easily transportable. Even you had to use intermediate text file for conversion. That's the whole point - text files are the only standard, cross-platform way to store information.
TesTeq

Of course, you are correct that we cannot predict the future, so limiting yourself to using tools that either save natively in some sort of more open format (RTF? plain ASCII text? comma or tab delimited files?) or have a mechanism to export to such formats seems to me to be a necessity to ensure compatibility with future systems. You are also correct that I had to use an intermediate text file to bring my information along to a new generation of devices. That was my point-the tools I used had the capability to do that. If it was in some proprietary format that was not exportable, I would not have been able to transfer my files to the newer devices.