Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 16:43:09 -0500
From: Bram Dov Abramson <bram-AT-tao.ca>
Subject: info glut


(I'd sent this message to another list, but I think here might be relevant
too -- the too-many-publications / too-much-to-take-notes-on problem is
quite germane to this kind of work.)

After a minor panic attack triggered by the piles of paper sitting on and
near my desk, and the piles of files I've created in my hard drive -- my
own personal archive fever, I guess -- I'm wondering whether anyone has any
advice on managing information.

Until now, I've been using my word processor with a carefully set up
hierarchy of subdirectories with two-part names (topic and subtopic).
Within each subdirectory I had two kinds of files: things other people had
written (word processor documents, html files, PDF files, etc), and things
I'd written (word processor documents), including articles and notes.

The system doesn't work any more -- too rigid -- and it's especially the
notes that have got me down.

What I'm looking for is something of a hybrid between a word processor and
a data base.  I'd like to be able to enter notes, either on a specific
source (journal article, book article, book, etc) or on whatever comes to
my head (my own title for the note), and then search them in two ways:
- full text search
- a hierarchy I've constructed.  Ideally, I'd be able to create project
folders, and enter the different notes into those.  Each note could go in
as many places as was appropriate.

I've spent some time on the internet and querying friends about how to go
about all of this.  So far, I've installed AltaVista's Discovery search
software (full text search of all word processor, html, etc files on my
hard drive), but am also looking for a more complete package to do the
above.  The ones I've been looking at are:

- askSam (a free-form text database - http://www.asksam.com);
- Nota Bene Scholars' Workstation (a word processor with bibliography and
database software - http://www.notabene.com);
- Zoot (an info manager type program - http://www.zootsoftware.com).

Does anyone have any experience with the above, or have cleverer ways of
getting a handle on sources, references, notes, etc.?

cheers
Bram
---
   Bram Dov Abramson                   bram-AT-tao.ca
   C.P. 48099 - Montreal Quebec - H2V 4S8 - Canada


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