Pile of Index Cards

This is a next experiment of feed back the analog PoIC to digital world. Last time, I made a Dock folder with dock icon, according to Doc’s comments.

Now, digital files on HDD are classified into four kind as four cards of the analog PoIC. What is important here is to limit a number of label to only four.

Original Finder’s label hides file name. So for labeling, I use Unsanity’s Label X. It makes better look of file/folder and high visibility of file name.

I put the Dock icon in the dock (that is, finder’s dock bar) for easy access. I save file on a desktop first, label it, then put in the Dock.

The files are sort by creation date to realize chronological stacking in the Dock folder. When duplicate file, the file creation date cannot be changed. This time, I make new folder and put the file in it.

I’ve been using vim and TextMate for text editing on Mac OS X. I like their simplicity and robustness.

Recently, I found yet another interesting text editor. It is Write Room which emulate old fashioned electric typewriter on Mac OS X. It remind me of the movie “Stand by Me” (1986) : At the end of the movie, middle aged Gordie uses such kind of typewriter.

Today, a computer’s desktop contains too much information enough to spoil writing mood. Folders, browsers, scattered files. The Write Room, however, only displays black screen and green letters (of course, the colors are customizable). It is good to reduce emvironmental entropy.

I think this fits to a philosophy of the PoIC. :)

# It is quite possible to use the vim and TextMate like the Write Room. But only Write Room can input Japanese without trouble among them.

What is good for productivity is, according to some books,

- wake up early morning
- for a walk
- exercise
- in a train
- ascetic life
- stay hungry

It seems a productivity comes from some sort of stress.

A system of the PoIC is consisted by a brain and a dock. Information in a brain is transfered to a dock by using index cards and fieldnote. It reduces stress that comes from randomness of information in a brain.

There is one layer above this minimum system. A workspace. It could be say a system from view point of entropy. This is quite true for me.

If I scatter stuffs on my desktop, my concentration is dissipated, and fall into hyper active state. Even index cards, I’m negative to scatter them on a desktop all time. I keep my desktop clean. This is not because of my meticulous nature, but I know I have to do so to do something.

An entropy in a system increases with time. Perhaps the scattered desktop is a result of this order. But it does not generate anything. At the same time, if there is no place to transfer entropy from a brain, it will be dissipated in it. A brain have ingenious function to reduce entropy : Forgetfulness.

So a randomness of information in a system must be increased, neither on a desktop, nor in a brain, but in a dock. Conversely, to maximize productivity, entropy must be maximized in a dock.

“Entropy” is a concept that measures a randomness of information. In nature world, entropy in a system increases with time. We need a effort to resist for this natural order.

It seems the entropy is unavoidable matter on information management. Yukio Noguchi, known by the Noguchi filing system, argued about it at the end part of his book.

In the PoIC, a number of information increases rapidly with time. Because a unit of information is small 5×3 card. Also the PoIC adopt simple chronological order without revision of system. It is natural for me to be sensitive about entropy.

So now, I see entropy everywhere : Four seasons, life, genetic inheritance, stock market, and revolution. I understand every cycle is to avoid runaway inflation of entropy. When time has come, when entropy is at it’s maximum, a regulator comes. Winter, death, meiosis, invisible hand, and revolutionist. They are all to reduce entropy in a system. A nature uses really tricky way.

A philosopher said, “The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk.” The owl is, as you know, a metaphor of a knowledge. In the PoIC the regulator is not a death of the system, but the owl, a new knowledge. The owl will comes after inflation of index cards in a dock. And it seems natural cycle in generation process.