Pile of Index Cards

Perhaps people already aware a resemblance between index cards and presentation software like Power Point or Keynote.

I tried to combine them before, but soon I failed. I try to include many slides in a single Kenote file. It provides preview of the slides, but soon the file size grows huge, and then takes some time to ’save’. It makes difficult to synchronize and take backup.

To overcome these problem, I feedback ideas of the PoIC system/method to the digital now. I made a Keynote theme that is called as “dPoIC” (shorten for digital PoIC). Basic rules of the analog PoIC (aPoIC) are applied for the dPoIC file and it’s management.

- One slide for one file.
- File name equals to title of the slide.
- Use four kinds of card.
- All dPoIC files are stored in “Dock” folder.
- All dPoIC files are sort by creation date.
- Organize Task Force later.

The first rule is quite important feed back from analog world. I do not include multiple topic in a single file. There are some differences between the d- and aPoIC.

- Time stamp is not included in a slide.
- The GTD slide is optional.
- The tag is optional.

Time stamp is not needed since the file possess it’s own creation date. The GTD slide and the tag is include just for consistency between aPoIC. The GTD is processed on aPoIC.

I know there are many application like this already exist. Such as, Devon Think, Omni Graffle, etc. But the Keynote plus some feed backed knowledge from aPoIC provides us simplicity, ease of use (I really like “auto grid”), and high degree of freedom. The dPoIC slides can be used for presentation seamlessly as well.

Here, I DO NOT assume to print out the dPoIC slide on actual 5×3 size index cards. It introduces many restriction that is not essencial at all. Rather, I use ordinary paper size like A4 and B5 for print out.

# Now I’m looking for a good icon for the “Dock” folder (o_o)

Edward Vielmetti, one of friends on flickr, looking for PoIC icon equivalents on Unicode so that we can use them on digital files and on web like del.icio.us.

Edward wrote,

These really need to find Unicode equivalents, so that we can type them in directly. Do you know what these are?

I see

Record: ◯ : 0×25EF, LARGE CIRCLE
GTD: ◻: 0×25FB, WHITE MEDIUM SQUARE;
◼: 0×25FC, BLACK MEDIUM SQUARE
Reference: the closest I get is my favorite, ☃ 0×2603 SNOWMAN

I don’t see the Discovery icon anywhere in Unicode, which is too bad - I would love to be able to have an “aha” tag as an icon for delicios and Flickr and other tag systems.

It seems we need icons expecially for “Discovery” and “Reference”. I would love checked GTD box, too.

Do you got inspiration? Please post your idea. ;)

I think this is the final version of Moleskine modification. Nothing to add, nothing to remove, anymore. The best index cards folder I’ve ever used.

This time, I pasted ribbon on the new edge of the accordion, according to Akiyo’s idea. Also flickr user Vinsanity’s comment gave me an inspiration. I reuse ribbon from the original accordion instead of new other ribbon, and double-sided tape to paste it.

Summary of the procedure to modify the Moleskine Memo Pockets into icPod :

1) The accordions are reverse folded.
2) Half length of each pockets are cut away.
3) Ribbon on the original accordion edge is removed and pasted to the new edge using double-sided tape.

Contd.

Jon’s hPDA

“5. I soon discovered too that I could look at the next index card without turning a page. Instead, I rotate the top card by 90 degrees or more. This way, I was able to read quickly from one set of cards, and transcribe onto another set of cards quite easily.

6. Also, if I do turn a card like a page in a book, I can still rotate it away underneath the card stack quite well.

7. I have made a front and back cover out of spare white card. But this is very stiff and already I don’t like it. But I want to keep my card pack neat and clean. Also, I want to add a rubber band, to keep the card deck closed but that defeats the purpose of swapping to a ring. I want the cards to be free and open to use, but also closed and tidy when not in use! Maybe I need to make a pocket, and slip the cards in and pull them out by grasping the ring. I could have a place to store the pen in the pocket too.

8. I’m really excited by this change to binder rings. I had stopped writing in my hPDA because of the clip and started writing in a big journal book, but I don’t like the book. I have to read so many pages, or keep re-writing things. Now I want to re-start my hPDA and carry it all the time. I’m really interested in not just capturing ideas, but sorting them. My GTD weekly review is the next step.

That’s all for now.”