Pile of Index Cards

The 43Tabs System proposed by NozarashiTei-san. I’ve never seen such a natural and elegant extension for PoIC ever. This new system enhances GTD and ToDo processing using index cards. That is, “future”. The PoIC is connected to the 43Tabs. Now we see a straight time axis from future, now, and past in a dock. This is the moment two different genetic string is combined into one.

野ざらし亭さんの提唱する 43Tabs。この情報カードシステムはすごい！

43Tabs は未来から「いま」に向かって流れてくる情報を処理する。
そこに PoIC をつなげる。
PoIC は「いま」から過去に向かって流れていく情報を蓄積し、再生産する。

ひとつのカードシステムの中に、これほど明確な「時間の流れ」、「情報の流れ」を目にしたのは、これが初めてかもしれない。

I found two kind of “chronological order (CO)” is possible. I had to define the meaning of CO in PoIC carefully. O.K. Let’s see the difference of possible two CO.

One is “absolute” CO, which is along universal, public, social, or common time axis. Let’s see the example. This morning, I saw roadside tree leaves just have turn yellow (R1). This evening, my friend visit my office (R2). In absolute CO, the event occur R1, then R2. This is trivial, of course.

PoIC adopt another CO. Here is example. Before go to bed, I write diary about today. I remind about R2 first, and next R1. According to PoIC, I write and stack index cards in CO. The CO here doesn’t mean “absolute”. I write index cards as it emerge in my mind. I define it as “relative” CO, which is along time axis in individual person’s mind. Important here is time of emergence. In relative CO, the event occur R2, then R1.

The difference of these two CO is shown in figure above. Absolute CO (bottom) and Relative CO (top) is not always equal. If we try to follow the absolute CO, we have to pay huge effort. Of course, we can coincide them though. PoIC says, “Don’t do that. Follow just your own mind”. We write index cards as it emerge in our mind, that is, along relative CO. This difference seems, however, not trivial. In fact, some people seems afraid of “chronological order” because maybe they imagine that they have to follow “absolute” CO.

Relative CO is possible thanks to piece-by-piece index cards. We can sort the order in absolute CO when we really need. No way to be default as far as we follow to relative CO. As a result of PoIC’s relative CO, what we see in dock is our “stream of thought”. And we will see there is certain “time axis”.

単純に「時系列」と言っても、「実際の社会の中の時系列」と、「自分の心の中の時系列」には違いがある。思い浮かんだ順に書く、「自分の心の中の時系列」で良いんだよ、というのが PoIC。

# I added this definition on Chronological Order and Task Force section.

“Cogito, ergo sum”

We fill Dock with index cards we wrote. My interpretation on quote from Descartes above is, “I think, therefore Dock exist.” Our activity of “thinking” guarantee the existance of our own Dock.

ドックがそこに「在る」のは、私たちが「考える」から。我思う、ゆえに我（ドック）在り。

Digital is approaching to analog? Apple’s new operating system for Macintosh, Leopard, is now available. The new “Cover Flow” feature realizes missing analog feeling on digital. It’s more like flipping index cards in a dock.

This is an idea to implement PoIC on Leopard. What we need is only three folders (folders at right in picture below).

1. Chronological Stack: This is a collection phase. The folder corresponds to digital version of PoIC’s “Dock”. Let’s take advantage of new “Cover Flow” view for this folder to realize more “flipping files” feeling (window at left in the picture). Sort by “creation date” here to achieve “Chronological Order”. This is yet imperfect because I don’t know how to modify “Creation Date” of the downloaded files.

2. Task Force: This is a processing phase. Organize a bundle of files for a project. I employ “Icon” view here (window next to 1). I set window width to become two column. The left column represents a list of current projects to be processed. If I am working or I worked on the day, the project’s folders are moved to right column. Icon view is more intuitive to see what is “on” and what is “off”. The position of folders is reset every morning.
3. Ex-service: Get Things Done! Finished projects go to this folder. Use “List” or “Cover Flow” view (window at bottom). Sort by modified date to see when project is finished. Some color label might be useful as well to express yet alive (e.g. yellow) or dead project (e.g. gray).

Unit of information in a file system is larger and more complex than index cards. So PoIC’s rule (no classify, no search, no revision) must be loosen for file system. In fact, I classify papers by author’s name, I use “Spotlight” frequently for searching files on computer.

As an feedback from analog world to digital world.

時系列スタック・タスクフォース編成・お役御免の三段階をデジタルに応用してみる。