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We have that sort of  IT too. 

Just read this article that was very interesting!

http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml%3Bjsessionid%3DKBDJTTUV2TEI0QSNDLPSKHSCJUNN2JVN?articleID=189601170

[a topless car wash]

I was thinking about a topless car wash, but I'm not sure how many contributors would be interested in my man-boobs.

At first I thought you meant "topless car" as in convertible 

[IT]

I got to say that PortableApps is a boon when you have to deal with StormTrooper IT people (God love them!)

We have that sort of  IT too.   Nice to know that Nvu is still usable 

I figure it's something they put in the food at IT school 

The only PortableApp I had trouble with was ThunderBird, the rest work a treat.

Anyone else have a play with InfoMaster (http://www.leersoft.com/infowonder-home.asp)?

Comes with a bit of a pedigree, but it didn't last very long on my computer.

It did have some really nifty ideas:

• Each note can have a date and/or reminder set, therefore creating calendars
• User created forms

Both of which I thought I could put to good use.

I thought Nvu saved things in the Registry.  As you have a portable version, and it's cross-platform, that must not be true?

The people over at http://portableapps.com/ have done a pretty nice job with their offerings. I had an issue with ThunderBird still writing to the Registry, but not with Nvu.

I got to say that PortableApps is a boon when you have to deal with StormTrooper IT people (God love them!)

Regs,
Perry

[Portable Nvu]

It is nice, I've got Portable Nvu [http://portableapps.com/apps/development/web_editors/portable_nvu] on my USB stick so I can use it at work!

I do a bit of development in Office (which is why it got my vote), but it's an arm twist...

I and my single-income-family friends have pondered the same question, but in hushed tones and out of sight of the N.O.W. spy cams.

We're a 1.5 income home, but have been say this for quite a while. Supply and demand isn't it?

I don't have the figures to back it up (so tag this as My Honest Opinion), but I bet you can partly blame WWII.

And before that WWI. I believe that was when they had to lower the age of various things like voting and consent because they were sending our kids OS to die. I'd think the arguement was if they're old enough to die in a war they're old enough to vote. etc

I'm no historian, but I can certainly imagine the situation after WWII with a male shortage and "glut" of willing female workers.

In the book they very much point the finger at the middle class (of which I am a proud badge carrying member BTW) for adding to the upward spiral of prices (like houses which increase with bidding); often with the best of intentions for their family, but which has saddly backfired both for them and the market.

BTW- My family went single-income about 3 years ago and we are actuallly doing better. Go figure.

Well, I really liked what they said about that in the book: with a single income family you have a fall back position when problems arise. That is a great resource.

Interesting.

This book will tell the story of how having children has become the dividing line between the solvent and the insolvent, and how today’s parents are working harder than ever and falling desperately behind even with two incomes. It is also the story of how this state of affairs is not some unavoidable feature of the modern economy, or, for that matter, the inevitable by-product of women’s entry into the workforce.

I know for my wife and I that it was a definite choice that involved real sacrifice to remain a single income family (for so long: my wife now works, but all the kids are through school).

Here in Australia it is pretty well documented how the house prices "suddenly" increased when double incomes become more likely.

Thanks for the link.

[Reviewing what I’m after: A Personal Information Management System]

Reviewing what I’m after: A Personal Information Management System

Let’s put some order behind what I’m after.

Nicely put! You touched on this but I wouldn't mind fleshing it out a little:

Functionality: Where do we keep the data?
Portability, in one form or another, should be a requirement. Portability could be gained by implementing one or more of the following:

• Able to run from portable media: Take your notes with you, take notes at work, library, etc
• Ability to merge, synchronize, insert, etc data file(s): Manage portable notes back into main file
• Ability to store and use data file(s) from an internet location: Share your notes
• File structures that allow collaboration and usage by multiple users (within reason): Team notes
• I guess having a full web-based application would be pretty neat too: Maximum collaboration via web

[should]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned (apologies if I missed it) is scanner support/document imaging.

Yes I agree!

Why should there be any conceptual difference between items I capture from the web and those I scan from printed matter?

Why indeed? I certainly can't see a reason, and there are many reasons why physical documents should be included. Add various OCR options and the data gets very usable.

I have just finished writing the first official roundup of this thread.

I'm keen to see the final output!! Is it something that will be developed into a working brief to be developed (here)???

Actually I think that's a bit different Carol: your "banner" is more of a recommendation than an Ad (maybe that's why I clicked through  )

I've got to agree as well... well most of the time.

I often use Google like the Yellow Pages: if a big company is preferable for a particular job then I may select a paid add (I've always thought that if they've got money to throw into paid advertising in a telephone book and they've been doing it for years then they must be doing their service adequately enough to stay in business).

This may not always be true of Google paid adds, but every now and then I'll check one out to compare.

And as for banners: I don't think I've ever clicked on one. Hmmm, maybe we're all snobs??

They give me Outlook at work which is used enterprise wide.

At home it's nice to get away from such things, but my wife runs an awsome wall calendar with a neat manual birthday update routine that runs at the start of each year!!

I want the program to just point to the file in my hard disk and not try to integrate it into its database. But your idea of just linking files seems to be what I want, but with no internal viewer, I think I will wait for that day.

I use SurfuLater and have written a add-on programme to add references to files with the option of importing the file contents as well.

But you're right, it is not a "file browser" (the link to the local file works fine, but the file contents are a snapshot at the time when they are imported); but that's what I use it for: recording a snapshot at a particular time.

SurfuLater has implemented a lot of new features in this area recently, apparently also coming is the ability to refresh links and attachments.

but we just want to make sure we dont lose the generous nature of the place.

And I think CPilot and jgpaiva summed it up nicely for me: What DC needs to be able to do is give the DC users the tools to make donations as easy and quick as possible.

In the end what goes round comes round: If the site is based on generosity then users will be.

[experts exchange]

I like the graphics idea too, but I guess where it really works is when it fits with THIS community; so it has some focus.

Another idea (which again is done on other sites, as well as here in various places) is an experts exchange (funny: this whole site is an experts exchange). It actually was Hirudin's quote:

Have an easy way to donate to everyone who has partisipated in a topic. It would be like the "search for a specific user" feature, but would list all the members that posted at once. Then you could go down the list and give as you see fit.

Made me think of posting a question in a specific forum and various people post replies and answers; the ability to view a list of repliers with the option of donating would be helpful, not only to the original poster but other people who the thread has helped.

[good fun]

It's getting very much like a barter system, eh? Which is good.

It's pretty easy to see the major contributors to the site and who should be major recipients of $DCs, but like you said, the beauty of this system is that the scale goes right down.

For example: you could implement System Donations, eg:

• 0.1 DC for each post in recognition of the benefit made to the site as a whole
• 1.0 DC for each mini-review
• ...

which could come out of the 50% redistribution of the donation.

I'd image most people would pass those System generated points to the major contributors or other funds anyway, but it seemed like a community-based way to distribute the points.

I guess if there was a large group project it would also come in handy as someone could contribute to the project and the project team would then redistribute the donations amongst the team members as per their agreement.

The other thing that comes to mind is that anyone can then make some sort of goods or service available and be donated to: but that's back to my original "barter system" again: Person A has made a font, Person B has drawn some icons, Person C has written a library and Person Z has used them in his programme (and made suitable DonationCredits).

I think you're right: it can be good fun!

[export]

If all notetaking programmes agreed to export to xml it'd be relatively simple to transform that into an import xml file for a different notetaking programme.

Two things.  One, as I understand it, XML may be an open format, but it isn't necessarily easy to work with.  You rapidly run into an alphabet soup of acronyms.

Sure, but the XSLT would be specific and transform one format to the other format. User doesn't need to see the xml.

Two, the original post wanted a way to store registration information, so any format should be encrypted, which would mean it wasn't true XML any longer (OK, the app should be able to export in a clear format, or at least to have encryption removed).

That's right: the Apps database would be in its original (encrypted) format and it would only export the data as XML.

Just had a look at KeePass and it does infact look excellent: very similar to PINs (my current standard). PINs has a better Auto-Text entry and URL definition, but KeePass could produce better trees (deep).

How much better auto-text?  Also, how complex does one really need?  Is a RoboForm fan going to jump in here?

It's got it's own field (not part of notes) and has a pop-up to insert the various variables and constants for you (means I don't have to remember what's what). So not more complex, just easier to use. 

Similarly the URL is in its own field in PINs not part of the notes as in KeePass.

BUT I really liked the ability in KeePass to have n-Deep Trees!! ...and chose your own icons!!

As I have also said elsewhere, anyone who wants to be a Software Hero of the People should write a notetaking file conversion program    Something of the sort should be possible, no doubt with limitations.

If all notetaking programmes agreed to export to xml it'd be relatively simple to transform that into an import xml file for a different notetaking programme.

KeePass seems to me a good and useful tool, as long as you accept that it's narrowly-focussed

Just had a look at KeePass and it does infact look excellent: very similar to PINs (my current standard). PINs has a better Auto-Text entry and URL definition, but KeePass could produce better trees (deep).

I've been using http://www.mirekw.com/winfreeware/pins.html for my passwords for as long as I can remember, so I also keep a separate file for software licences, keys, etc.

I've tried quite a few password programmes over the years (for short periods) but nothing comes close to PINs (for my liking anyway): which is really odd, as I don't see it promoted very much 

If I was more organised I'd probably use a NoteTaking program like http://www.surfulater.com/, which gives me a huge number of options for keeping bits of information about a programme... but I'm not that organised 

At the last place I worked I wrote a script that compiled the inventory and added it to a Network Database; it was dreadful how it grew: started off with IT asking what our computers' Processors and RAM was (we had about 100 at that time)... but once I got into the swing of collecting information... I just collected it all and ended up with a large Inventory Database!

 

So it could be done with a script as well!

Like others here, I've used PMail for a long time (6 years), originally won over by the very powerful filtering rules, templates and multiple accounts. Meant I could set up an automated eMail list from my own computer.

I thought of trying TheBat on reading the article, but like the previous post, ended up thinking it would be moving sideways.

  And it's excellent value!!

This was an almost impossible question! But what makes this site great (also one of the very few I've donated to) is the vibrant focus on Software in general. So this includes (almost in order):

• Software Reviews/Discussions
• Software Development
• Software giveaways (probably last on my list, but a great option to have to generate new clients)

I'd also like to mention Quality: This site is full of it!

Perry

That's exciting!

Thanks