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Author Topic: Need Help figuring out what personal wiki software fits my needs  (Read 10696 times)

Dochappy

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I'm wanting to start a personal wiki so all the notes I take and gather online using CintaNotes can have a final resting place.

My proposed workflow would be like this:
capture notes using CintaNotes then at the end of the week export those notes to a text file. Then from the text file I will copy and paste the notes in a personal wiki.

For the wiki I would like to have the main page consist of links(or categories) for example on of the categories would be GrammarGirl. When I click on that  GrammarGirl would be a new page where then the notes would be broken down by the date I captured them with CintaNotes.

Now I have tried:
Wikidpad: From the start I was overwhelmed and confused and even after reading the help files I was still confused put Wikidpad to the side.

Tiddlywiki: At first I thought Tiddlywiki would be perfect for me because its so simple but while trying to add/edit and format things I realized  things started to get deeper and more advanced and again i was soon lost.

then I found Zulupad: I like it. has features I need especially if I upgrade to pro with the addition to add images and etc. but in the free version I'm having trouble setting up like I mentioned above.

I need the help of you guys. Will Zulupad do what I need it to do or should I try something else ?
Thanks in advance :)

steeladept

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Well a coworker of mine uses the exact same job-flow but instead of CintaNotes, he uses TextPad (we have a site license for it at work).  From there, he pastes it into TiddlyWiki and uses that.  I know you already tried that and said you got lost getting into it, but I can tell you if you put the time in to learn it, it will do what you want.  That was what I was going to suggest until I saw you already tried it, but if you end up having to go back to it, I can try to hook you up with him to ask any questions you might have via email.  I understand, of course, that your first choice would be one that works and is understandable out of the box though.  Unfortunately, I can't help beyond what I already offered.

40hz

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You might want to look at Canaware NetNotes if you're willing to rethink a little of your workflow.

It's more along the lines of one of those tree-notes type PIMS. Left pane is a hierarchical tree (folders & docs). Right pane is the actual document.

NetNotes.jpg

I don't know how much post editing you do. But if you primarily allow the clips to stand as is, then this might be something that would work for you. You don't get tags, but you do have a customizable tree. And you can also have multiple libraries - which can be merged if necessary. Plus, there's a very good built-in search function. The URL is automatically saved for anything you store in NetNotes. (The navigate button will take you directly from the saved page to the webpage in your browser.) Document title is derived from the webpage itself. But you can freely edit and modify it if you like. There's also an edit mode for the clip itself. So you can freely add notes or whatever to the clip. You could even create a doc in it's entirety if you so desired. The latest version has added a few additional features including the ability to edit tables and images in a document.

Going with Canaware would save you the intermediate step of going through CintaNotes because the clips become part of your library the minute they're saved. I initially drop all my clips into a SORT folder. When I have the time, I eventually move these clips (with optional annotations) to their final resting place in my doc tree. Works really well.

I use CintaNotes too. But that's more for quick & dirty grabs of stuff like software I'm interested in looking at. In the past I used to create temporary bookmarks in a "Look at" folder under Firefox. But that got way too cumbersome.

My workflow is pretty straightforward - and constantly evolving.

Right now the main point of entry into my infoworld is an RSS reader (Sage) which I use to stay on top of websites and topics that most interest me.

Anything that catches my eye for serious later reading gets sent to my account at ReadItLater via a FF plug-in or an app on my smartphone. I bought the Digest option from RIL when they offered it at discount (perpetual one-time only license fee) to people participating in their beta. It was only something like $15, so even if they eventually pull an about-face ripoff like so many other "lifetime" offers have, it's not big money we're talking about. (Sorry to sound so cynical - but I am cynical anytime the word "lifetime" gets used in the same sentence as "license.")

Anyway, if it's something that I think worth archiving, it gets sent one of my Canaware NetNotes library folders, depending on the topic.

If it's some info I want to keep - but less permanently - (like the current selections in either my "favorite" or "genuinely interesting" software lists) I'll put that in CintaNotes along with a tag or two.

Don't know if any of this helps, but there ya have it.

That's my story - and I'm sticking to it! ;D

Luck. :Thmbsup:

--------------------------

Note: Canaware's website is a little weird since it's basically a forum. Downloads are here if you're having trouble finding them. Main 'page' is here.


« Last Edit: June 23, 2011, 01:11 PM by 40hz »

wraith808

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Hmmm... I was thinking about trying it- then saw the requirement for FF or IE. :(  Since I'm in Chrome most of the time now, it appears I would be able to try it.  But it looks neat; I've tried a few of those clip pim things, and the only one I've really stuck with is Evernote.

cranioscopical

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You might want to look at Canaware NetNotes

A modest rework of that and you have a decent mini-review!  :up: :up:

40hz

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You might want to look at Canaware NetNotes

A modest rework of that and you have a decent mini-review!  :up: :up:
-cranioscopical (June 06, 2011, 06:19 AM)

I probably should. I've praised it enough. And enough times. Might be easier to just write it once and for all, and then point to it going forward, huh?  ;D


Dochappy

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Spent the day using NetNotes and it's growing on me. It's not as fast as CintaNotes but it has more features. I like that  it has the option to style text. I've noticed a little delay when choosing fonts and switching from another program to NetNotes.

Barring any big problems this will replace CintaNotes for me on my desktop. Will keep CintaNotes on my external hard drive for when I need to use it on other computers.

@Steeladept That would be a big help if he is willing. I really would like to learn how to use TiddlyWiki because how portable it is just one file lol.

Thanks again.

Dochappy

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I have a small question about NetNotes.  I have several articles in a drop zone folder and Now I'm wanting to send them to different folders I have created. Is there a way to send multiple articles to a folder at once instead of dragging an article one at a time ?

oblivion

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I'm wanting to start a personal wiki so all the notes I take and gather online using CintaNotes can have a final resting place.

My favourite is WOAS (Wiki On A Stick).

The thing I absolutely love about it is that it's self-contained, and runs in Your Web Browser Of Choice (given Java, natch.)

The learning curve is, well, next to non-existent -- particularly if you're already familiar with TiddlyWiki -- and although I've played with all the packages you've already named, I keep going back to WOAS.

Oh, and it's free. Get it here.
-- bests, Tim

...this space unintentionally left blank.

wraith808

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^ Thanks!  I'd actually never heard of that...

vinayakjoshi

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oblivion

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Re: Need Help figuring out what personal wiki software fits my needs
« Reply #11 on: June 23, 2011, 02:16 PM »
http://projects.gnom...mboy/?pagewanted=all
-vinayakjoshi (June 23, 2011, 06:08 AM)
Tomboy's a little odd, for my taste. It behaves like a sticky note app with wiki-ish facilities, it certainly works quite well, but my own preference is for something that'll do documentation with referencing and hyperlinking facilities, rather than something more notes-ish. I use Tomboy on my ubuntu machine but I haven't found it useful enough to want to try its Windows incarnation. The things I use Tomboy for in ubuntu I use CintaNotes for in Windows. Just me, I expect.
-- bests, Tim

...this space unintentionally left blank.