What is Digg?65 Comments
- loqqq, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11actually, the .txt file holds the todo list, not the script
how's the view from the bandwagon? - ashembers, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9More scorn for pen and paper. Paper pads don't need booting!!!
- weisen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Dunno... 19 years of using Unix and I still put .txt on some text files and don't feel bad about it. Sometimes I'll call a text file NOTES and sometimes I'll call it what-i-did-here.txt. Who cares? Various sites have been interviewing people in high-power, high-productivity tech positions for a while and a number of people have reported text and terminal based tools as a fast, productive alternative to thick, cumbersome, uni-purpose GUI apps (e.g. a Google VP who uses Pine for her corporate e-mail and GMail for home). One of the things that's great about any unix platform out of the box is the availability of fast, powerful, simple text tools. I don't think that the article is front-page worthy, however lets applaud the author for trying to introduce some new people to what may be a new way of thinking.
- LiquidPenguin, on 10/12/2007, -8/+15When I saw the .txt notation, I thought this was an article for Windows. The article, however, is for *NIX. To add more confusion the author is running this in Cigwin under Windows. While I've occasionally slapped .txt extension on some files, for the most part, the .txt extension is one of the first to go when entering the *NIX environment.
I think the gist of what I'm saying is, the transparency of who is writing this article is pretty obvious, but not who the article is for. Is this intended for people entering the *NIX environment for the first time or is it intended for the more experienced users? - lnxaddct, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10Thats what he was saying. In *nix we don't need file extensions for anything, yet alone text files. Typically *.txt is associated with Windows, so it is very weird to see it used in a *nix context.
- jtrost, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7If anything, this makes life more complicated than it has to be. There are better ways to create to do lists and the like.
- willcode4beer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Perhaps, the txt extension is just there for the article so that "everyone" understands it to be a plain text file without lengthy explanations.
due to the number of comments, I guess he failed. - loqqq, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I may not use this for a todo list, but thanks for "seeding" other ideas . . .
- mamluk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I too have been using *nix for a while now and I will put .txt on files that are just text. I think its a good way to quickly label a file that is readable as opposed to a binary file. And it saves time from running the file command to query what type of file it is.
I think that those who are complaining about how lame this idea is or how geeky it is are forgetting that the context is quite important, especially when trying to implement some sort of order in organizing your life. Those who spend a lot of time with a shell open will obviously benefit more from this than someone who doesn't. Those who don't spend time with open shells and can't wrap their heads around that idea have already started displaying their ignorance. - randyzhang, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I installed the cygwin today and tested the script based on the laster article. It worked all fine to me and looks like quite a promising way to apply gtd. Dugg.
- delinka, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4What are you people on about? The scripts aren't named with a .txt extension. The TODO list has the .txt extension. The script exists without an extension so you don't have to type 'do.sh' constantly - executable files (+x) in UNIX don't typically get an extension for this reason.
Having a .txt extension is most certainly something that Windows caused. But it does remove ambiguity as to the file's content (remember, +x files don't get an extension in UNIX). And, although technically .txt is formatless, the extension indicates human-readability. - dittrich, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4The idea is that a text file is universal and future proof. I don't think they'll be getting rid of notepad/vi/emacs/et cetera any time soon.
I like the idea and I use it for some things, mostly at work. Troubleshooting notes, mostly. Outlook handles my tasks. Outside of work, I've got a Palm T5 that does the job quite nicely. - brickbat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Quote "So yeah, this system is crazy convoluted. I know. But it's nice keeping your todo.txt on a server and being able to get to it from any computer."
try google calendar - thechao, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Behold! Notepad *2*!
http://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html - Lifehacker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3This is the updated link to the todo.txt manager script:
http://www.lifehacker.com/software/to-do-managers/geek-to-live-readerwritten-todotxt-manager-173018.php - Kamaji, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I can understand why someone would want elements of a tool like this as opposed to something heavy like Outlook.
I think a solution that most would like would be to combine a command-line tool similar to this, with a very lightweight GUI, easily brought up, fully keyboard navigatable (no mouse required, but supported) that could be insta-killed with Ctrl-C.
So, bring up the GUI from a shell, focus lies in the GUI. Easily view and manipulate the todo list with your desired action (changing priority, add new, complete, view, etc) - persisted with RETURN or some such, then just hit CTRL-Q or CTRL-X to save-and-exit - bringing you instantly back to the command line to do whatever next thing you need to do. - MatttK, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4True but you can't play Sim Tower with a pen and paper. ;p
I throw my iPAQ on the sync cradle every day after work.. updates my info and recharges the battery, while storing my task list in an easy-to-read position.
k... better stop before someone thinks I work for HP... not actually a big fan of HP even. lol - Kamaji, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4> Neither does my iPAQ (unless I soft-reset it).
Ahh, but pen and paper don't need recharging every few days. - triv, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2EXACTLY! This has nothing to do with 'Linux'. This is a SHell script.
- wilf_brim, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Don't quite get it. I have my Palm Tungsten C with to do lists. It seems simpler than this. Maybe I'm just too dense, or not enough of a command line geek.
- ArchonMagnus, on 10/12/2007, -8/+10The .txt extension is platform independent. Why would you think it to be specifically for Windows? In fact, for *nix you wouldn't even need the extension.
digg none-the-less for another excellent use of scripting. - mamluk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2And your point being? It might be a small percentage of the population, but it is of interest to a significant percentage of Digg readers. And this article and its topic have little to do with Linux's adoption on the desktop- you can do the same sort of thing on windows too. Go away.
- chemicalscum, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Yeah I have been using UNIX (and later Linux) for 17 years and any text file I create i use the .txt suffix ( except of course for Shell scripts ending in.sh). I picked up the habit when using DOS before I came to Unix. Maybe it was in CP/M before that, I can't remember. It's lost in the mists of time back in the dark ages of computing.
- KicktheDonkey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3How about just updating notepad. Just a little. Line numbers would be nice.
- twollamalove, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2If you're a real hacker, why are you reading this article?
- willcode4beer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1perhaps. but, many of us would like something editable anywhere (or from anywhere) without any setup. I often find myself at a variety of workstations and OS's. Linux at home and for my primary work environment, windows for a secondary workstation, and the work stations of others.
Being able to ssh into another system and pop a change in with vi can happen in less time than it take to get a gui up. Also, I wouldn't have to bother with running "strange" software on company computers.
This is a case where the author is advocating keeping things as simple as possible. You could use word but, productivity would probably suffer. Have you ever seen someone make a 5 second edit in word? Me either. A 5 second text change gets accompanied by 5 minutes of playing with fonts. - mamluk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I could see something similar, maybe built as a widget for something like google desktop or something that persists on the desktop.
Instead of using the shell as a backend, something that has a gui you can use to manipulate tasks AND a command line you can use to as well- a simple parser could easily add the functions required I think. Add a hotkey to bring it to focus and dismiss it and you have an convienent to-do list. - randf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1from the article: "If I suck that file into Excel and get to line charting, it looks like this:"
holy cr*p, that's not the only thing that sucks in that system. i'd regress to clay tablets and cunieform before trying a todo.txt in command line. glad you guys understand this easy life-hack!
even the default to-do app on palm is better than all that work just to remember to email susie about easter. i've been using brainforest on the palm which makes to-do lists a snap. - kenahoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This wasn't actually covered in the article, but one of the main reasons I like to use plain text files for things is that I can manage them using revision control (CVS, Subversion, Perforce, etc.). That's the main reason I switched from Word to LaTeX for my Master's thesis too, though in retrospect there are countless other reasons that eventually would have made me switch.
- philmunt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I can't believe this argument, its not like *NIX requires any extensions and yet I don't hear anyone bitching about *.html.
- kenahoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1She.
- pdotnet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1There are some people who live for this stuff. I've got a buddy who refuses to use the mouse unless absolutely necessary. I think it's just a lust for control. Incidentally, he also swears by manual transmission.
- ViperDaimao, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Neither does making paper, unless you're making recycled paper, then that would reduce the number of trees/forests.
- The_Dude, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I hate that 43 folders stuff for some reason. I guess I find it ridiculous that a whole website exists telling people how to organize papers in manilla folders and crap like that. It's like browsing to a website named "let's watch paint dry".
- MatttK, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Future proof? I honestly don't care what my tasks were ten years ago. In another ten years, I expect Microsoft Office to still be around but, regardless, I won't care what I had to do in 2006.
Sure, storing things in an open format is a great idea for something you actually need to keep but I couldn't care less if, ten years from now, no computer on the planet could open my task list from 2006. - Lagged2Death, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1There is a lightweight, unstructured, OS-agnostic freeware alternative that offers better boot times, lower capital investment, and the better portability:
http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/03/introducing-the-hipster-pda/ - cgardner, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2That's a pretty neat little idea. Useless for myself, but neat nonetheless.
- mailman-zero, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I Love the Hipster PDA. Tried to get it on digg a few months ago, but only got like 8 diggs. A guy named hipster said "This hipster doesn't approve" in the comments.
- DanAtkinson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Slightly misleading given the fact that something like 90% of desktop computers recognise .txt files as text files in Windows.
Considering that *nix doesn't really use file extensions, this makes it even more misleading to potential diggers.
Still, the script is cool. - ArchonMagnus, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4The actual script is not stored as a .txt file. The todo database is stored as a .txt file. Also, since this is a *nix/BSD script you would save it as a *.sh.
edit: loqqq beat me to it. digg for loqqq - willcode4beer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@nferrier bah! real hackers use vi
;) - regeya, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0On the other hand, the rainy weather on the Washington coast explains why it took so long for Bill Gates to get married...
...c'mon, if you're gonna troll, at least make sense... - obezyana, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"you can do the same sort of thing on windows too" - and Macs - in fact both Windows and Macs are mentioned in the article, but I don't remember seeing Linux mentioned anywhere.
One of the major points of using .txt files in this way is that it's platform-independent. I've been using this system for a few weeks on my Mac, but I have a Windows computer and plan on building a computer and running Linux on it soon. Not many programs work on all three systems, but this will. - regeya, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Whoops, realized my first comment was way too harsh. Look, just because it makes no sense to you doesn't mean it makes no sense. It just means you're incapable of understanding simple English. It's OK; not everyone speaks English as a first, or even second, language. If English is either your first or second language, well, my condolences.
- MatttK, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2The command line has some valid uses but why punish yourself by refusing to use any one of several vastly superior tools invented this.. decade..
Personally, I use a combination of Outlook and my HP iPAQ. They synchronize with no fuss. It couldn't be easier. What's more is that I can view my to-do list from anywhere with at most 2 taps (turn on my iPAQ and then tap the task list).
There's a difference between nerd/geek and being stuck in the past and refusing to admit better things exist. - MatttK, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Neither does my iPAQ (unless I soft-reset it).
- hello2usir, on 10/12/2007, -6/+5Windows or not, a .txt file is an formatless, and ambiguous document type.
And although there is no law against it, you really shouldn't use it to name your script files. - willcode4beer, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1and by putting paper in landfills we are sequestering carbon and saving the planet.
Just say no to recycled paper. - ripter, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1I love TiddlyWiki! I use at work to keep track of my projects
- nferrier, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2if you're a real hacker of course, you'll be using emacs org mode: http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/OrgMode
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