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[Patrick Rhone]

I a currently experimenting and dancing around the idea of keeping a "Big Arse Text File" for small notes, tidbits, snippets, ideas, and other data worth capturing.

I am partially inspired by this post by Matthew Cornell. In it he describes the method he is using and how he organizes his data.

I am also inspired by the idea of it. The simplicity and portability. The ability to add to it quickly from anywhere using the append/prepend features of Quicksilver. Using Dropbox I can have it always in sync between multiple machines and the web. It will be able to be opened on anything that can read a text file (i.e. almost everything). Etc.

So, my question is, has anyone else tried this? Are you aware of any posts, articles, etc. from anyone else describing their methods, setup, etc? Any tips or hacks that you can share? Or does anyone have any general thoughts on this?

[Jason Rehmus]

I love this idea for all the reasons you listed above. In fact, I remember reading Matthew's posts on this subject and thinking "Holy cow! A couple text files, a few commands, and he's got the world at his fingertips!"

For some command line wizardry you should check out Todo.txt. The eminent Gina Trapani has collected some great tools for easily managing that big-arse text file. There are scripts for adding to, marking off, organinzing, and reporting on everything. There are also ideas for displaying your tasks or lists on your desktop. It's good stuff.

[Patrick Rhone]

Yes, was familiar with todo.txt but thanks for the reminder. I am not actually planning on this for a to-do management system. My idea was more of a daily log. I used to keep one at work actually (when I had a full time job) as a way of tracking what I was working on from day to day, as well as I would notate anytime I received an interruption that would stop or divert me from my tasks.

It was incredibly helpful during review time or whenever my (micromanaging) boss would pop in to ask me what I had worked on that day. It also allowed me to successfully argue for regular firewalled time where I could shut my door and put up a do-not-disturb sign for a few hours each week.

Now, I would like it just to get a personal sense of where I am spending my time, also to catch the little snippets of ideas that pop into my head. I am using Quicksilver with the text manipulation pluggin to prepend to the text file (so new items go on the top which is my preference). I also use TextExpander to date and separate the entries. So, an typicl series on enties looks like this:

Posted to wlc re:daily log using batf

08.07.2008 10:13 AM
----

IDEA: Find a way to reduce entry to log steps.

08.07.2008 10:15 AM
----

Complete phase 1 of very big project.

08.07.2008 10:15 AM
----

So that is the idea. I am going to do this for a few weeks and see where it goes and if I find it useful.

[austin]

I did this for quite a while, with a couple changes, and found it quite useful.  I've fallen out of the habit, but still use it from time to time if I find that days are going by and feeling less and less productive.

I'll try to dress up my setup enough to post here soon if others would want to see it.  It consists of Launchy (yes I'm on Windows) and a Ruby script.  The Ruby script really did nothing but put a timestamp on the entry and creating new files by month and day.  So I had a directory (at the time on a USB stick, but the Dropbox idea is nice) that was further broken down by year and month.  Every day got a new file in its proper directory.

So if I got a call from someone in the office wanting me to step out to help them with something I might type something like

Jane Doe needed help with XYZ widget :int :janedoe

The :int and :janedoe begin tags I'd slap on there.  This made it easy for me to grep back through all the files to find all the times I got ":int"errupted by :janedoe.

So, I had sort of the same idea but I was using different files by day instead of one big file.  I was just able to get my head wrapped around things this way for some reason.

[Jeroen Sangers]

On my Windows PC I use a similar set-up as Austin, only I use ActiveWords and a Visual basic script. You can read about this set-up at Slacker Manager.

[Nathan Hale]

I also really like the idea of having a huge text file for pretty much all my notes...in fact, pretty much all my computers have a "notes.txt" in my current docs folder, which I use for any "sticky" note type stuff.

Nevertheless, I did write a couple scripts for the Linux desktop that some of you may find interesting...I dubbed them "SimpleTask:" http://productivelinux.com/simpletask/. Assign a keystroke to the "add task" script, and you can add anything to your text file on the fly (no quicksilver, launchy, or GNOME DO needed...perfect for low end/slow systems). Assign another key combo to the "search" script, and you can quickly recall any bit of information based on your query. Not fancy or feature-rich like Gina's solution (which is awesome, btw). It works if you just need something simple though!

[Geordan]

So if I got a call from someone in the office wanting me to step out to help them with something I might type something like

Jane Doe needed help with XYZ widget :int :janedoe

The :int and :janedoe begin tags I'd slap on there.  This made it easy for me to grep back through all the files to find all the times I got ":int"errupted by :janedoe.

Ooooh I love the quick and dirty metrics that produces.

[Jason Echols]

austin, I would love to see how you do that...I like the idea.

I did this for quite a while, with a couple changes, and found it quite useful.  I've fallen out of the habit, but still use it from time to time if I find that days are going by and feeling less and less productive.

I'll try to dress up my setup enough to post here soon if others would want to see it.  It consists of Launchy (yes I'm on Windows) and a Ruby script.  The Ruby script really did nothing but put a timestamp on the entry and creating new files by month and day.  So I had a directory (at the time on a USB stick, but the Dropbox idea is nice) that was further broken down by year and month.  Every day got a new file in its proper directory.

So if I got a call from someone in the office wanting me to step out to help them with something I might type something like

Jane Doe needed help with XYZ widget :int :janedoe

The :int and :janedoe begin tags I'd slap on there.  This made it easy for me to grep back through all the files to find all the times I got ":int"errupted by :janedoe.

So, I had sort of the same idea but I was using different files by day instead of one big file.  I was just able to get my head wrapped around things this way for some reason.

[esc.lt]

http://zenhabits.net/2008/03/5-amazing-mac-apps-for-getting-things-done-plus-a-custom-rigged-setup/

It's kinda relevant, scroll down to where he describes his custom setup. The idea of displaying a text file of your choice at all times on your desktop is highly appealing to me.

As for the huge text file it doesnt really sound like a bad idea...but if you somehow delete that file by accident O:

I currently have lots of random text files filled with stuff...I guess I'm kinda in the same position you are...

[wwaxwork]

I'm like Nathan in that I have simple txt file I use to remember things in, though mine goes by the not so glamorous name of "brain dump". 

I've been using it for years to remember everything from a phone message, to a quote, idea or even whole articles I'd like to read later.  If I need to find some info in there I just use the search feature.

Come review time I just print out the file & I'm set to go.

[chris.bowler]

Patrick, you got me hooked on this idea. I've played around and come up with a comfortable setup of textmate, Quicksilver and applescript.

You can check it out here: http://theweeklyreview.ca/2008/08/27/track-yourself-with-a-log-file/

[halbtuerke]

I am using Quicksilver with the text manipulation pluggin to prepend to the text file (so new items go on the top which is my preference). I also use TextExpander to date and separate the entries. So, an typicl series on enties looks like this:

So that is the idea. I am going to do this for a few weeks and see where it goes and if I find it useful.

Could you please tell me how exactly you have setup TextExpander to date and separate your entries? When I try to use a TextExpander abbreviations in Quicksilver's text input field it doesn't seem to work.

Thanks in advance

[Patrick Rhone]

Could you please tell me how exactly you have setup TextExpander to date and separate your entries? When I try to use a TextExpander abbreviations in Quicksilver's text input field it doesn't seem to work.

Thanks in advance

I am not doing anything fancy. I have an snippet in TextExpander with an abbreviation to trigger it (ddtt in my case). I invoke Quicksilver (Command-Space), type to locate file, tab to next pane, type to prepend text, tab to text entry pane, hit "period" to enter text mode, type abbreviation, type my entry, give it some tags via my tagging system (which is colon/word - i.e. :tag) and then it return.

Not sure why this would not work for you but it is working on multiple machines for me (I synchronize both my TextExpander snippets and the text file itself)

[halbtuerke]

I am not doing anything fancy. I have an snippet in TextExpander with an abbreviation to trigger it (ddtt in my case). I invoke Quicksilver (Command-Space), type to locate file, tab to next pane, type to prepend text, tab to text entry pane, hit "period" to enter text mode, type abbreviation, type my entry, give it some tags via my tagging system (which is colon/word - i.e. :tag) and then it return.

Not sure why this would not work for you but it is working on multiple machines for me (I synchronize both my TextExpander snippets and the text file itself)

I got in touch with Chris and he told me that I should prepend my TextExpander snippet with a period. It seems that just typing the abbreviation without the period doesn't work for me nor for Chris.

Thank you anyway for your reply.

[Patrick Rhone]

Ah, well, I did not even think to try it with a period as part of my abbreviation. I type the period (to enter text mode in QS) separately.