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Show HN: Structpad: notepad-database hybrid that helps you use abstract thinking

structpad.app

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Re: Show HN: Structpad: notepad-database hybrid that helps you use abstract thinking

#32

Post by stan-donarise »

jlkuester7 wrote: post #30

I like it! I know the goal is to move beyond plain text, but I wonder if you plan to ever support exporting the data to plain text files (e.g. Markdown)? That is a hard requirement for me to consider a note-taking app. I need data portability if I am going to invest a bunch of time adding notes to a particular app....

Definitely yes, I plan on it.

Re: Show HN: Structpad: notepad-database hybrid that helps you use abstract thinking

#36

Post by northes »

I think this space, for all the energy already being poured into it, is still having a tough time finding the right abstraction for deeply-linked note organization without resorting to reinventing the wiki. I'm really glad to see an approach that isn't trying to be a Roam replica plus a couple extra features, the whole space is desperate for better abstractions. It seems to me like the flexibility of existing tools can lead to everybody building a subtly different and incompatible notetaking strategy, which is fine, but sacrifices a lot of the benefits of standardization and opinionated tooling. Exploring different structural patterns like you're doing might be just what the space needs to jump out of the local maximum it's in.

For a proof-of-concept, I really like your approach to hierarchical notes here! I'm a student and that structure makes sense for a lot of what I need to take notes on, but existing tools for linked notes don't have a great answer for that (and sometimes actively discourage it). I think you're onto something, looking forward to seeing how you develop these (and more) ideas over time!

Re: Show HN: Structpad: notepad-database hybrid that helps you use abstract thinking

#38

Post by gala8y »

pyinstallwoes wrote: post #5

This is similar to Ted Nelson's Xanadu in some ways, and also similarly liquid text. Nice work. The problem you're solving is a hard one. Memex maybe, one day.

In 10's there was a lot of innovation with GUIs, incl. 3d interfaces (pre virtual reality era). File managers, document environments, really interesting stuff. Tons of demos, mockups, POCs. Even YT was full of these. All of this is gone and I can not dig up any of this. I still remember quite a few concrete demos. Also, lots of hardware, like touch tables. It all kind of disappeared, I dont get it where and how. (Enterprise?)

Re: Show HN: Structpad: notepad-database hybrid that helps you use abstract thinking

#39

Post by pyinstallwoes »

jazzyjackson wrote: post #13
stan-donarise wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you, I haven't heard about Xanadu, I'll take a look. And liquid text, is it app for reviewing and annotating PDFs or something else?

For your perusal, here's a video of Ted demonstrating Xanadu: [0] (3min18sec to jump right to the demo) You can also browse the book he published describing the system, Literary Machines (1981) [1] -- it's a sprawling vision but I think where the parent sees overlap is in storing each text fragment as a singular entity and visualizing the links between two fragments. > A user may also make side-by-side connections of…

Absolutely nailed it. My fellow Xanadu dreamer.
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