THE WELCH COMPANY
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415 781 5700


S U M M A R Y


DIARY: November 20, 2002 08:48 PM Wednesday; Rod Welch

Gary submits ideas for improving the next generation of SDS.

1...Summary/Objective
2...Functionality Next Generation Essential, Desirable, Accidental
....Essential Features for Improving Management to Save Time Money
....Desirable Features
....Accidental Features
....Features to Remove


..............
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CONTACTS 
0201 - Dynamic Alternatives                         562 802 1639
020101 - Mr. Garold L. Johnson
020102 - dynalt@dynalt.com

SUBJECTS
Development Planning for Next Generation SDS
Functionality of New SDS
Functionality New SDS Essential Features
Gary Offers to Work on Creating Next Version of SDS Starting by Revie
Jones, Morris Submit Medit Code C Version to Gary Gary Offers to Work
Johnson, Gary Usability Features that Make SDS Unique
Usability Features that Make SDS Unique

1909 -
1909 -    ..
1910 - Summary/Objective
1911 -
191101 - Follow up ref SDS 10 0000.
191102 -
191103 - Gary submits thoughtful analysis on functionality of a next generation
191104 - version of SDS, ref SDS 0 NN9H, including ideas on features that can
191105 - be eliminated. ref SDS 0 NO7R  A list for "desirable" features might
191106 - be a target for open source features. ref SDS 0 NN56
191108 -  ..
191109 - Sent an email to Gary linked to this record for comments on SDS
191110 - functionality.  Sent a copy to Morris, because he asked about Gary's
191111 - progress when we talked last night about creating a savh function, per
191112 - the record on 021107. ref SDS 9 U98O
191113 -
191114 -     [On 021122 Gary publishes SDS record related to this work today.
191115 -     ref SDS 12 EV4F
191117 -      ..
191118 -     [On 021125 Gary discusses development of next generation of SDS by
191119 -     working on c versio of Medit. ref SDS 13 S57M
191120 -
191121 -
191122 -
191124 -  ..
1912 -
1913 -
1914 - Progress
1915 -
191501 - Functionality Next Generation Essential, Desirable, Accidental
191502 -
191503 - Follow up ref SDS 8 VJ6N.
191504 -
191505 - Received ref DRT 1 0001 from Gary supplementing his letter on 021016
191506 - that offered first impressions on the usability of SDS. ref SDS 8 VJ6N
191507 - Today, Gary lists additional ideas for functionality of the next
191508 - generation SDS program based on criteria for....
191509 -
191510 -                 essential......... ref SDS 0 NN9H
191511 -                 desirable......... ref SDS 0 NN56
191512 -                 accidental........ ref SDS 0 NO45
191513 -                 eliminate......... ref SDS 0 NO7R
191515 -      ..
191516 -     [On 021125 Gary offers to consider working on developing next
191517 -     generation of SDS; first issue is upgrading c version of Medit.
191518 -     ref SDS 13 S57M
191520 -  ..
191521 - SDS features for the current program are shown in the schematic for
191522 - Com Metrics. ref OF 2 008M  Details are explained in POIMS.
191523 - ref OF 1 0001
191524 -
191526 -     ..
191527 -    Essential Features for Improving Management to Save Time Money
191528 -
191529 -    Follow up ref SDS 8 SYRR.
191530 -
191531 - Gary lists features he sees are essential for SDS. ref DRT 1 PPS2
191533 -         ..
191534 -    1.  Linking to specific locations in other records (and within
191535 -        the current record).
191536 -
191537 -           On 021016 Gary describes Links to interconnect the record in
191538 -           arbitrary ways based on user decisions. ref SDS 8 SYQX
191540 -         ..
191541 -    2.  Easy access to related records.
191542 -
191543 -           On 021016 Gary describes mechanisms to allow gathering and
191544 -           accessing all material relevant to a discussion, developing
191545 -           a work product, making decisions, and managing people,
191546 -           activities, and data. ref SDS 8 SYRT
191548 -            ..
191549 -           Part of this capability are the first three (3) features
191550 -           Gary mentions on 021016. ref SDS 8 W48O
191552 -         ..
191553 -    3.  Automatic linking based on context.
191554 -
191555 -           On 021016 Gary describes Links to interconnect the record in
191556 -           arbitrary ways based on user decisions. ref SDS 8 SYQX
191558 -         ..
191559 -    4.  Chronological record.
191560 -
191561 -           On 021016 Gary describes a chronological record of thoughts,
191562 -           actions, decisions, and documents, a history with its
191563 -           artifacts. ref SDS 8 AK5F
191565 -         ..
191566 -    5.  Organic subject structure
191567 -
191568 -           This may include control fields and reporting.
191569 -
191570 -           On 021016 Gary describes subject indexing external to the
191571 -           indexed material. The index must be user extensible.
191572 -           ref SDS 8 SYRQ
191574 -         ..
191575 -    6.  Contacts for tracking people involved
191577 -         ..
191578 -    7.  Document management
191579 -
191581 -  ..
191582 - The notion of "essential" needs to be fleshed out in relation to the
191583 - objectives for SDS that are explained in POIMS.
191584 -
191585 -      The core objective for technology to make good management fast
191586 -      and easy to use consistently for saving time and money by getting
191587 -      the work done correctly, on time and within budget, establishes
191588 -      what is needed or "essential" for SDS to accomplish that goal?
191590 -  ..
191591 - Another dimension of "essential" is market research and/or assessment
191592 - of what is needed to make a sale and hold a customer.
191594 -  ..
191595 - Consideration might be given to other features that may be essential
191596 - under Gary's analysis, per above, ref SDS 0 NN9H, include the
191597 - following....
191598 -
191599 -    1.  Integrating time and information, described in POIMS as people,
191600 -        process and time, that is accomplished by integrating the
191601 -        schedule and diary to enable a plan, perform, report continual
191602 -        intelligence process, shown in the schematic for Com Metrics.
191603 -        ref OF 2 008M
191604 -
191605 -           [On 030119 Gary submits a letter with a link to his own SDS
191606 -           record demonstrating new skills for a new way of working
191607 -           enabled by SDS that applies technology for integrating a
191608 -           critical mass of tasks. ref SDS 14 346X
191610 -         ..
191611 -    2.  Summarizing and linking summary to details is essential for
191612 -        SDS.
191614 -         ..
191615 -    3.  Converting to HTML and posting an organized record on the
191616 -        Internet for uniform communication on a broad scale, without
191617 -        noticable investment of time, is essential.
191619 -         ..
191620 -    4.  Confidentiality that enables people to put everything into SDS
191621 -        in order to discover gaps in understanding, yet disclose only
191622 -        that which seems desirable at the time, in the way that people
191623 -        have a lot of thoughts in their head, but only speak a portion,
191624 -        and hold other stuff back, this capability is essential for an
191625 -        effective SDS program that empowers people to use thinking
191626 -        through writing to avoid mistakes and discover opportunity in
191627 -        time to save money.
191629 -         ..
191630 -        Gary touches on this requirement in his letter dated 021016.
191631 -        ref SDS 8 SYSZ
191632 -
191633 -
191634 -
191635 -
191636 -
191637 -
191638 -
191639 -
191640 -
1917 -

SUBJECTS
Development Planning for Next Generation SDS
Desirable Features

210401 -     ..
210402 -    Desirable Features
210403 -
210404 -
210405 - Gary lists features he feels are desirable for SDS. ref DRT 1 YY7I
210406 -
210407 -     •  Lists, bulleted and numbered
210408 -
210409 -           Bullets and other outlining support is pretty essential for
210410 -           an effective work environment, as seen by this record. Gary
210411 -           may be thinking here about what level of correlation is
210412 -           needed with industry wordprocessing methods for applying
210413 -           these features.
210415 -            ..
210416 -           It may be that implementation for Knowledge Management is
210417 -           markedly different from similar features in wordprocessing.
210419 -         ..
210420 -     •  Headlines
210421 -
210422 -           Headlines are in some respencts "essential" because they
210423 -           support a core element of adding intelligence to management
210424 -           that links summary to detail, explained in POIMS.
210425 -           ref OF 1 0367
210427 -         ..
210428 -     •  Emphasis, bold, italic, underline
210430 -         ..
210431 -     •  Automatic word wrapping
210432 -
210433 -           Experience using SDS the past 20 years shows this is pretty
210434 -           essential for productive work.
210436 -         ..
210437 -     •  Spell checking
210438 -
210439 -           Experience using SDS the past 20 years shows this is pretty
210440 -           essential for productive work, because spell checking
210441 -           supports accuracy, and inaccurate work causes rework that
210442 -           kills productivity, earnings and stock prices.
210444 -         ..
210445 -     •  Anchors and links hidden by text? Certainly links can be
210446 -        placed under text if we decide to do so, but is there a reason
210447 -        to do so?
210449 -         ..
210450 -     •  Information Mapping block structures including the
210451 -        specific and general tables.
210452 -
210453 -           Sounds like issues Gary discussed in relation to Robert
210454 -           Horn, reported on 021119. ref SDS 11 WE5L
210456 -         ..
210457 -     •  Specific tables
210458 -     •  General tables
210460 -         ..
210461 -     •  URL recognition and launch from them, as KeyNote does.
210462 -
210463 -
210464 -
210465 -
210466 -
210467 -
2105 -

SUBJECTS
Development Planning for Next Generation SDS
Desirable Features

230401 -     ..
230402 -    Accidental Features
230403 -
230404 -
230405 - Gary lists features described as "accidental" that reflect limitations
230406 - of Rod's programming skills and using Medit environment. ref DRT 1
230407 - YP9Q
230409 -         ..
230410 -     •  All issues of format -- we should feel free to change record
230411 -        formatting in any way we choose so long as we create routines
230412 -        to upgrade existing SDS records. This specifically includes
230413 -        fixed length fields and fixed record locations where
230414 -        reasonable.
230416 -         ..
230417 -     •  DOS short file names. Do not use names with spaces, but the
230418 -        files do not have to be restricted to DOS (8.3) names or
230419 -        numbers.
230421 -         ..
230422 -     •  Keyboard layout -- this is a losing battle.
230423 -
230424 -           Not having an efficient way to work causes continual
230425 -           problems, reported on 001207. ref SDS 3 V54M  It is hard for
230426 -           people to draw the correlation between continual bumbling in
230427 -           daily work and using an inefficient keyboard because the use
230428 -           of hands in relation to cognitive processes is largely
230429 -           hidden from the conscious span of attention, as discussed on
230430 -           990121, ref SDS 1 CO6I, cited in the record on 020924
230431 -           sending the program to Gary. ref SDS 6 EL8F
230433 -            ..
230434 -           It is attractive to view things that are not fast and easy
230435 -           to accomplish, like getting an efficient keyboard, when
230436 -           everybody else is getting by using what is provided by the
230437 -           computer vendor, as "overkill" and unnecessary.  It may turn
230438 -           out that the keyboard is irrelevant, but we need to keep in
230439 -           mind that there is a lot of experience on this issue.
230441 -         ..
230442 -     •  Representation -- ASCII files are excellent, but the
230443 -        presentation and editing do not have to look on screen the way
230444 -        the file exists on disk.
230445 -
230446 -           Good point, may be able to render the stuff in a lot of
230447 -           different ways.
230449 -         ..
230450 -     •  Navigation within the Subject Index -- search plus a tree
230451 -        implementation would be far better.
230452 -
230453 -           This is something have been wanting to work on for a long
230454 -           time.
230456 -         ..
230457 -     •  All codes -- the user shouldn't have to care how subjects,
230458 -        records, contacts, or anything else is represented, only how
230459 -        they are accessed.
230460 -
230461 -           This may not be as simple as it sounds.  Enabling people to
230462 -           work with both account structures and account names gives
230463 -           people a lot of power to organize information in useful
230464 -           ways.  So far as is known, other methods do not work as
230465 -           well, as reported by Bill DeHart on 000709, ref SDS 2 0052,
230466 -           and by Eric Armstrong on 010916, ref SDS 4 PG6J, compare
230467 -           with comments a short time later the same day. ref SDS 5
230468 -           KA6H  Without direct access to the account structure, it is
230469 -           impossible for anybody to manipulate the meaning of
230470 -           organizational memory in practical ways that save time and
230471 -           money.
230473 -            ..
230474 -           The Communication Manager role shields people from having to
230475 -           work with accounts, because a few people with skills to do
230476 -           this work makes it possible for everybody else to ignore
230477 -           organic structure.  That is why account structures are not
230478 -           published with SDS records on the Internet.  Everybody sees
230479 -           simple explanations that look and sound familiar, but the
230480 -           Communication Manager has the skill to make this useful by
230481 -           managing the richness of context using complex code
230482 -           structures shown in the Subject Index.
230483 -
230484 -
230485 -
230486 -
230487 -
230488 -
230489 -
230490 -
230491 -
230492 -
230493 -
230494 -
230495 -
2305 -

SUBJECTS
Development Planning for Next Generation SDS
Desirable Features

250401 -     ..
250402 -    Features to Remove
250403 -
250404 -
250405 - Gary lists features to eliminate in a next generation version.
250406 - ref DRT 1 YP5T
250407 -
250408 -     •  "Mystery meat" -- hot spots and areas that have no visible
250409 -        representation. This can be done as we move to graphical
250410 -        presentation.
250411 -
250412 -
250413 -
250414 -
250415 -
250416 -
250417 -
250418 -
2505 -
Distribution. . . . See "CONTACTS"