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2007MAR301415

What is an outliner?

An outliner is simply a hierarchical editor that allows logical organisation of information visually showing a heirarchy of parent, child relationships. Outliners work because it is thought the heirarchy storage is somegthing that humans grok. [0]

 

Why do I need one?

The reason I need the outliner is simple. I need to be able to link blocks of information, links, text entries, images all in some form of hierarchy. I simply can't do this with the current set of blocks I have and hence the post, "Playing with blocks on the floor" [1].

 

For any particular post I need some way of having say a text entry with the Entry block. Then at some time in the future I may add say 3 more comments related to that entry, a photo and several link blocks. All this can be acheived if I create an outlining block that acts as a skeleton that I can add extra blocks to.

 

In essence the Outliner block is really just a connector that points to a parent and/or a child block. At the same time have a one to one relationship with an Entry, Link, Image block.

 

Above picture

The above picture shows that I can add various blocks together. The key bit is with a Outline block it holds together this structure. Think of the Outline block as just a connector on a block allowing them to be connected. The Outliner allows you to connect blocks together.

 

Just what I want.

 

More about Outliners?

Outliners are the child idea of Doug Englebart [2] and has been continued extensivly by Dave Winer [3]. During the course of this write up I was listening to Dave on Outliners [3] and reading various references to Outliners [4], Dave Winer explaining outlining & programming [5], Doug Englebart [6] and Dave Winer meeting Doug Englebart in 2000 [7].

 

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References

[0] As heard in Dave Winers Interview on ITConversations, "Behind the Mic" with Doug Kaye, 1:09:05, 31.6 mb, recorded in 27/OCT/2004.

www.itconversations.com/shows/detail260.html

[Accessed Friday, March 30 2007]

 

[1] Bootload image on flickr, 2007MAR231514, "Playing with blocks on the floor"http://flickr.com/photos/bootload/431100768/

[Accessed Friday, March 30 2007]

 

[2] Wikipedia, Doug Englebart, "Wikipedia entry on Doug Englebart"

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Engelbart

[Accessed Friday, March 30 2007]

 

[3] ITConversations, Dave Winer, "Behind the Mic with Doug Kaye, 1:09:05, 31.6 mb, recorded in 27/OCT/2004"

www.itconversations.com/shows/detail260.html

[Accessed Friday, March 30 2007]

 

[4] Google search, "dave winer & outliner"

www.google.com/search?q=dave+winer+outliners

[Accessed Friday, March 30 2007]

 

[5] Dave Winer, Outliners & Programmers, "Dave explains a bit of his history with outliners"

davewiner.userland.com/outlinersProgramming

[Accessed Friday, March 30 2007]

 

[6] Doug Englebart, "Dougs website, Bootstrap Institute"

www.bootstrap.org

[Accessed Friday, March 30 2007]

 

[7] Dave Winer meeting Doug Englebart, "Dinner with Doug Engelbart Friday, October 6, 2000"

davenet.smallpicture.com/2000/10/06/dinnerWithDougEngelba...

[Accessed Friday, March 30 2007]

 

 

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Uploaded on March 30, 2007
Taken on March 30, 2007