List Application

June 12, 2004 4:32 PM

Keeping lists of things at hand: For example, I want to buy music. Not just any music, some specific music. But I don't always keep all of it in my brain at any one time. What's the best site or app for keeping lists of things. Not necessarily to-do things, just... things.
posted by daver to Computers & Internet (26 answers total)

I wrote a perl script to keep an online books-to-read list, it could easily be adapted to keeping track of anything Amazon sells. Send me an email if you want it.
posted by cmonkey at 4:35 PM on June 12, 2004

I am going to get flak for this, but I really dig Microsoft's OneNote for quick jotting down of ideas, to do list, etc. It's not free though, it's part of Office 2003.
posted by riffola at 4:37 PM on June 12, 2004

Response by poster: I'd prefer a site (so I can see it here there and everywhere) rather than an app. I already use one note (and notepad) for tracking tasks, but this is a bit different. I'd love to host this on my site (movable type) if possible.
A "thing x" blog would be OK, except:
+ too much overhead to make a new list
+ ordered by date -- I'd (greatly) prefer to be able to insert items in the stack
+ I'd like to be able to browse multiple lists in a tree, rather than navigate site to site

Thoughts?
posted by daver at 4:39 PM on June 12, 2004

Response by poster: I'd be open to OneNote, 'specially if it can publish something organized and browseable to a website...
posted by daver at 4:40 PM on June 12, 2004

I just use the Amazon wish-list feature. Easy. I don't necessarily buy the books or cds at Amazon. I just use it as you described, for keeping tracks of books and music i may want to explore or buy later.
posted by vacapinta at 4:40 PM on June 12, 2004

My low-tech solution has been to carry a moleskine notebook with me everywhere and then jot down albums and books I want to buy on the back pages. This way, it goes where you go.
posted by drezdn at 4:53 PM on June 12, 2004

I don't have any web solutions, but if you have a Palm pilot, I highly recommend Shadow Plan. If you're on a Mac, I recommend Notational Velocity for keeping, well, anything at all at your fingertips.
posted by dobbs at 4:59 PM on June 12, 2004

Outlook's notes are good for random plain-text jottings. You can categorise them as you want (I do), and they synchronise seamlessly with Palm memos.
posted by cbrody at 5:12 PM on June 12, 2004

I just have my favourite text editor opening my ~/todo.txt under a hotkey, in which I have seperate sections for everything from the actual todo list to books I have to buy to shopping lists to random thoughts/notes. I'm sort of obessively over-organised, perhaps that's necessary for this approach, but it works very well for me.
posted by fvw at 6:41 PM on June 12, 2004

Keynote is fast, simple, and works like a charm, can asign it to a system-wide hotkey and just forget about it until you need it.
posted by signal at 6:54 PM on June 12, 2004

Get a sketchbook. Why does this have to be computerized?
posted by interrobang at 7:36 PM on June 12, 2004

Because they want it to be... ON A COMPUTER? Why?

When I got my first laptop, it came wiht some IE calendar program where you could type messages to yourself as reminders months and years into the future. I thought the idea was so ridiculous that I sent myself messages "from the past":

welcome to another miserable, boring birthday"

you forgot your brother's birthday again, you stupid jackass"

today you are a whole year older than you were last year

Things like that.

Then I forgot about them and had a good laugh a long time later when I opened the program for the first time in forever.

If you want to order your mind, nothing's better than writing things down. I'm no Luddite, and I use my computer for several hours every day. But the things that help me organize my thoughts best are my chalkboard (where I drunkenly write ideas) and a sketchbook.

With a sketchbook that is the right size and shape for your specific needs, you can keep lists, and you can keep them in your pocket for whenever you have a new idea and don't have access to a computer. I used to test them by sticking them into my winter coat's pocket. If you have a satchel, you can try them out that way as well.

Also, with a sketchbook, you can draw! Even if you think you can't draw, you can draw in it.

Keeping a sketchbook is a wonderful experience, even beyond the fact that when you have a list in one (which I have had, many times) you always know where the list is. It's always where you left it, and it's always in your coat pocket, backpack, satchel, or purse.
posted by interrobang at 8:01 PM on June 12, 2004

My low-tech solution has been to carry a moleskine notebook with me everywhere and then jot down albums and books I want to buy on the back pages. This way, it goes where you go.

Same thing I do, right down to the type of notebook. You, sir, are a genius.
posted by The God Complex at 8:12 PM on June 12, 2004

Response by poster: Because, I don't want to put a sketch book in my pocket.

I agree, notepads (moleskine, whatever) are great. Not what I was asking about, but thanks for the thought.

...always know where the list is. It's always where you left it, and it's always in your coat pocket, backpack, satchel, or purse.

for me, this place would be either work, or home. Which ever is least convenient.
posted by daver at 8:25 PM on June 12, 2004

I really like Circus Ponies' Notebook. Note that it's shareware, and Mac OS X only.
posted by funkbrain at 9:20 PM on June 12, 2004

I know it's not really the intended function of them, but I set up a wiki (specifically phpWiki) as a subdomain on my site for similar purposes.
posted by Doktor at 9:50 PM on June 12, 2004

I think I've read that the act of writing things down makes you remember them. So I'll make a list to take to the grocery store, put most of the things on the list in the cart without actually looking at the list, then check the list and wonder why I brought it. It's not necessarily looking at the list that reminds me; it's the act of writing the list that makes me remember.
posted by kirkaracha at 12:46 AM on June 13, 2004

This is something i made a long time ago - it was meant as a kind of group-brainstorm-organisation-tool, but i think it would serve your purpose very well. Its in danish - to make a new board just fill in a name, password and mail address in the three fields under 'opret ny opslagstavle' and give it a whirl.

In my opinion its a diamond in the rough and lately i've been meaning to put down some work in it and get it finished.

I'd sure like some pointers as to what would be needed to make it a thoroughly usefull little app. (mail-address in profile)
posted by FidelDonson at 1:25 AM on June 13, 2004

Response by poster: Fidel: Cool! Web based post-it notes! How about an RSS feed and a 'jump to' option and... (more ideas to your email account)
posted by daver at 8:01 AM on June 13, 2004

hey, fidel--
I couldn't find it in any danish->english dictionaries, but what does "gem" mean?
thanks for letting us play with it!!
posted by j at 8:20 AM on June 13, 2004

Nullsoft Sex
posted by abcde at 9:40 AM on June 13, 2004

windows notepad
posted by TurkishGolds at 12:41 PM on June 13, 2004

I'd just like to mention to all users of Windows Notepad that Editpad is a vastly superior program. Yes, that's what I use to keep track of stuff. And there's nothing like plain text for portability.
posted by alex_reno at 1:29 PM on June 13, 2004

HandyShopper is handy for shopping w/ a palm device. It is pretty customizable and I use the date function for release dates of CDs, DVDs and video games.
posted by boost ventilator at 4:30 PM on June 13, 2004

I have a Wiki running on my system. My browser opens to it as my homepage. Wikis rule, other things drool!
posted by five fresh fish at 4:40 PM on June 13, 2004

Wikis are cool.

Also, if you're technical The Everything Development Engine is worth a look. eCore is the core code that runs the Everything2 community database and "weird headless death cult of writer apostles".

Legend has it that Everything and eCore came about because Nate Oostendorp wanted a quick and robust way to catalog his CDs. It's really a rather unique content and knowledge management system.

eCore is free and open source, but note that many of the functions and code shown in E2 are custom mods specific for the site and application.
posted by loquacious at 4:56 PM on June 13, 2004