PoIC : Pile of Index Cards

What I love with this analog indexcard system is a "sound". A sound when I drop written card into the Dock.

It makes me feel some kind of accomplishment. It says "Well done! Let's go to next card" to me, and triggers next card.

I miss this sound when I use computer. Rather, a computer makes sound when I do something wrong (beep). Perhaps this makes big difference to my productivity. In fact, I usually use computer without sound.

The sound of indexcard attracts me to analog world so strongly.

# The only computer beep I love is startup sound of Macintosh

Title of a card should be short and exact. I usually write a card in following order,

Contents -> Icon -> Title -> Tag -> Time stamp

After writing contents, I have some time to think what icon and title of the card should be. It avoid discrepancy between title and contents (it sometimes happen!).

I name digital files using absolute name as I do for indexcards. In the picture, I show how to make time stamp with UNIX command to make time stamp name like " , as example. Kevinmarsh kindly introduced me there is an application called "TextExpander" which enable text expand "ymd" to the time stamp. Using the absolute name of digital file, I can link the file to an indexcard, like

ref. : PDF 2006.11.02 Thu 18:02

Same as link between indexcard, year, month, date and week is omitted if it is made in same day : then it become "ref. : PDF 18:02". To find a digital file on computer, which referenced in a indexcard, search with "20061102Thu1802".

I usually link only from digital file to card, and not from card to digital file. It is enough for me because the card system is center of information in my system.

This system is better and comfort for me, than digital. But I have never think system is perfect. Followings are problems I understand at current state, with 4,000 of indexcard.

• How to reduce cards : I don't know what happen if I use this system for 2 years or more without reducing cards. Discard, or I should keep everything. How to write, how not to write.
  
• Time stamp for GTD card : I have been thinking ver. 2 still have problem. Which time stamp should be used, a time it was written or a time it is accomplished.
  
• How to search a card quickly : As number of card increase, it become more and more difficult to search a card I want. Or I should quit search.
  

ref. : Writing manual from indexcards

As this blog do, implementing the "analog" PoI system to "digital" blog system is easily done. Feature of the PoI system is,

• Icon and Tag (Record, Discovery, Reference + GTD)
  
• Title and contents
  
• Date and Time stamp
  
• Chronological order
  
• Link between cards
  
• Revision Rule (Capability of modification)
  
• Capability of Reorganization
  
• Star system
  

You see first five features are already implemented in the blog system. To implement the PoI system to blog,

1. Reduce Tag to only 3-4 kinds (Record, Discovery, Reference + GTD)
   
2. Make title exact and short
   
3. Write the contents piece by piece
   
4. Allow revision/modification of the contents (revised time should be recorded)
   
5. Link between card and card, to external world, by using hyperlink
   
6. the blog should/must be private
   

You can start the PoI System from a blog just in front of you. It is good if you hesitate to use this system, because of difficulty with getting indexcard and dock physically. Now all you need is some simple attitude above.

# Wish-list and problems-to-be-solved should be discussed. Any idea?

"... Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

Ref. : Stanford University Commencement address by Steve Jobs,
CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios,
delivered on June 12, 2005.

For me, the indexcards I write day by day is something like the "dots" that Jobs says.

ref. : Comment from Rick

As Rick mentions in the reference above, writing manual of the "PoI system" is an example of the PoI system itself.

Each article corresponds to a single indexcard. Same as analog system, I use title, small number of tags (3 = Record, Discovery, Reference - GTD), timestamp, link, and piece by piece contents. They are random in contents, but keep in chronological order in the "Blog" page. Writing article in the Blog page is kind of stress-free because I don't need worry about the order. It is nothing but the indexcards in the Dock in analog system. Thanks to the HTML and blog, the idea of analog system is easily connected to the digital system.

For tracking newer contents, the "Blog" is o.k. For sharing with people, however, it is more convenient if the articles are reorganized and classified, as we see in a usual books. This is a purpose of the "Selection" page. The articles are reorganized to construct a manual of the "PoI System". Even after such classification, it is easier to insert new article/chapter since the articles are piece by piece like LEGO. This manual is growing.

Perhaps we can write a book from indexcard in this way

ref. : Card Dock
ref. : Law of accessibility

Three partitions made from wood are attached to the Correct's Dock. I made a big single sequence in the dock without the partition. I use index (separator made from paper) as indicator of a month, though. As a number of card increase, I skipped review process. Perhaps I felt difficult to break the big single lump of cards.

I realized a "partitioning" become more important according to a growth of system. It gives high accessibility to the system. Different from HDD on computer, a partitioning of the dock is easy even after constructing the system.

At this moment, I have two docks in my room. The most frequently accessed card should be close to me according to law of accessibility. I made partitions like in the picture above. From front of left dock to the end of right dock,

• Left Dock : Today / This week / Last week + Last 3 months
  
• Right Dock : Older than Last 3 months / Older than Last 3 months
  

If the number of the cards keep growing, I just prepare a new dock, and slide the contents.

ref. : Date and Time
ref. : Link between Cards

A date and time stamp is putted for all indexcard in this system. It defines absolute name, and plays a key role when link between cards. Then putting stamp is kind of routine work. What about I use rubber stamp for indexcard?

In fact, I have been using a rubber stamp for the fieldnote and other documents, but not for the indexcard. The reason is simple : I can't find rubber stamp that match my requirement. My requirement looks like,

2006.11.22 Wed

I think an information about "the day of the week" is important. Because our life is based on the week system. It is easier to remember what I did on last sunday, than just a sequence of number like "2006.11.19".

I have been looking for such rubber stamp for long time, but I still can't find it (sigh). At this moment, the best is done by hand. The hand written stamp is quick and exactly what I want.

ref. : Inertia of writing
ref. : Avalanche writing

Every single morning, I feel difficulty with start writing. Consciously or subconsciously, whatever. I used to spent long time to start writing with thinking "what I should write...". In terrible case, I couldn't write even single card.

One day, I found there is a tip to overcome it. The answer is simple : just start writing. Anything is o.k. All I need is just pick up a pen and card, and start.

But same time, if I say "let's start writing", I feel a certain resistance. Rather, I say for myself "let's start from diary". More precisely, I start from a weather of the day, like "Fine", "Cloudy" etc. In Japanese, it is just two or three letters (晴れ or くもり). Then record what happen in the morning, say "got up 7:00" "arrive at office 8:30", on the same card. It's not difficult, too. Just describe without thinking. That way, I fill a first card of the day. And it's enough to start avalanche of writing.

"The most difficult part of writing is the start point. An inertia of writing is huge."

ref. : Noguchi Yukio, Cho Seirihou, p. 177,
translation by Hawk

Moving from 0 to 1 takes much effort than 1 to 2. Noguchi used a metaphor of "inertia" in physics to express the difficulty of the start writing.

ref. : Second draft

The Second-Draft is originaly proposed by Josh DiMauro (see the ref. above). I have been trying the second-draft using indexcards I wrote before to reproduce higher and denser knowledge. This time, I used a set of indexcards (task force) I picked up for making Keynote.

I found B6 size quadrille card from the Correct. To tell the truth, I bought it before, a lot, for pre-PoI system. But it was slept in a closet for long time since I switch to present 5x3 indexcard. Now I have a way to use the B6 card

There is about forty cards in the task force. I compiled them into about ten second-drafts. I use B6 card in not in landscape, but in portrait, because the width is almost same as 5x3 card then ; it's just comfort for me.

ref. : Implementation of revision rule

I just implemented revision rule on the PoI system. It's simple. If the card is useful, I put a mark (star) on right-top-edge of the card. If I use a card again, I give one more star. Then it is clear which card is useful even after returning all cards in the Dock. After giving a star, the used card is now safely return to the Dock.

In practice, I found that if I use red pen, I always have to take two pens, blue and red. I think the system always must be simple. So, I decide to use blue pen as usual for the star, too. The star should be small mark if I think putting 2 or more stars in future. See example below.

ref. : Strict chronological order

The revision rule of Noguchi filing system sounds quite useful to keep system "alive". I think there is another way to implement it into the PoI system.

For example, when you pick up an indexcard from the dock, mark the top edge with a color pen, say red, then return to it's original position the dock. The order is unchanged. When you use the indexcard again, you put one more mark. Like a star for soldiers. Consequently, there are many mark for indexcard that you use frequently. Then you'll clearly see which card you used before.

I really appreciate that recently Edward Vielmetti introduced the PoI system on his blog. But I must say one thing to correct and avoid further misunderstanding. Strictly speaking, a chronological order in the PoI system is different from the one of Noguchi filing system (see also introduction by Dave Gray).

I must say that a chronological order in Noguchi filing system is not a simple one. For example, in Noguchi filing system, if one pick up a file from a shelf, it is returned to the one side, right end for example, of the shelf. If you use certain file frequently, it stays at the right end. Same time, a file you don't use will slide to the other side of the shelf. The system is always revised. File you uses frequently only survive in the shelf. A chronological order plus this revision rule is the key point of Noguchi filing system. The chronological order is relatively "loose". It is possible because a number of files in the system may not exceed a thousand ; it is in control even if with such a revision rule.

On the other hand, a chronological order in the PoI system is more "strict" one. For example, when I pick up a certain card from the dock, I must return it where it was originally. You see there is no revision rule in the Indexcardins system. This is why I can't say that this system adopts exactly same chronological order as Noguchi's file system. In fact, it is difficult to change an order of cards in the system because a number of cards easily exceed 1,000 ; a unit of information is smaller than file. If I introduce same revision rule, the system will be totally out of control and easily corrupt. In other words, only the "strict" chronological order can keep a consistency and rigidity of the PoI system.

Josh DiMauro (a.k.a jazzmasterson on flickr) suggests an idea of "second draft".

Topics on a single indexcard should be piece by piece. Then you can make larger construction by compiling multiple indexcards into a longer and more complex thought. Josh calls this process as "second draft". He uses a larger 5x8 size indexcard for this process. Itasaka Gen, a writer of "考える技術・書く技術 (Technical thinking, technical writing)" (1973), expressed similar process as "the next step". However, I think Josh's "second draft" is more concrete and appropriate expression.

The second draft helps to polish up ones idea. You can find the second draft with 5x8 indexcard in action at Josh's photo set on flickr, "External Memory".

ref. : discussion at "Divergence, convergence" on flickr

Number of indexcards I had written is over 4,000 now. I had never imagined it when I started using indexcard. It sounds great number, but in reality, I usually write 10 to 20 indexcards per day. Just a power of stress-free accumulation of chronological order rule.

I feel the system possess a different meaning than the beginning. Now it works as a "database". The feeling is enhanced because of the Dock where all of your indexcard gathers. Now I can use/reuse and organize/reorganize the indexcards. Preparation for presentation is an example. It was possible because I have the database. Roughly speaking, the PoI system change into database when the number of indexcard exceed 1,000.

Knowledge in one's brain is also database. For me, however, it was difficult to understand I have my own knowledge database, because it is invisible. After introducing the PoI system, my knowledge database appear in real world. No doubt I have my own knowledge database now.