Index

def: an indirect shortcut derived from and pointing into, a greater volume of values, data, information or knowledge.

I spend much of my time think about tools: software products that enable productivity, creativity, collaboration and livelihood. One specific aspect of tools I’ve been noodling on recently is the ‘index’, or more broadly: how tools help in the structuring / organization / recall of information.

What tools do you use to index information? Ex. Evernote for personal notes, Github for code, Asana for work tasks, Pocket & Bit.ly for links, Quip for mobile spreadsheets. They make it easy to record, revisit, and revise data in a single-player mode. And sometimes they build out a back-end to sit underneath each user / instance to create a platform for distribution, feedback and collaboration.

These ‘index’ apps help in organizing and structuring information: seemingly simple at first, but with larger ramifications. They help us manage and leverage the Internet’s ability to save near-infinite amounts of text. From them, we can derive utility from these expanding sets of information easily recorded and digitized, and create flexibility in new features we imagine that unlock value (ex collaboration, sharing, tagging).

Q: which index tools are missing? What sets of (often formerly written) data do you wish had an elegant tool designed to help structure, organize, edit, and share?

I’ve been noodling on this for a bit… would love any perspectives. I think there are a few workflows (both personal and professional) that are up-for-grabs by an elegant, well-designed index tool.

(via @Medium mobile // ‘Thoughts in Transit’)