Schrödinger’s Content: Superposition Within Chipmunk

One of the most amazing features in Chipmunk is the ability to have one component in multiple collections and projects without duplication. This offers the ability to curate content in meaningful, descriptive ways that matter — and most importantly, make sense — to you.

I know it sounds simple, bordering on obvious, but it’s something that’s been overlooked by traditional file management systems forever. For instance, vacation photos that feature many places, people, and events are impossible to organize without compromising. When I’m trying to find the photo of me at the Space Needle from last year, do I look in the folder called “Pictures of me” or the folder called “Seattle?” What if it’s in bottomless pit of photos just called “Vacation?” Or what if I didn’t organize at all?

If I’m searching through my hard drive or Dropbox, it could be in any of these folders (and not in the rest) unless I copied and pasted the same file in all of these folders, taking up valuable storage space and giving myself more files to sift through next time I need to find something. If I’m looking in Chipmunk, the same photo would be in all of these collections simultaneously. Not a copy, not a shortcut. It’s just the same photo in multiple places at the same time.

For that reason, we call this feature superposition, meaning your content (or in this case, my photo) is in all its collections at the same time until it’s accessed. Once you’ve pulled it up, it’s obviously right there — in the collection where you found it. As soon as you’re no longer accessing the content in that location, it goes back to being everywhere. Consider it Schrödinger’s content. (Of course, the science here isn’t perfect. Work with me.)

Do away with the idea that a file lives in one folder.

Superposition saves time and prevents frustration, giving you access to everything you need to find when you need to find it, regardless of what train of thought started your search. Worry less about tags or nesting folders within folders. Create collections as you think of them and add everything that makes sense without moving it from somewhere else or making a copy.

Do away with the idea that a file lives in one folder. Stop duplicating files, confusing versions, and searching through folder and folders. Embrace the idea of superposition with Chipmunk.

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