.Introduction, how. --- .This section is about how I write the Paul Nervy Notes. Topics include: (1) Alternative methods. Paper vs. digital. (2) Categories. (3) Computer. Web site. (4) Current method. (5) Dates. (6) Ratings. (7) Searching. (8) Table of contents. Index. (9) Other things: Goals. Outline. Lists. Diary. (10) Year by year. --- 1/24/2006
.Introduction, how. --- (1) At base, Paul Nervy Notes is a tab delimited text file. (2) One can make it slightly more fancy by saving as an .rtf file and then making the keyword and date fields italics and by spacing the paragraphs apart. (3) One can make it even slightly more fancy by converting it to html or by making a web site, or by importing the text file into a database or spreadsheet. --- 1/14/2002
.Introduction, how. --- (1) Cover every subject. (2) Start from the ground and work up. (3) Figure out and find out. (4) Publish your results. (5) Everyone should do this. --- 4/28/2005
.Introduction, how. --- (1) Digital vs. paper. (2) Alphabetical vs. chronological. --- 6/3/2004
.Introduction, how. --- (1) Figured-out notes: (A) Public. (B) Private. (2) Found-out notes: (A) The notes you take on books. (B) Your e-library. (C) Your favorite websites list. (D) Your notes from school. --- 8/25/1999
.Introduction, how. --- (1) Historical structure vs. (2) Logical structure of things vs. (3) Structure by importance: important to me, average joe, any individual. --- 12/30/1992
.Introduction, how. --- (1) My notes (stuff I figured out). (2) Book notes (stuff I found out). --- 12/30/1992
.Introduction, how. --- (1) Structure: what are the elements in the method. (2) Mechanism or procedure: how to use/manipulate the elements. --- 12/30/1992
.Introduction, how. --- Alternate methods. Diary as a record of days. Diary as your personal story. 365 days a year for 100 years is 36,500 days, and 36,500 journal entries. --- 3/2/2006
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods to do Notes. (1) Use carbon paper. (2) Take notes on one side of standard paper, and then photocopy notes on the photocopy machine automatically. (3) Take notes using handwriting recognition software. (4) Take notes using voice recognition software. --- 12/27/1997
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. (1) Chronological handwritten approach. Carry around a piece of loose-leaf. Write down any good ideas you have. Label the idea by subject matter. Date each idea. You can make an index for each year's output. Or you can even cut the ideas apart, sort them by subject, and then tape them together. Make a back up copy by photocopying or using carbon paper. (2) Separate notebook for each subject, handwritten approach. Have a dozen notebooks on various subject matters, into which you can copy ideas on those subjects. (3) Index card, handwritten approach. Write one idea on each index card. This untried method would make sorting ideas easier, but could get very bulky. (4) Typewriter method. Another low tech approach. (5) Computer: desktop, laptop, or palmsize method. Much easier to use. Word processing software, or even dbase software could be used. --- 12/30/1992
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. (1) Diary, (2) Journal, (3) Indexed journal, (4) Notes, (5) Every single thing I can remember (Estir). --- 12/30/1992
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. (1) On paper, by handwriting. (2) Typewriter, then use optical character recognition. (3) On computer: desktop, laptop, Newton. --- 12/30/1992
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Blogs. The difference between blogs and Paul Nervy Notes. (1) Bloggers tend to write and publish on a daily basis. The Notes take time. (2) Blog tend to be either a diary of someone's life or else be dedicated to a specialist subject. The Notes is neither. --- 1/23/2004
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Chronological method. Keeping a chronological record of the development of your thoughts is very important. One reason why it is important is for general historical reasons, in order to accurately trace the development of your thought through time. Another reason is to trace your thoughts on a specific subject problem so that you can see what you were thinking when you made mistakes, and when you found solutions. This helps you prevent making future mistakes. --- 12/30/1996
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Computer methods. (1) Text file. (A) Unstructured text file. (B) Structured text file. (2) Database. (A) Flat file database. (B) Relational database. (3) XML. (A) Docbook. (B) XHTML. (4) Web enabled methods. (A) Static web page using HTML. (B) Blog. (5) Dynamic, web enabled, database using PHP. --- 10/19/2005
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Computer methods. Blogs. A blog is just a web page. A blog is a web page that you can update through a web browser. What is all the fuss and commotion about blogs? Blogging makes web site creation easier and faster. --- 4/28/2005
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Diary. (1) Diary as an accounting of days. How do you account for how you spent your time? (2) Diary as a reckoning of days. How do you reckon how you spent your time? --- 2/15/2007
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Diary. A dual mistake that some people make regarding their diary is, on the one hand, thinking that if you did not write in your diary then nothing happened that day, and on the other hand, thinking that if you did write in your diary then something happened that day. --- 2/23/2007
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Diary. Another dual mistake people make when writing their diary is the mistake of making something out of nothing, and the mistake of making nothing of something. The mistake of making something out of nothing is the mistake of ascribing too much importance to a trivial event. The mistake of making nothing out of something is the mistake of ascribing too little importance to a significant event. --- 3/18/2007
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Diary. Each day keep track of number of pages read (books or notes), number of pages written (number of ideas thought of), number of hours of free time, number of hours worked vs. wasted, and what you got done. --- 07/08/1994
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Diary. The bizarre world of the diarists: "Dear diary, Today I spent the entire day writing in my diary. Sincerely yours, etcetera." --- 2/23/2007
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Diary. Two views on journal method. (1) Write in your journal everyday whether you have a good idea or not. Vs. (2) Write in your journal only when you have a good, new, useful idea. (This is the better view). --- 6/15/1994
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Diary. Two ways of doing a diary. One way is starting every year of the diary on your birthday. This way is more subjective. Another way is starting every year of the diary on the first day of the year (ex. January 1st). This way is more objective. I prefer this second way. --- 10/30/2003
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Diary. Why a diary? A diary to provide some accountability to yourself for how you spent your time. A diary to manage your time better. A diary to track your progress on your goals. --- 4/1/2006
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Diary. Why a diary? A diary to save the days, otherwise the days are lost. --- 1/1/2006
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Early 90's method. What I do at this point is carry around a piece of loose leaf. When I get a good idea, I write it down on the loose leaf, as clearly and concisely and neatly as I can. In the margin I write the subject matter of the note. I put all my loose leaf pages for a year together in one binder. Then I index the whole thing by subjects. Then I type it up on the computer. I used to have a more complicated method. What I use now seems to be the quickest. --- 12/30/1992
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Import Notes into an Open Source content management system. Like Slash, Scoop or Nuke. Allow readers to rate each note. Allow readers to comment on each note. --- 5/24/2002
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Paper is hard to copy, easy to destroy, hard to transmit, and takes up a lot of storage room. --- 10/05/1997
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Paper methods. (1) Chronological diary. (2) Indexed diary. Indexed by topic. (3) Cut and paste. --- 10/1/2005
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Paper methods. (1) Loose leaf vs. index cards. (2) Handwritten vs. typed. (3) Xerox vs. carbon paper. --- 4/28/1998
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Paper methods. (1) Loose leaf. (2) Notebooks. (3) Index cards. --- 10/1/2005
.Introduction, how. --- Alternative methods. Solo vs. group. --- 10/19/2005
.Introduction, how. --- Basic questions. (1) Will the media last? Floppy disk. Cd-rom. Acid-free paper. (2) Will the software be readable? txt. rtf. (3) Will the natural language be readable? English from 500 years ago is difficult to understand. In 500 years your writing may also be difficult to understand. --- 1/30/2000
.Introduction, how. --- Categories. Frequently Asked Questions. (1) Question: Do you create the categories first and then write the notes to fill the categories, or do you write the notes and then create the categories as needed? Answer: Usually I write the notes and then create the categories. If I have a dozen or more notes on the same topic then I create a category. (2) Question: Do you write the individual notes and then categorize it, or do you pick a subject and then write about it? Answer: I usually write the note and then try to figure out what category to put it in. --- 2/6/2001
.Introduction, how. --- Computer. Digital network. (1) Instead of headstones in graveyards, they will have dvd's of people in communal mass storage libraries. You will be able to visit a loved one who has passed on by taking out their dvd and seeing a record they have left in audio, video, and text. (2) One dvd (10 GB) per person, holding all their text, plus a two hour movie of their life taken from edited selections from their head camera. (3) Earth population will soon be 10 billion per generation. Four generations per 100 years. 40 billion people every 100 years. How much room would 40 billion dvd's take up? 10 gigabytes per dvd. 400 billion gigabytes = how many ecabytes? How much network storage would that be? (4) 100 dvds fit on 3 feet of shelf space. 1 billion dvds fit on 30 million feet of shelf space. How much shelf space can you fit in a warehouse the size of a football field, and 30ft. high? You could have one of these in each town. The hard copy is necessary as backup for the network, or for a user library/cemetery? Ah, keep it all on the network. --- 04/15/1997
.Introduction, how. --- Computer. Digital network. To create an Internet encyclopedia, gather the notes of different individuals and combine them all into a database. Put each person's initials on each note. Connect the database to a Web page. Let users use SQL commands to query the database, like a person using a library catalog. The user can query by author, date range, or subject matter. --- 1/25/1998
.Introduction, how. --- Computer. Notes. (1) They can help yourself and others. So you have an obligation (to yourself and others) to do them, and thus help yourself and others. (2) Very soon, people will have the opportunity to live forever if they want, by having their notes available to anyone, anytime, on a huge network, long after they are dead. Running a homepage on the Web after they are dead. (3) You can put in two minutes of video/audio from each year you are alive. If you live to 60, that is a two hour movie. (4) You could make a business of video taping people every year, asking them questions and typing up their answers, and setting up their homepage. (5) We have a major ethical obligation to think about everything, and make a record of our thinking, and make it available to others. --- 02/15/1997
.Introduction, how. --- Computer. Put the notes in database form. Make it searchable. Make it sortable alphabetically, logically (by category), chronologically (by date), and by importance (rating). --- 12/29/1997
.Introduction, how. --- Computer. The Notes in database form will be similar to a searchable computerized library catalog. --- 12/29/1997
.Introduction, how. --- Computer. Voice. Eventually I would like to see computers that can take a disk with a text file on it, and play back that text in a synthesized voice. This would be like listening to an audio tape while you ride to work, except it could be done for any text file on any disk. You would just hit an icon of a person talking, and the voice would start. --- 01/23/1997
.Introduction, how. --- Computer. Voice. Speech recognition software can be used to write one's notes more quickly and easily than typing. --- 07/18/1997
.Introduction, how. --- Computer. Web site. How I do the web site. (1) Convert text to html. (2) Split the text into sections. (3) I use software like Open Office and Mozilla Browser. --- 10/23/2004
.Introduction, how. --- Computer. You can create a group mailing list and e-mail copies of your notes. --- 12/29/1997
.Introduction, how. --- Computer. You want to be able to convert easily between text, HTML, and database, just in case. --- 12/29/1997
.Introduction, how. --- Contra the method of the Notes. People should be allowed to express how they want to, and not conform to the Notes format or even the text medium. Many people won't want to express anything at all. --- 1/6/2002
.Introduction, how. --- Current format of Notes: Keyword (tab) Note (tab) Date. --- 1/15/1999
.Introduction, how. --- Current method. (1) Notes, public and personal. (2) Outline. (3) Lists or bibliography. (deals with the logical organization of information). (4) Journal or Diary (deals with historical or chronological organization). (5) Goals (deals with importance, urgency, current and future). (6) These methods correspond to basic ways of organizing information. (A)Logical. (B) Temporal: Past, present and future. (C) Importance and urgency. --- 10/8/2003
.Introduction, how. --- Current method. (1) Parts: (A) Notes. (B) Lists. (C) Outline. (D) Diary (personal). (E) Goals (personal). (2)(A) Contents and expanded contents. (B) Ratings, to convey degrees of importance. (C) Sorting. (D) Searching. (E) Abstracting, by using "sum-ups" and "the big question is". (F) Linking, by using "see also" and "related subjects". (G) Categories, using keyword phrases. (3) (A) Text, not .rtf or .doc. (B) Tab delimited. (C) One big book or file that contains many notes. (4) (A) Alphabetical order - via the table of contents. (B) Chronological order - if you sort by dates. (C) Importance order - if you sort by ratings. (D) Logical order - if you read the sum up sections. --- 1/2/2004
.Introduction, how. --- Current method. Linux operating system. Open Office suite. --- 1/26/2004
.Introduction, how. --- Elements. What they are. What they look like. Why they work (why that way, not another). How they work (how use them). What order you can do them in. --- 12/30/1992
.Introduction, how. --- Essay about how. How to write? (1)(A) Digitize! Don't you want to share? Digitizing is faster. It helps you organize faster. It helps you retrieve faster. Its more efficient. Use a computer. (B) Use keyword phrases. (C) Separate ideas. Rather than having one big glob of ideas. (D) One big file for Figured out ideas. One big file for Found out ideas. (E) Use voice recognition. Or use handwriting recognition. Or use a keyboard. (F) Post a web page in perpetuity so that your notes live after you are dead. (2) Problems with other methods. (A) Journals by date. (B) Multiple files. (C) Typing on paper vs. Cut and paste on computer vs. Automatic sorting on computer (better) vs. Sorting by tab delimited fields (even better). --- 8/25/1999
.Introduction, how. --- Essay about how. Key things to do. (1) Think and write in your spare moments. Keep a pen and paper handy at all times. (2) Thinking about all subjects is key. (3) Revisit all subjects daily. --- 8/25/1999
.Introduction, how. --- Everyday I go into the fields and pick the ideas that are ripe. --- 10/15/2004
.Introduction, how. --- Five how question about the Notes. (1) How to think of stuff? (See Psychology, thinking, creativity). (2) How to write the stuff you think of? (See Arts, literature, writing). (3) How to organize the stuff you write? (Sort it by keywords). (4) How to make it available to the public? (On a web page). (5) How to notify the public to your work? (Marketing tactics). --- 4/8/2001
.Introduction, how. --- Four files, folders, lists, whatever. (1) Figured-out: Notes. (2) Found-out: school notes, etc. (3) Goals: mine (importance). (4) History: mine (chronological). --- 4/8/2001
.Introduction, how. --- Get, read (learn), reread (study): for books, and for notes. --- 12/30/1992
.Introduction, how. --- How to develop a standard for sharing notes. (1) I should be exportable as a text file (.txt). And it should be exportable as an XML file too. (2) It should allow people to create their own keywords and categories rather than force them to adhere to a predefined keyword and category system. (3) One big file, not a series of directories. (4) Easy to sort. Easy to search. (5) Easy to comment. There should be an XML tag for comments. For example, <comment>. Or <comment by "commentator's name">. Or <comment on "title of work">. (6) Ratings. A rating of a note is essentially a type of comment on that note. (7) Make it an XML application. PART TWO. Make a web site application that is XHTML or XML based. (1) People can type in their notes or even upload a file of their notes. (2) Assign a category to a note or even create a category to assign to a note. (3) Combine and share their notes. (4) Converts it back and forth between text and xhtml. (5) View all keywords and categories in alphabetical order or even logical order. (6) View all notes in chronological order, alphabetical order, author order, logical order, etc. Import or export notes in the above orders. (7) The entire application should be free and open. --- 1/6/2002
.Introduction, how. --- Issue. For numbered sentences in a paragraph. How to discern a series of related sentences (for example, a list of related items or the steps in an argument. ) from a series of unrelated observations on a topic? One way would be to say "the following list of related items", or "the following argument", or "the following list of unrelated items". That would be more clear. Another way would be to signal the above notions by using certain symbols for each. But that could be confusing for those who do not understand the code. And I already need to reserve characters for outline formats. --- 1/9/2002
.Introduction, how. --- Key ideas to the Notes. (1) Always carry pen and paper. Write down thoughts. (2) Digitize. Put everything in digital form. (3) Categorize. Put everything in categories. (4) Automatic alphabetical and chronological sorting makes it easier to organize. --- 4/23/2002
.Introduction, how. --- Keys. (1) Keywords: single words. (2) Key phrases: one sentence long. (3) Key paths: a series of words. (Example: art, music, criticism). (4) I use key paths. --- 4/28/1998
.Introduction, how. --- Leave your journal at home. Vs. Take your journal everywhere. (This is the better view). --- 01/01/1993
.Introduction, how. --- Logical outlines (to describe metaphysical relationships) and importance outlines (to show ethical value judgments) are related to each other, and they are the most important types of outlines. Chronological outlines and alphabetical outlines are less important. --- 1/1/2002
.Introduction, how. --- Marking margins to indicate: important, unimportant, true, false, undecided, and outdated. --- 12/29/1997
.Introduction, how. --- Marking methods. (1) The star to say current goal or important to me. (2) The check to say good idea for anyone in this subject, or to develop further. (3) The x to say no longer agree with this. (4) How to update note markings? That is, how to trace the evolution of what you thought of an idea as you discover it, then it becomes obvious, then it is given up for better ideas (i.e., first a star, then nothing, then an x). --- 01/24/1994
.Introduction, how. --- Marking. Do not cross out old starred notes. Just write x, or nah, or outdated. --- 04/16/1994
.Introduction, how. --- Marking. Three ways to mark notes: (1) Goals for me. (2) Important idea for me. (3) Good ideas on any subject. This is a great way to find and stay on track, focused, inspired, driven. --- 12/30/1995
.Introduction, how. --- More components of the Notes. (1) Lists. (2) Diary. (3) Goals. (4) Outline. --- 12/30/2003
.Introduction, how. --- More components of the Notes. (1) Ratings. (2) Searches. (3) Abstracts. (4) Classification and categorization. --- 12/30/2003
.Introduction, how. --- Notes, types of. (1) Text version. (2) Audio version. Book on tape. (3) Audio/video version. Me giving a film lecture of the Notes. --- 1/1/2002
.Introduction, how. --- Notes, ways how, listed by psychological function. (1) Store and organize GOALS. (Goal lists). (2) Store and organize MEMORIES. (Personal history). (3) Store and organize EMOTIONS. (A) For each emotion, record top ten causes of them. (B) Record top ten strongest emotions you feel and their causes.) (4) Store and organize IDEAS. (Notes themselves). --- 3/26/2001
.Introduction, how. --- On each subject, you have two types of notes, your book notes and your own personal ideas. Both of these you can order in three ways, historically, logically (by subject and sub-subject), and by importance (use checks and stars). Important for you here and now, important for you always, important for anyone, important for any society. --- 01/01/1993
.Introduction, how. --- Organization is key to making the notes work for you. If it is a multi-subject idea, then break it down into its component ideas, and reveal any implicit assumptions. Good organization makes retrieval and further development easier. --- 11/30/1996
.Introduction, how. --- Outline style. Frequently Asked Questions. PART ONE. Question: What is the deal with the letters and numbers in your writing style (ex. 1.A., 2.B., etc.)? Answer: Sometimes the ideas in a note are organized in an outline form. Sometimes the ideas in a note are arranged in a numbered list of related ideas. Sometimes the ideas in a note are organized in a list of unrelated ideas. PART TWO. Question: Why do you write in your own style rather than using traditional paragraphs and chapters? Answer: The traditional format of paragraphs and chapters does not do it for me anymore. Many people forget that paragraphs and chapters are simply a convention. I think that most humans think in a more schematic way than paragraphs and chapters. People also think in a more discrete or modular way than paragraphs and chapters. --- 11/20/2001
.Introduction, how. --- Outlines by (A) Historical, (B) Logical structure, and (C) Importance/priorities (by perspective). (D) All three above times levels of difficulty (el, hi, coll, grad). --- 12/30/1992
.Introduction, how. --- Place-holders. Creating a place-holder for an idea is a useful and important technique. You can use place-holders when you are solving the parts of a problem. You can use place-holder to build an outline or web that you fill in later. --- 1/1/2002
.Introduction, how. --- Pursue any line of thought or idea that seems interesting, important or new. --- 09/08/1993
.Introduction, how. --- Questions. (1) How to hook paragraphs together, or otherwise order them within subject categories? (2) How to cross reference paragraphs in two subject areas? Do not copy them twice. --- 12/29/1997
.Introduction, how. --- Rating scales for ideas. 1 shit, 2 bad, 3 eh, 4 good, 5 great. Or you can use -2, -1, 0, 1, 2 as a rating. --- 01/01/1993
.Introduction, how. --- Ratings. *** general importance. ** personal importance. X outdated idea. ? Idea still under question. --- 08/30/1996
.Introduction, how. --- Ratings. Everyone's notes should be rated. By a notes critic? --- 3/10/1999
.Introduction, how. --- Ratings. Put in your ratings and then "find" them later. --- 02/15/1997
.Introduction, how. --- Ratings. What percent of your notes would you rate as excellent, good, ok, bad, shit. 20% each? Or is it a bell curve? --- 01/01/1993
.Introduction, how. --- Related subjects. "Related subjects" headers are used to tie together ideas into a net that is strong and durable. By using "related subjects" headers, hierarchical trees of ideas can be transmogrified into nets or webs. Nets of ideas are better than hierarchies of ideas because hierarchies tend to topple like dominoes. --- 1/1/2002
.Introduction, how. --- Security. (1) Keep printed copy. (2) Keep a copy on disk. (3) Keep a copy on the Internet as either a web page, or as network storage. (4) Keep a copy on dvd, and store it at a communal mass storage sight. --- 04/15/1997
.Introduction, how. --- Security. Backup early and often, to multiple media and to multiple sites. --- 11/15/2003
.Introduction, how. --- Sorting. How to sort text in Open Office Writer. Highlight the text. Select menu item Tools, Sort. If you use tab-delimited text then you can sort by column. --- 5/29/2007
.Introduction, how. --- Studying. (1) Every year read through all your own original Notes that you have written. (2) Every year read through all your Found notes taken on books that you have read. Or re-read the books again if your notes are not complete. The former is preferable to the latter because it is quicker. --- 8/19/1998
.Introduction, how. --- The "Introduction" section for each topic is similar to the "Summary" section. Both the Introduction and Summary sections should provide an abstract or outline of the section. The Introduction and Summary sections should be of short length and beginner level. Longer discussions at advanced levels are for other sections. Combine the Introduction and Summary sections into one section. --- 1/28/2005
.Introduction, how. --- The key bottleneck is the time that it takes to organize. Auto-sorting solves this. Download your brain. --- 8/25/1999
.Introduction, how. --- Think about every thing every day. --- 10/1/2005
.Introduction, how. --- Two principles. (1) Never write down to an audience. Always write your best. (2) Never kiss up to an audience. Never write to please an audience. Never write to sell. Always write what you want to write about. --- 4/3/2005
.Introduction, how. --- XML tags for Notes. <keyword> ; <note> ; <date> ; <rating> . --- 8/19/2004
.Introduction, how. --- You could give each note a unique identifying number (example, a primary key in a database) but how would that work when you merge or split two or more notes? --- 5/18/2002