Software ideas Apr21 '06
Every few days, I get ideas for software. There’s always something that could be made easier with software.
Whenever I find myself saying/thinking, "If only there was some way to..."
Yep. That’s the kicker.
I could start a company that comes up with software ideas, but doesn’t actually make the software, because I have so many ideas, and so little time for development.
Here’s my latest ideas:
A "jump to conclusions mat." You see, it would be this mat, and... (I think you get the joke by now, so I’ll just stop.)
Seriously, here’s my ideas:
Easy migration to an online "FAQ."
For example, our company - specifically the IT department - has loads of documentation for just about any process - from cleaning your computer monitor, to setting up database connections on our DHL shipping machine.
This documentation is important, because it’s so easy to forget how something was done, only to have to "re-invent the wheel" every time. With documentation, it’s just a matter of following the detailed instructions.
This "documentation" is in the form of... (I’m cringing as I say this)... wait for it... paper.
Ugh. I hate paper. In fact, it gets more ugly.
To create this documentation, lately we’ve been using Microsoft Word.
You can see my point. I’d like some kind of easy migration process, which converts all these Word documents into an "online counterpart," so we can search for the problem on the web site, instead of sifting through paper.
Here’s another idea:
Backlog.
What is this, you wonder? Backlog is all the things you must do before you attack the main problem, at hand.
This may not make sense, for some, so I’ll elaborate.
Let’s say you’re given a task. You’d like to "jump right in," and do it, but you realize that something else needs to be done first, involving that task. So, that "pre task" becomes the main task.
Then, you realize something else needs to be done before the "pre task." So, now you’re on the "pre pre task."
There needs to be software (not too fancy) that let’s you specify the main task, and then you can "backlog" pre-tasks, as they occur.
Because, quite often, as you complete all of the "pre tasks," you begin to forget what the actual task was.
Not good productivity.
Categories: Ponderings 
, Software
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