InfoQube IM - Community

Submitted by CodeTRUCKER on 2009/08/24 04:56

Hi Pierre,

As one who is struggling with IQ (and bumbling through this forum writing duped posts

) I have to say the dilution (Read: "improvement") of InfoQube's "this is way too over-the-top" of a learning curve" reputation is very important to keep user's that "testdrive" IQ.

I am persuaded a fresh-out-of-the-box intuitive, straightforward (Read: "familiar") ability to create/save a simple text/RTF "document" accompanied by an immediate no-frills cross-linking and tagging functionality would go a long way in providing noobs (like me) the necessary "training-wheels" that would allow one to stay upright until one can get their balance with InfoQube.

Perhaps starting with a default config of suppressed functionality which can be enhanced as the user gains confidence and understanding and wishes to swwim in deeper waters would be advisable.

Even as a noob I can see amazing potential, but this is my third time at bat with SQLNotes/InfoQube and it's the bottom of the nith with two outs for me. I am either going to hit a home run or strike out, but personally I am gonna keep on swingin' 'til they drag me to the dugout!.

I'm persuaded other, less intrepid sojourners into the "Qube" will certainly find inducements to seek "easier," albeit, less accomplished tools as an alternative if they can not see past the aliyah they will have to negotiate to make IQ work.

In simple terms, it will do no good to attract a customer to IQ if you can't keep 'em and you can't keep 'em if you don't give them something they can use right now.

Hope this helps,

Calvin

Comments

There's also a manual... Have a look at it... (left some posts/answer to your other posts too...)

BTW, you left a few posts mentioning the same requests. It's probably netter to wait for an answer on one post before posting the same comments. elsewhere --- just a thought.

Hi Armando,

I take no offense at being corrected even if I am 50+. Sorry to all about the dupes. It won't be repeated now I have got my sea-legs on the forum.

Actually, I did go through the "Getting Started," but I guess I had a mental block. Thirteen years of Mr. Gates paradigm, don'tcha know. The good news is I created some objects, but then I lost them and can not find them anywhere, but I have already sought assistance in another thread.

Please feel free to offer any criticism due. I have discovered that this forum has some positive attributes like DC.

Fair winds,

Calvin

Hi Calvin.

I quite agree w your basic premise that a newbie has to be able to get into IQ quickly & not feel smothered by the technology of it.

I, myself, have made similar comments in the not-so-distant-past & I use IQ for everything on a daily basis.

However, I also believe that IQ will never be a great out-of-the box experience for any new user no matter what Pierre does because of the program's brilliantly open architecture.

IQ aficionados -- be they 50 or 50,000 will have to be people or companies that want to gather & organize information from various sources, i.e. one program that can be melded to do it all. The fact is -- because of this architecture -- there will always be a learning curve that will be somewhat steeper than other more structured programs like Outlook, for example.

Nevertheless, I think it's safe to say that most / all of us here would like to see InfoQube suceed &, in fact, thrive so we recognize the truth of your sentiment. Pierre is very aware of it, too. Keith, Tom, Armando & others have spent countless hours working on the documentation for IQ. As it's written from a user's point of view, it should come off less techie than many manuals. Some of that documentation has to be read to understand how to approach IQ. Without that, it will just be more frustrating.

Bear in mind that IQ is also still in beta & further work on the GUI will improve things.

Personally, I wouldn't start with a blank dB but rather work off the one that comes w the program. At least that way you will start to see how things are structured. You can take notes in that dB as well and those notes won't get lost. Learning how to find them will be one great lesson of how IQ works & we will help you along the way.

One thing that might be helpful to frame the discussion is for your to take a few minutes & tell us what you want IQ to do for you, i.e. a practical real life example. Then we'll work thru it with you.

Depending on your needs, I hope you don't quite IQ too soon.

Jan Rifkinson

Ridgefield CT USA

HP Blackbird Vista Ultimate SP-2

[quote=jan_rifkinson]

Hi Calvin.

I quite agree w your basic premise that a newbie has to be able to get into IQ quickly & not feel smothered by the technology of it.

I, myself, have made similar comments in the not-so-distant-past & I use IQ for everything on a daily basis.

[/quote]

Hi Jan, I have been surfing the threads and just finished reading your "I'm dropping IQ for the time being and going back to Ultra Recall" good-bye post, so I am most pleasantly surprised to find you are now actively involved in this forum again.

I should have realized this before, but I am most disoriented at present.

I might as well tell you that it was your many (and other's) contributions to these threads and the aplomb with which the not-so-poised posters were addressed that really impressed me with the caliber of this community.

[quote]However, I also believe that IQ will never be a great out-of-the box experience for any new user no matter what Pierre does because of the program's brilliantly open architecture.

[/quote]

Unless Pierre chooses to add some kind of out-of-the-box editor that will allow customers to hit the ground running and "grow" into IQ over time, I have to agree with you here. "Notes" (Lotus Notes) comes to mind. It took a fair amount of config to get that going. "Notes" admins possessed a great deal of alacrity. I do not believe I have ever seen "Lotus Notes Admin for Dummies." Perhaps the IQ marketing may want to be directed toward "this is a complex professional product" that requires more than point and click, but that is Pierre's call. In the meantime, I do know some cerebral types that would be up to and enjoy the challenge before us with IQ. I'll see if I can bait them. You already have some members that are top-notch on another board I frequent.

[quote]Nevertheless, I think it's safe to say that most / all of us here would like to see InfoQube suceed &, in fact, thrive so we recognize the truth of your sentiment. Pierre is very aware of it, too. Keith, Tom, Armando & others have spent countless hours working on the documentation for IQ. As it's written from a user's point of view, it should come off less techie than many manuals. Some of that documentation has to be read to understand how to approach IQ. Without that, it will just be more frustrating.

[/quote]

I'll go further than that. Take me; for instance, I have read a good deal of the docs and forum threads and still did not "get it" the first go 'round. It was actually late last night when the tiny epiphany of an "Aha!" moment squeamishly blinked. In another thread, Tom has loaded me up with a pretty heavy assignment load, but this is not a complaint. I am quite grateful he had the interest and took the time to write out such a detailed post and even included a modified grid "file(?)" for my learning.

[quote]Bear in mind that IQ is also still in beta & further work on the GUI will improve things.

[/quote]

Frankly, I am glad it is still in beta as I like to have the chance to contribute, albeit as a noob. Yet, I can contribute right now. Since I don't understand IQ, I might be able to offer improvements in the "Getting Started" documentation by evaluating how "clear" the instructions come across, if they are not clear enough already. Certainly, there must be something I can do rather than just being a sponge. I do think, in time, I could be a proper help to you folks here and those to come. I can at least keep the virtual water cooler stocked ("blurpb, blurpb, blurpb") and the virtual coffee-maker percolating. Ahhh! Can't you just smell the aroma of the fresh brew!

[quote]Personally, I wouldn't start with a blank dB but rather work off the one that comes w the program. At least that way you will start to see how things are structured. You can take notes in that dB as well and those notes won't get lost. Learning how to find them will be one great lesson of how IQ works & we will help you along the way.

[/quote]

Fortunately, I do not have to, thanks to Tom!

[quote]One thing that might be helpful to frame the discussion is for your to take a few minutes & tell us what you want IQ to do for you, i.e. a practical real life example. Then we'll work thru it with you.

[/quote]

I have a lot I want to tell my grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, et.al. My main goal of using IQ is to create and continue a wiki-type historical compilation of my interests in historical apologetic/narrative/fictional writing/commentary of poetry and prose, sciences, law, art, medicine and music. I am also pursuing my life-long love of aviation and am actively involved in drawing up the plans for a two-masted "square-rigger." The prototype will be wheeled (wind wagon) which will help us work out the kinks to desingn the rigging for a thirty+ footer that should be seaworthy and can be crewed by only two people with emergency contingencies that would allow a single sailor (specially designed two-staged rigging)! FYI - I will be posting pictures as I proceed on a website somewhere, if you are interested. I am attempting some experiments with Celestial Navigation and a journal of my attempt at showing that an agrarian lifestyle is a very valid alternative in the urban 21st century. The latter requiring long-term data collection and trending. Most importantly, I need to be able to cross-link (wiki-style) anything anywhere with anything everywhere. Besides this I need the usual contacts/appointments/tasks/etc. for day-to-day living.

Well... you asked.

Seriously, as you can see I have quite a bunch of data that needs a home and some plans. You can imagine what a blessing IQ and the mastery of its use would be with all this (and more) on a person's plate? I am persuaded IQ has the grit to make it all work!

I appreciate the invite, but I need to finish my homework before I venture too many questions. I will have plenty later, I am sure, but if you really feel the urge to assist, just telling me the specifics and showing real examples (sans personal data) of how of how *you* actually implement IQ in your everyday life would provide a context for understanding and possibly sparking the lantern of never-considered possibilities.

[quote]Depending on your needs, I hope you don't quite IQ too soon.

Jan Rifkinson

Ridgefield CT USA

HP Blackbird Vista Ultimate SP-2

[/quote]

I can assure you I will not quit if I can see the grail gleaming in the fog! I may struggle, whine, moan, complain or blow my top, but I ain't gonna give up, but I do appreciate the encouragement.

If I can beg your indulgence a minute more, I would like to relate that several years ago as a truck driver for a major carrier I used to watch "Owner-Operators" roll by in their "Large Cars" while driving down the interstate. One day I said to myself, "Those O/Os are just men and women. If they can do it, so can I!" Today, some three years later, my own paid-off Volvo big truck sits in my driveway.

Jan, I have read a whole lot on these threads in the last three days and I find myself among cerebral giants in understanding IQ, but just like those O/Os, you are only men and women and if you can do it, so can I!

Tell you what, notwithstanding that no one can call the future, let's you and me put an appointment in our IQs (temporarily, mine will be on paper until I figure out how to do it in IQ) to revisit this thread in a year for August 24, 2010? No obligation required, but it could be fun!

Ok, I have to answer a couple more posts then its off to Study Hall!

Fair winds,

Calvin

[quote]

Calivin: no paper allowed here.

On the main menu, click: view > calendar. Add our appointment there. Add a reminder, etc

This appointment will show up in a grid. That's lesson #2

You can link that appt item to this thread. That's lesson #3

Jan Rifkinson

Ridgefield CT USA

HP Blackbird Vista Ultimate SP-2

Hi Jan,

Oops! I'm late!

You can probably tell by my lack of activity on this forum I have not been around for a long time. Somewhere in the midst of trying to get a handle on IQ my laptop had a meltdown and backups failed. I rebuilt it, but by the time the money and opportunity came together, life changed and I was left with a need for practical use with precious little time for pressing through a "non-essential(?)" app/tool. You are well aware what kind of commitment is required to make IQ "work." Now, like many other things, my locus has shifted to a web-based tool set (online calendars/tasks/private Facebook-type tool for family heritage writings).

The odd thing is I believe I am using inferior tools to IQ. I still feel that IQ is really something special with immense power in the right hands. I wish I could freeze time so I could just work with IQ tutorials until the "light" would turn on. It keeps haunting me and just when I allow it to fade from memory (a lot easier nowadays), I'll come across an article or reminder which get the juices start percolating all over again. Maybe I'll give it another shot, but no promises. I don't really want to quit, but my needs have changed and a tool needs to be applicable to the need. I have 8 different collaborators that are in 4 different geographical locations, so interractive web calendar/todo/project tools are the only thing that can fill all the needs. Does IQ have any web-based ability yet (if ever)?.

I wanted you to know I did not forget our appointment. Did your IQ remind you about it?

Fair winds,

Calvin

Calvin, glad to see you back on the forum. I hope it inspires you to start working w IQ again. Two short notes that may help you with your collaborative work.

(1) Currently Pierre is focused on the Calendar area of IQ which will sync w Google calendar

(2) A number of us use drop box to move dBs around; it's a simple process that you might consider. While it's not live sync, it's very useful & may suit you.

[quote=CodeTRUCKER]I don't really want to quit, but my needs have changed and a tool needs to be applicable to the need. I have 8 different collaborators that are in 4 different geographical locations, so interractive web calendar/todo/project tools are the only thing that can fill all the needs. Does IQ have any web-based ability yet (if ever)?.

I wanted you to know I did not forget our appointment. Did your IQ remind you about it?

Fair winds,

Calvin

[/quote]

Hi Calvin,

Welcome back.

I think your question would be best answered by Pierre. The short answer though is that it's not implemented yet.

The longer answer is that IQ is multi-user at its core, and Pierre has plans to implement the kind of features you mention. I don't know where it is on the road map though... Probably not before 2011, but... Who knows.

P.S. : Jan made some good points. The short road to multi user IQ would be through something like dropbox.