By way of distraction from the mind-blowing world of Friedrich Nietzsche, I’ve been adding new functions to the diary mentioned in an earlier post.
We live in a world where new technology must sometimes struggle to compete with the tried-and-tested. I’m very fond of fountain-pens. It is easy to be sentimentally attached to the flow of ink down the nib, and the squiggles you can make on a sheet of white paper to prove that the pen is mightier than the sword.
So in this piece of software, which you can download as your own private diary, I have tried to retain some sensuous aspects and individual quirks. The ‘palette’ above lets you choose any of the fonts on your computer, and change colours as the fancy takes you.
I’m also sentimental about the software industry. Everyone I know who was good at it has moved on. I struggled, and still find it hard, still feel like a beginner, holding fast to one simple principle, that software should be ‘transparent to the user’. It took me a while to understand the phrase, but it’s not hard. For example, most of my life I’ve been viewing the world through glass lenses. I don’t complain about them, for they add power to my naked eyes, and I forget I am wearing them. That’s how software should be. I hope that this product will add power to your memory, while the days fly by so fast; and will be fun to use too. The fact that it’s free, with no catch, helps.
It aids your memory of future plans, and your memory of how each day was spent: whom you encountered, what you did, what you thought, how you progressed in various projects, what events, good or bad, ought to be logged against the date of their occurrence.
In a bought diary, or a plain notebook, you can flip the pages, try to read your handwriting, to find the entry you’re looking for. As the above screenshot demonstrates, ‘My Diary’ lets you browse through the first line of each entry, then click on it to see the detail (or delete the entry if you wish – it warns you before erasing any text!).
You can create as many projects as you like, so as to keep track of them in your diary entries. This screenshot shows how you edit your projects. Then in your list of days’ entries, (fourth screenshot, above) you can show ‘all’ or select any one project.
When you click ‘print’ against a journal entry, its content is transferred to Word (or whatever program you use for word processing), so you can keep clippings from your Diary for use outside it.
Similarly, you can print a To Do list, which can be any combination of reminders, appointments, shopping lists or resolutions to save the world from its own folly.
To download and install your own copy of the diary, please click here.
PS June 24th 2018: I still use the diary, wouldn’t be without it for certain purposes. But I don’t know that anyone else does, and suspect that the downloadable version is not up-to-date.g you want in text files on your desktop
a wayfarer’s notes 
This is a beautiful creation Vincent. I do like your fountain pen logo, it makes a lovely change from the sterile diary environments generally available. But, then, offices and their function tools have to fit the designed working environment, don't they, (according to anon) so as not to distract. I think colourways are allowed.
I already use some reminder and diary tools I have, always though, writing appointments in my paper diary together odd notes, just in case technology crashes. To Do lists have a place of their own too, apart from the computer. The backup has proved itself invaluable.
I will explore your lovely and clever creation..you are so self-effacing.
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I work in an Apple environment which will be a bit difficult for an actual diary download.
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Thanks ZACL. It’s a shame you can’t use it on a Mac. I did a bit of research and I think you are right – there isn’t a simple answer. But if I hear of one I’ll let you know. I once had a copy of Filemaker (which is possible to use for development on a PC), but not any more.
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To be more precise, ZACL, here (just for the geeky language’s sake) is a response from someone of ‘Genius’ rank at ExpertsExchange:
“Even with an emulator you'll have troubles. Several years back I tried to set this up for a client and ran into no end of troubles. I eventually went with a terminal server setup (for several reasons), and the Mac user was able to get a TS client that would work on their machine. All seemed to work well. Of course, it'd probably be cheaper to buy that user a cheapo PC laptop than it would be to setup and maintain a TS just for a single Mac.
That said, perhaps the emulators are better these days … but I'd be very leery of this setup.”
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Vincent – am way off topic, but just wanted to let you know that my laptop has .. umm, problems, so am training the box with XP. Might take a while to “walk backwards to move forwards”.
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um, missed some crucial words 'cleanskin' box with XP pro – you'll understand.
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Thank you very much, Vincent. What a pleasant surprise!
I've installed your diary and am looking forward to getting to know it.
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That is great work Vincent. i am delighted at the wonderful creation
I was beginning to get worried because of the laws of attraction er– laws of resource misuse -Friedrich Nietzsche is quoted as a prime example in those laws as a person who misused a wonderful mind ( he was the yougest eminent full Professor in history).
The laws of resource misuse state that a person loses a resource that is misused. Friedrich Nietzsche misused his mind in propagating absurd philosophies brilliantly and lost his mind.
Sorry for misquoting in the beginning as laws of attraction. Those are different laws that state that we bring into our own lives whatever we dwell upon.
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Ashok, if you have read Nietzsche and judged his philosophies to be absurd, congratulations! You are of course free to think what you will, when you have taken the trouble to study his thought.
Can you tell me what the law of attraction says about those who propagate other people’s selective judgments and absurd laws?
I’m convinced no harmful effects will fall on such a propagator.
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Davo, I hope your reinstallation of XP (good choice of operating system, I think!) goes smoothly, and clears all the glitches.
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Francis, I’m delighted you have successfully installed the diary. Please let me know how you get on and if you consider it needs any particular guidance notes for the user. There are a lot of features which you can learn over time.
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I just want you to know that I've followed your news of this jealously – it looks perfect. Unfortunately, I'm still using a PowerBook and am not at the proper level/chip whatever to use your creation. Sigh. I expect to be upgrading sometime soon, and this is one of the first things I'll do.
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I gave you an award on my blog.
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Bryan, I feel so honoured! I shall paste the award into the post which inspired it. I hope the award doesn't come with onerous stipulations. But there is one obligation I immediately feel—to return to the rhapsodic or epiphanic style of that post (A Moment), if the Muse graciously does her thing to make it possible.
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Hayden, I’m so sorry about its not being available for Mac users. I did look into it and there is no practical workaround. But meantime it is being enhanced almost continually. For example there will shortly be a search facility. I’m adding a screenshot to the end of the above post, as illustration.
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No Vincent I have not read Friedrich Nietzsche and do not intend to since I have no interest in it.
Those who said about the absurdity of his writing appear to have said something similar to what you said
“— absurd —? 🙂
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However sorry for diverting the topic from the Diary that is definitely a worthy thing worth an award. The diversion was prompted by a statement at the beginning of your post.
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