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Haystack: A More Compelling View Of Your Data
Peristaltic writes "MIT's Haystack project has released the source for it's "Universal Information Client", Haystack.
In their words: 'Haystack looks into the use of artificial intelligence techniques for analyzing unstructured information and providing more accurate retrieval.' Unlike some attempts I've seen in the past to pull it all together on my desktop, Haystack shows some promise -- One of it's more useful features allows you to take the information you've been wallowing through, and have Haystack continually refine a 'dynamic hierarchy' until you get what you need. Haystack also performs some neat tricks such as combining Email, IM, web pages, etc. into a single inbox."
Haystack also performs some neat tricks such as combining Email, IM, web pages, etc. into a single inbox
It may just be me, but this is a feature I never want.
I do not want 1 large program to run all of my applications. I do not want to get my email, from where I get my web pages, and my IM. I don't want any of this.
I am quite happy with seperate programs which I can use at my pleasure. I'm happy with the lack of bulk, and the fact I can change an email client without changing a web choice. (although I only use pine anyway.)
Is this just me? Do all of you want your programs shoved together in one large application?
I didn't get any options on my cell phone (like text messaging) because I purchased a cell phone. I wanted a cell phone. To make calls. Nothing else.
http://use.perl.org
From the system requirements:
- Pentium III 700mhz-based computer or better (Pentium 4 2ghz strongly recommended)
- 12 megabytes of RAM (768 megabytes strongly recommended)
s/strongly recommended/REQUIRED/
Wow. Looking at the Haystack site with Mozilla looks awesome! I don't know if it's my version (1.4rc1) or some weird image setting, but the main image on the page stays stationary as I scroll around, but the clipping of the image changes. It's really hard to describe, but looks awesome.
Of course, IE just renders it properly. BOOOORING.
Can it organize 3 gigs of random pr0n?
All Troll + "offtopic" mods are meta moderated as "Unfair", because you abused the system.
Not too much to ask, it doesn't even need to be truly a filesystem. Just overload all the file access commands (At this point, probably easier to just write a new filesystem)...
Group data by category, content, whatever. "Symlink" to the inodes, and you're off. We don't need AI for that and I think it would be a more complete solution. I don't see an AI engine that can correctly categorize my mp3's, I don't think I'd trust it for all of my data yet. Let's start small and get usable systems.
Spiffy program though, wish it weren't in Java... wish it weren't 42MB... wish it ran smoothly under Linux. I'll stop complaining now.
On a side note, Did anybody else find that scrolling image annoying and mentally confusing. Er, I'll really stop complaining now.
Dacels Jewelers can't be trusted.
Isn't haystack the problem that this tries to fix? I think this project should have been called 'needle' or possibly 'findy.'
There was only one measly screenshot in the overview section, and NO screenshots in the screenshot section, so here's another one.
Nothing like slashdotting MIT to make you feel like you've accomplished something! How's your precious class-A IP registry now?
Sincerely
Bunker Hill Community College
It's assumed that if you don't run windows you are inteligent enough to organize your own info.
It's assumed that if you don't run windows you are inteligent enough to organize your own info.
That would be much funnier if it didn't run on Linux.
Wait a minute .....
for Haystack at LCS recently, and was not that impressed. It is designed to do certain kinds of tasks very well (e.g., editing things that are embedded in other types of information - the tests given were things like "edit this picture that's a part of this entry in your Outlook address book"). Unfortunately, at the expense of making these tasks as close to one-click as possible, other things (versatility the most, but also common sense design) have failed.
I find it easy enough to edit information of the "My Documents" variety without worrying about how it is integrated into other information on my computer, and I'm sure other readers here do, as well.
The best way to actually use this software would be in the case where John Q. has a specific task to do over and over again but isn't ready to tackle a batch process.
Haystack is an interesting idea, but I have a hard time distinguishing what it does from what, say, Lotus Notes does. And Lotus is _terrible_.
I like the idea of bringing all my information together in one place. I don't like the idea of only having it in that one place. What I would like would be an application that can watch how I use the computer, then bring those applications together to make it more seemless.
For example, I have about four different calendars in my life: the work calendar, the one on the cell phone that I use for stuff that I can't miss, the calendar that schedules airplane rentals, and (of coursE) my girlfriend's calendar. So how do I bring those all together, and yet still be making entries in them separately?
The same is true for information. I have a primitive blogging system (really just a bunch of text files that are date coded), I have work documents that I use regularly, I have web pages that I monitor (sometimes a little too often) and I have textbooks that I'm reading (instrument flying at the moment). So how do I get all these forms of information - or at least an index into them - together in one place? But again, without changing the current organization scheme.
This is the tool that will make the computer a lot more useful - an actual organizational tool.
Rudy
1. 2.
Six Degrees by Creo is another attempt to do this same sort of thing, except that it's commercial and it's been available for Mac OS X and Windows for several months.