Re: GSoC 14 : GNU Journal

[Alfred M. Szmidt]

   It would be great to see a product from GNU about a diary entry
   software, a daily journal for users.  The rednotebook
   (http://rednotebook.sourceforge.net/) and DavidRM Journal (
   http://www.davidrm.com/) are very good examples of it.  There are
   lot of features that can be incorporated into this new product
   apart from the existing ones.  The product might be extended with
   very fabulous features like encrypting the entries with public
   keys.  More features like cloud integration, calendar, sync, notes
   etc. can be included.

   I don't know if this is too less or too much for GSoC. We can
   always add or remove things in this accordingly.

What is wrong with Emacs' diary/calendar mode?  You already have (the
best) calendar support there, encryption support, and a easily
shareable format.

Please try to avoid using the word `product' when describing software,
neither of these web pages -- or rather programs -- are `products'.
The term `product' comes from the material world, where you can
`consume' something -- i.e. something that ceases (or deteriorates) to
exist after it has been used.  It also implies a helplessnes of `the
consumer' in that they only have one task, to consume -- and not to
create, modify, and learn.  It also puts users into the thought that
they are not in control over "the product" -- see Apple as a excellent
example of how one can trap users into `products'.