Why diorama? Why now? And what is diorama anyway?

VoodooPad was *almost* the right application.

Lotus 1-2-3 was almost the right interface for a very right application.

WordPerfect 5.1 was the right interface, but it was only a word processor.

The right interface is a command-line, with a menu, and a display.
It's not that we evolved past the command line; it is that we failed to evolve the command-line.

The modern interface is retro.

Retro :: a command line interface ...

• that connects you to all personal data, projects, thoughts
  and remembers where you put things


• that connects you to real people you know
  and no one else gets to look at that information
  and you don't look at any ads.


• that lets you categorize, file, and find things naturally
  in a system that matches how we think and ask questions
  and not at what is most efficient for the computer or designers
  of input forms or advertisers.
  

The new interface is mostly non-information. The information sticks out because it is information.

There are no ads to masquerade as information. The menus can be navigated by picture, text or both.

Each menu level is a space, it remembers when you were in the space last, your preferences, etc.

If you are invited into the space, or it's your space, then you can run certain menu items in that space, such as checking eMail, messages, comments, etc. Other spaces might be discussion forums just for people who are invited into that space. You also have public spaces. These get mapped to HTML for delivery on the WWW.

You can set up scripts and commands at each menu, in each space.

You can link to data storage for any document that has a valid URL.

You can write notes anywhere in the system and tag them with any tag, alias, or path.

There are some global tags (always on your shortlist) that get you to buckets, or inboxes.

These are tags like "soon" and "todo" and "high priority" or "ideas". These are simply your most used tags, and also tags that map to some future search or workflow.

Ultimately, this system should be used to run tagonomy and anarchia. Anarchia is a social network built around interactions with people as artists. Each person connects to another's art/expression by linking themselves, or to a specific piece of art.

We are about breaking down the definition of artist. Everyone is an artist. Art is the expression of ourselves and our experience through a medium to another person. It is successful art if it conveys expression better than the workaday ways we have to communicate and be understood.

Some names for this stuff:

• Retro
• TagLand
• diorama
• Tagonomy
  

See also: Tagonomy Display