IdeaMason

Posted by Shelby
Jul 10, 2006 at 12:35 AM

I installed the trial version of IdeaMason after hearing about it on the Zoot software user forum. While IdeaMason looks to be software with quite a bit of potential – and just the type of thing I’m looking for to help with my writing and research (am really dying for the perfect blend of rtf-friendly outliner and zoot-like functionality!), it currently has two serious limitations which negate its usefulness to me. First, it requires all references/source materials to be entered manually. Sorry, but my existing collections are too big and I have no patience for something that can’t import/export in other formats - e.g., EndNote, BibTeX, XML, csv, etc. - I can be flexible but the software has to meet me halfway! Also, without ability to import in one of these formats, it makes it really difficult to leverage online lit searches. I also don’t appreciate the lack of ability to import/export to/from other formats for notes. If I’m going to bother to put my data into a program, it needs to be easy to get that data back out and use it in different programs and share it in compatible formats with other researchers. When these functions are added, *then* I will consider giving the software another look and seeing if I like the look/feel.

Shelby