Monthly Archives: February 2018

Gingko Desktop – An Update

Hi all!

The Desktop version of Gingko is nearly ready to be launched!
You can find it on the new homepage, here:
https://gingko.io

Here are some of its features:

  • Downloadable desktop app for Windows, Linux, and Mac
  • Work entirely offline, and save to files, by default
  • Full undo/version history (not navigable yet, though)
  • Drag and Drop
  • Syntax Highlighting
  • Import/Export JSON files from/to web version (manually)
  • Export Markdown

And here is some of what’s still missing:

  • Automatic sync or backups
    (but you can save files to a Dropbox folder to achieve auto backups)
  • LaTeX support
  • Card-splitting
  • Search
  • Import OPML or Markdown
  • Export to Word, or any other format besides plain-text and JSON.

It’s been a long road, but I’m happy with how it’s turned out. It might not be much different to look at, but it’s been rewritten in such a way as to allow much more powerful features to be built in the future.

Check it out, let me know what you think, so I can iron out the last few bugs before announcing it to everyone on the full mailing list.

Thanks!
Adriano

Resolving Freedom vs Constraint

Sometimes, we have no trouble starting a story or project, but we’re unable to stick to one for long enough to actually get it done.

That’s fine if we’re just playing and exploring, but at some point, we need to learn to push for completion in order to grow.

The trouble is that we tend to rebel against any restrictions on our freedoms. We might start out with enthusiasm, but you will hit a point where continuing feels like a chore.

Freedom is important because it’s one of the few (if not the only) values that one can argue as being intrinsically good. Restrictions are important because constraints now can lead to freedom later. When used in this way, it’s called “self-control” or “discipline”.

This tension between Freedom and Constraint is present whenever we have the power to choose. And we always have that power, even if it might not seem like it. So how do we resolve the tension?

Continue reading Resolving Freedom vs Constraint