Maximum PC

I'm in need of ideas for a programming project I need to do this coming fall. I need to start planning now so I can get the project designed so I can hopefully start coding and debugging once fall semester (which starts at the end of August) comes around. Read on...


So, I'm having a difficult time deciding whether to do a web app, like a dynamic database-driven web app, or a desktop app using Visual Studio or something). This question is more on the debate of desktop app vs. web app more than it is about my project ideas (although some ideas would help too). I know games are written generally as "desktop applications" but aren't most other computing tasks moving more to the Web now??


I guess I want to know if desktop apps (that only run from desktops, but don't really interface with web resources) are still widely used these days since the new thing is to store your stuff online and do everything online.

As for the project itself, it doesn't really have any specific parameters, other than it CAN'T be a game, needs to be something of use (hence, no games), needs to legal (so I'm guessing no gambling programs or P2P downloading programs apparently). I was thinking something maybe along the lines of a business app because of my background in business/management and my other BS degree I have.


(Just as an FYI for those who are wondering, I'm going back to the local college for a small programming certificate because I have a CS degree but it was a more generalized Computer Science degree, but have decided that I'd like to do programming--long story short: I don't need to go back to retake the classes because I can take most of them at the community college... I just need something that shows I am fluent in a variety of languages and applications. I guess I have the knowledge, so to speak, but don't really have any recent examples to show--last time I wrote a fully fledged program of any interest was back 5-6 years ago using the older version of Visual Basic.net 2005. I actually also have a business degree as well, so this is more or less for my pleasure and an "investment" in my future I guess would put it right).

I have recently gotten myself interested in web database programming (just because my feeling was that the web was were everything was going to).


(And sorry if this is like one of my much older posts about project ideas... as I said, I felt this to more of a question of desktop vs. web apps more than project ideas.)

It just depends what you want to do. There are lots of apps in both flavors out there in the business world.

Web stuff is probably the most common of the two though.

I figured that was the case--espeically since the trend now is to store our stuff in the cloud (Internet). Obviously, certain applications, such as many accounting systems and most high-end computer games are desktop-only solutions (although there are some online account systems out there).

I guess I'd like to find something that may be of use by people (either now or in the future). For that reason, I don't want to do the usual (you know, like phone books, or word processing programs, etc--they've all already been done hundreds of times over). I'm looking to do something fairly unique, but still useful for many people. I thought about creating a system where you could store all of your CD keys and activation codes (although my counter argument to this is piracy issues--people sharing their databases with others and thus sharing CD keys, etc).

Personal Knowledge Bases are going to be the next thing I think. Honestly, that isn't a bad place to start. I build it to store one specific kind of information and retrieve it, then see how you can generalize it.

http://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2011/2/104378-still-building-the-memex/fulltext

I thought about doing one, but it ended up looking more like a content management system more than a knowledge base system. Maybe I was trying to have it store more "media": than I should have (i was trying to have it store all sorts of stuff, like pictures, video, text/documents, audio, etc). maybe i should just start with storing textual information for now...

It's a good suggestion and I will look into it further, because I know i have a lot of stuff I'd like to put into such a system for easier retrieval and usage.

I would imagine that a good CMS would be crucial to a PKB applications success.

Anyone know of any good resources that discuss knowledge bases (as in how they work, what makes up a good knowledgebase system, etc)? I have a general idea, but am thinking more about doing something like this because it would be beneficial to me as well as other people.

Did you read the article I posted? They discuss it in detail.

It seemed like they wanted me to sign up (and pay some fee?), which I wasn't thrilled about. I'll take a more indepth look at it later...

Yeah, I saw that after... It is a really good article though! The ACM is totally worth it too. You are a student right? Student membership is like $100 / year. You get access to some free online classes and both books 24/7 and Safari books.

Reminds me, I need to renew my professional membership!

cbassette - Wikipedia has info on the memex and original As We May Think article.

I've actually given some thought to this type of thing in the past. While the original Memex device is a very interesting read, I have to wonder if Wikis and Google Wave (especially) haven't already incorporated all of these ideas. Is there anything you guys can think of that these devices aren't already capable of doing?

Three things that I'd like to see in the future:
1) Auto-synching of bookmark info between Google Bookmarks and Chrome. I want to be able to add my own descriptions/thoughts to a bookmark like I can in GB, but I also want quick access to them from the bookmark bar in Chrome.

2) Why not also synch bookmarks between Chrome and Android devices. There might be an app for this now... I haven't checked in quite a while.

3) I would like my comments and highlights in Kindle books to be available in something like Google Wave. I would to be able to upload my own content to Amazon and have it available on my Kindle compatible devices (w/ all the neat features).

I was in the shower the other day and it struck me as odd that there isn't a worldwide library that deals exclusively with ebooks. I should be able to checkout something for a week or two and then return it just like a physical library.