Lost cats and code name

posted by Linda on 08.11.06 @ 12:08 pm

A while ago I returned from a family vacation to discover that our cat had gone missing. While the cat is at least 87% evil and often spends her time stealth-barfing into my shoes, I was concerned. After a worrying amount of time had elapsed and walking around shouting her name into various bushes had produced no results (well, other than being forever known as the Crazy Neighborhood Cat Lady), I turned to the one piece of software I knew could help.

That’s right: OmniGraffle.

lostcat.jpg

Exactly one day later, our cat made a dramatic reappearance – slightly haggard but no worse for wear.

COINCIDENCE?

I think not.

OmniGraffle: it has the page layout functions to find your lost cat. I’m in marketing, so what I say must be true!

(Note: your lost cat results may vary. Offer void where prohibited, taxed or restricted. Current version of OmniGraffle recommended for all cat-location activities.)

:::

Okay, now for some blog content you might actually care about: an update on the Omni “GTD app” progress.

Well, I don’t have much news yet. Sorry, that’s kind of a sucky update, but it’s the truth. We have lots of feedback from everyone and a plan of sorts (including a UI mockup that is actually very exciting), it’s now a matter of finding engineering resources and re-prioritizing other projects.

We’re still really interested in doing this, and we are going to keep you posted on what we’re doing. Hopefully when the engineers are back from WWDC we’ll be able to start making some real progress.

Finally, it’s been suggested that using the term “GTD” when referring to this project is maybe not such a hot idea, so we need a good code name. Want to give us one? Best suggestion wins a software license of your choice. Extra points given for sophomoric humor, pop culture references, or anything that makes us email your idea around internally with the subject line “OMG OUR USERS ARE CRAZY”. The comments sections awaits!

Pick Axe
Lost Cat
Got To Demolish (GTD, get it?)
Scott Free

or, my favorite:
Bon Echo :D

One cool name that my friend Zach and I batted around for a GTD app we were working on was “Ripple” (i.e. “mind like water”). I still think it’s a great name.

Teen Crashes Car Into Tree Full of Bees. (Or: “Tree Full of Bees” for short.)

GRD- Git R Done

I like the thinking behind the “Ripple” submission- only problem for me though is that that is the same name as a gay bar down the street where they have Cher competitions. Actually, it’s called Ripples, but close enough.

Using the water analogy- what about “FLOW” or “FLO”? - something along those lines anyway.

OmniFlo (w/ a pronunciation mark over the O- like PUR waterfilters)/ OmniFlow

I like Cher… Then again, I also like gay bars.

For names for the GTD app, how about:
“OmniAccomplish”?
“OmniEffectuate”?
“OmniSuccess”?
“OmniProgress”?
“OmniForlornHope”? (sorry, that was inspired by my current project…)

OmniPotent?

- OmniPotent (it came up as a joke but after all, I kind of like this one)
- OmniBus
- Oni2 (this one shoufl trigger a “OMG OUR USERS ARE CRAZY/OBSESSEDâ€?

Well, I was one commenter to slow, but my idea was OniPhoto, thus carrying on my running gag, as well as pining for that Halo cocoa port.

Although, I am rather smitten with the idea of an OmniGTD. Or, ya know, just go all steal-y and make it Omni43folders. Or OmniMoleskine.

PLEASE don’t “reprioritise” OmniWeb in favour of this GTD stuff…

TheBoss

Get it? The GTD system is a time MANAGER.

Suggested Code Name:

OmniDo

or

OmniDoDo

OmniDone, Omni42, OmniOrg …

* Omni’s NCF “non-cat finding” Application
Someone: “Hey, have you heard about Omni’s new application that can’t find cats?”
Someone Else: “Phft. Microsoft’s had one for years.”

* Rhinoceros Sandwich
Someone: “Hey, have you heard that Omni will be displaying their rhinoceros sandwich at WWDC?”
Someone Else: “I bet the WWF will have something to say about that.”

* Tulip Addiction
Someone: “Hey, have you heard about the Tulip Addiction coming out of Seattle?”
Someone Else: “They were due.”

* Fumusmerx
Someone: “Hey, have you heard all the hype about Omni’s Fumusmerx?”
Someone Else: “I hear it’s just vaporware.”

Surely I’ve seen OmniTask somewhere before? OmniDone? OmniGSD (Because Getting Shit Done is what I do.) OmniScient? OmniOmni?

Omni….

..um….

Omni….um….

Omni….Um

OmniUm! (from omnium-gatherum; a collection of miscellaneous people or things. Latin omnium ‘of all’)

OmniDone
OmniFinish
OmniNate (procrastinate)

OmniSteps
OmniFlux

OmniDizzle.

‘Cause you’re getting it dizzone.

This one is too obvious: OmniLife.

How ’bout “Thick and Chewy”?

“Have you made any progress on Thick and Chewy?” “When’s the release date for Thick and Chewy?”

It makes sense if you think about it…

Microsoft Windows Live Express Extreme Professional Edition. GTD.

Leopard?

Don’t reprioritize OmniWeb out of existence, please! It’s already moribund.

OmniBoom, as in ‘And Boom, it’s done’…. courtesy of Steve Jobs ;)

OmniScient — It knows everything you need to do.

OmniDo/OmniDue

OmniIt.

Since you’re looking for a code name, how about John Conway (for the game of life). Then after he threatens a lawsuit, you can release it with the actual name of OmniSosumi.

I also would like to see a product named “Sparkle Master 2000″, but that’s probably just me.

OmniCheesecake - because, like, what’s better than cheesecake?

Word.

OmniDoodle. OmniDiddle. OmniTask.

Butterstick!

Given this blog post, and the request, I’d have to go with: CATS

How are you gentlemen! :)

OmniBasket

Little Black Book
Check! (as in been there, done that)
iBdone

Also, shameless plug for http://www.northslopephotography.com

(Not directly omni related, but Graffle helps me remember my processes, so…)

Cheers.

OmniAction - It all boils down to next actions.

This one’s a cinch:

ORGAN GRINDER

Consider yourselves as the monkey that goes around in the cute Turkish hat collecting money from people.

Of course, the double entendre is that you’re grinding away at being “organ”ised. This would give you the candidate for best icon ever, too.

Monkeys dressed in hats are arguably cuter than cats:
[http://www.silentsaregolden.com/featurefolder3/hybclip13.jpg]

Since Omni- means “all”, how about “OmniSorted” (all sorted)?

Or a pop culture play on Getting Things Done: Maxwell Smart’s “Get Sort”/”Get Sorted”. Missed it by that much …

Code Names:
Merlin
Ethan

Bob (just kidding)

I’m sure you’ll get who Merlin & Ethan are. I think Merlin is a better code name. Helps you get things done like magic.

OmniFlush
Flush your brain into a trusted system (and have a mind like water).

What could we use as an icon?

Code name: Gitzoid (it’s got GTD in it, and, well, I wouldn’t say it rolls off the tongue, but it’s quick to say!)

At WWDC there were a lot of sessions listed as “To Be Announced”. We took to calling the new GTD app “TBA”, for Things Being Accomplished, which is *totally distinct* from Getting Things Done.

OmniBrain works for me.

OmniJustDoIt.

Oh, wait…

Anyway, if you call it OmniBrain, you’d also have to release an OmniPinky to go with it. Narf.

OmniMole?
OmniSkine? (My fave)

(Do a search on any GTD forum if you don’t get it!)

Code name “Kickboxer”

Spell out the first & last initials for David Allen, Merlin Mann, Ethan Schoonover and you get “DAMMES”. As in: What’s Jean-Claude Van DAMME’S greatest flick of all time? You guessed it….Kickboxer…

Code name: “Meercat”

App name: “OmniFarious” (to be pronounced omni-farious)

Based on the aim of the product:

“Impresario”, given the purpose of the product.
“Interlocutor”, given we have a dialogue with it.
“Sieve”, since it separates out the important tasks.
“Context”, since that’s the key viewpoint of the application.

Humourous:
“Badger” is catchy and good for a chuckle in some circles. OmniBadger.

Flea. Runs on Panther, Tiger and Leopard. :-)
Sorry. Had to.

OmniTask - as others have suggested
OmniAction
OmniDone
OmniStart
OmniGTD
OmniFile
OmniTrack

OmniAssKicker. BOOYAH!

successorize

OmniScience (as in Omniscience, not Omni-Science)
OmniManage
Omni*

Abdul: “Hat fez. Pretty spiffy, eh?”

And as others have echoed, please don’t reprioritize OmniWeb out of the loop. Get OW 5.5 out the door, and then get cracking on OW 6! Time to kick Safari’s butt so hard that it won’t be able to sit down anymore!

Bluebox
Propel
Bertie
Armstrong
Legweak

iDo.

As in the three letters at the heart of OmniDone.
As in a marriage (Kinkless, do you take OmniPlan?)
And there’s no reason it can’t be said “I d’oh” for built-in pop culture appeal.

Or, borrowing directly from GTD’s whole leakproof collection schtick: Codeaname Trusty Bucket.

Omninize (You know Omni and organize)!

I think releasing another OmniApp so soon after OmniPlan is not a great idea - too soon for OmniPlan to stand alone.

This seems like some of the very rubbish companies I’ve encountered - loads of new products, but lacking in support for the ones that they already have.

Just my thruppence,
Peter

implement the identifying GTD acronym in the product’s name, anything else would miss the mark, since GTD so specifically ties into the functionality don’t try for anything else that sounds cool and chic.

How about OmniTCB. The icon can use Elvis Glasses. Of course, it would have to be old Elvis Glasses, since the young Elvis Took Care of Buisiness.

(ps: I miss my mac, and I miss having my omni products.)

OmniKink!

A few suggestions:
OmniMethod
OmniAction

More votes for already mentioned ones:
OmniTask
OmniProject

*both of these would also hint towards integration with OmniPlan

Specific votes against any title that references a specific system or product (e.g., -skine, -GTD, “mind like water”).

Clever names are fun but they introduce an unnecessary layer of abstraction. Stick to something that describes what the program does (i.e., “-outliner”, “-gra[ph]“).

Thanks!

Names:

Donners
Did
IDIA (I Did It Already)

BZ

This is just a code name, right? Not the final shipping name?

How about “Immodium.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immodium) Because it makes you anally retentive. Just like people who make lists are.

(and, yes, I include myself in that group.)

Hue: the next iteration of Getting Things Done

Or, rolling with this progression, but spilling forward to pop culture:

GTD -> Hue -> Huey Lewis and the News ->
“Doin’ It All For My Baby”
or “I Want A New Drug”

which can be shortened to
“Baby”
and
“NewDrug”, respectively.

Omni Desk Lamp

Most of the work is already done ;)

Ooze (from Omni and Organize)

OmniBaffle (trying to make head or tail of the details of our lives) (no really that one was a joke, we don’t want people think we’re *trying* to baffle them!)

I like Peter’s “suggestion” - OmniApp! Haha. I do think OmniAction is very appropriate and perhaps the best suggestion I’ve seen here so far in relation to GTD… GTD is nothing without action…

Also OmniSystem, OmniSync, OmniGID (Got It Done).

As it is lies in the future and it is all about predictions, I would recommend code-naming it “Nostradamus”.

I also thought of Omnilife (as in life-hacking) but it also gives the obvious opportunity for a great easter egg.

gotta recommend…

OmniGSD
(Getting sh*t Done, er, uh, Getting stuff done)

OmniTickler
(for those GTD fetishists in the know)

Have Fun!

My kid uses TaDone when he finishes something, hence OmniTaDone would be a good positive sounding name.

OmniOm

If you meditate on this a bit, you’ll realize, in a flash, that the app is designed to clear your mind of confusion about priorities and enlighten you as to the path you’re to follow.
Phat!

OmniTaskMaster

I root for OmniDone!!!

I guess OmniHeurist is a tad optimistic… solver of all problems…

OmniAct might be a good partner to OmniPlan, You’ll have to leave the “Do” part to us…

OmniFocus would be what I’d suggest as a good choice since that’s what time management allows you to do…but…. I’d much rather suggest Omnicide which represents the type of frustration people who don’t use this system will have.

Many seem to have missed that this is for a code name…or I did.

Anyways - “Spanky”. Just because. :)

Pareto -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle

or dewbrick (aka DewBrick, dewBrick, DB) -
http://www.overduemedia.com/archive.aspx?strip=20050925

[...] You know what, never mind all that. I’ll just cut to the chase and tell you the name we’ve decided on, for now at least, is OmniFocus. I see that commenter Cameron suggested that very same name just two days ago in response to this entry, so I will take that as a Positive Sign that “OmniFocus” is an okay name. [...]