Comments for What is my PKM system

Comment from Ken Jones on 2005-04-12

2005-04-12T11:13:05Z

Jack,

I am interested in the tools you specify to search your machine. Do you know or have your conducted any research to see if these tools also allow other, unwanted visitors to your PC to hack in and see information. I have seen some articles about this weakness in a Google tool and would like to be sure I consider a tool which allows easy searching but no security risks or concerns. If you could cover this topic in a future posting I would be grateful.

Comment from jackvinson on 2005-04-12

2005-04-12T20:31:21Z

Since I am still using Lookout, this particular issue hasn't come up as a concern. When I mentioned thinking about shifting to one of the desktop search tools, a friend of mine said he still uses both. Lookout does a great job of presenting results in a sortable matrix, so I can do a date or title sort instead of the relevance sort that you get from Google Desktop. (I think some of the other desktop search tools give you the capability to sort.)

A quick search points to the main concern that Google Desktop and MSN Toolbar (and maybe others) do website caching as you browse. This means that any confidential or sensitive information displayed on those web pages could be cached into the search tool's memory, and a malicious person could come in an attempt to steal that information. This eWeek article discusses the issue and mentions that Google Desktop can be set to not cache some pages. There is also a link to an opinion from one of eWeek's editors that Google Desktop isn't a threat.

It sounds like what you are really concerned about is privacy and whether these tools open you to threats from the outside. It sounds as if this threat is relatively minor or non-existent. SearchEngineWatch has a thoughtful article, A Closer Look At Privacy & Desktop Search, which says that desktop search doesn't add any true new privacy or security issues beyond what one should already be doing. The Google blog also reported that some researchers found a small hole in Google Desktop, which would allow malicious attacks from the outside. Google claims that this has now been fixed.

Comment from Steve Nipper on 2005-04-13

2005-04-13T18:01:26Z

I use the same tools (Lookout, ActiveWords, etc.). Have you tried Anagram (www.getanagram.com). It's pretty slick...allows you to quickly copy contacts, notes, appointments, etc. from any application right into Outlook.

Trackback in article Some other tools in my space from Knowledge Jolt with Jack

2005-04-14T04:53:40Z

I wrote a few days ago about my PKM System, there are some other tools in my suite that help me with the flow of my work: anagram, BlogJet, Movable Type, MindManager, Outclass, AddEmailAddress, Firefox, AdAware, SmartList to Go, Flickr, Skype and emacs. [Read More]

Trackback in article What's in your PKM tool box? from View from the Isle - Professional Blogging & Blog Consulting

2005-04-18T03:43:07Z

Boy I've been wanting to write about Jack Vinson's posts on PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) tools--What is my PKM system- [Read More]

Trackback in article Personal Productivity Tools from b.cognosco

2005-04-18T21:05:17Z

Helpful personal productivity tools and add-ons from Jack Vinson . There’s several here I already use and some others that sound quite useful. quote Some other tools in my space I wrote a few days ago about my PKM System , where I focused on email and ... [Read More]

Trackback in article Personal Productivity Tools from BlogJet weblog

2005-04-25T17:43:08Z

Terry Frazier writes...

Helpful personal productivity tools and add-ons from Jack Vinson. There’s several here I already use and some ...

[Read More]

Trackback in article Personal Productivity Tools from BlogJet weblog

2005-04-25T17:43:24Z

Terry Frazier writes...

Helpful personal productivity tools and add-ons from Jack Vinson. There’s several here I already use and some ...

[Read More]

Comment from kenyob on 2006-03-07

2006-03-07T18:39:14Z

I am working on my own PKM system involving google desktop search, Outlook, Personal brain, del.icio.us for bookmarks, a moleskine notebook for on the fly notes that I process into outlook or my Palm TX during my weekly review with any scrap papers and whatnot. I need to learn to integrate Personal Brain much better and Ill take another look at Active Words. I am worried that everything running bog down my system. Dell Inspiron 1150 512MB 20GB - Need a much bigger disk.