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Lost cats and code name

Posted by Linda Sharps on 08.11.06 @ 5:08 AM File Under: Mysterious New Products, OmniGraffle

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!

 

Comments

  1. webmacster87

    08.11.06 5:28 AM

    Pick Axe

    Lost Cat

    Got To Demolish (GTD, get it?)

    Scott Free


    or, my favorite:

    Bon Echo :D

  2. Evan DiBiase

    08.11.06 5:34 AM

    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.

  3. David Demaree

    08.11.06 5:38 AM

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

  4. Jason

    08.11.06 5:42 AM

    GRD- Git R Done

  5. Jason

    08.11.06 5:49 AM

    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.

  6. Jason

    08.11.06 5:54 AM

    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

  7. DarylF2

    08.11.06 5:55 AM

    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…)

  8. Tacitus

    08.11.06 5:56 AM

    OmniPotent?

  9. Corentin

    08.11.06 6:01 AM

    - 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€?

  10. MacStansbury

    08.11.06 6:08 AM

    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.

  11. Alexandre

    08.11.06 6:10 AM

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

  12. Steve

    08.11.06 6:28 AM

    TheBoss


    Get it? The GTD system is a time MANAGER.

  13. Ken Anderson

    08.11.06 6:28 AM

    Suggested Code Name:


    OmniDo


    or


    OmniDoDo

  14. Spicewood

    08.11.06 6:33 AM

    OmniDone, Omni42, OmniOrg ...

  15. WrongSizeGlass

    08.11.06 6:38 AM

    * 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.”

  16. John Schofield

    08.11.06 6:43 AM

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

  17. Joel

    08.11.06 6:54 AM

    Omni….


    ..um….


    Omni….um….


    Omni….Um


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

  18. RenegadeOTV

    08.11.06 6:56 AM

    OmniDone

    OmniFinish

    OmniNate (procrastinate)

  19. RenegadeOTV

    08.11.06 7:00 AM

    OmniSteps

    OmniFlux

  20. Travis

    08.11.06 7:00 AM

    OmniDizzle.


    'Cause you're getting it dizzone.

  21. Stephen W. Carson

    08.11.06 7:03 AM

    This one is too obvious: OmniLife.

  22. Doug Leedham

    08.11.06 7:04 AM

    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…

  23. [Fuzzy] / Justin

    08.11.06 7:05 AM

    Microsoft Windows Live Express Extreme Professional Edition. GTD.

  24. Martin Pilkington

    08.11.06 7:19 AM

    Leopard?

  25. Odysseus

    08.11.06 7:35 AM

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

  26. Nik

    08.11.06 7:59 AM

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

  27. David

    08.11.06 8:18 AM

    OmniScient—It knows everything you need to do.


    OmniDo/OmniDue

  28. Amar

    08.11.06 8:32 AM

    OmniIt.

  29. Bruce

    08.11.06 9:05 AM

    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.

  30. Seth

    08.11.06 9:25 AM

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


    Word.

  31. Hiram

    08.11.06 9:32 AM

    OmniDoodle.  OmniDiddle.  OmniTask.

  32. Justin

    08.11.06 10:00 AM

    Butterstick!

  33. Kesh

    08.11.06 10:37 AM

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


    How are you gentlemen! :)

  34. Erik Swanson

    08.11.06 11:06 AM

    OmniBasket

  35. Patrick

    08.11.06 11:14 AM

    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.

  36. Owen

    08.11.06 11:58 AM

    OmniAction - It all boils down to next actions.

  37. Will Robertson

    08.11.06 12:10 PM

    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]

  38. HuwB

    08.11.06 1:07 PM

    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 ...

  39. Bob

    08.11.06 1:13 PM

    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.

  40. Greg

    08.11.06 1:54 PM

    OmniFlush

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

  41. Greg

    08.11.06 1:55 PM

    What could we use as an icon?

  42. Dave C

    08.11.06 4:14 PM

    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!)

  43. WVH

    08.11.06 5:17 PM

    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.

  44. Josh DiMauro

    08.11.06 5:36 PM

    OmniBrain works for me.

  45. John Y

    08.11.06 6:34 PM

    OmniJustDoIt.


    Oh, wait…

  46. John Y

    08.11.06 6:36 PM

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

  47. Mark

    08.12.06 5:26 AM

    OmniMole?

    OmniSkine? (My fave)


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

  48. Keith

    08.12.06 6:23 AM

    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…

  49. MK

    08.12.06 9:21 AM

    Code name: “Meercat”


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

  50. Matthew Barker

    08.12.06 10:05 AM

    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.

  51. Owen Robertson

    08.12.06 5:32 PM

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

    Sorry. Had to.

  52. John Crosby

    08.12.06 6:14 PM

    OmniTask - as others have suggested

    OmniAction

    OmniDone

    OmniStart

    OmniGTD

    OmniFile

    OmniTrack

  53. Robert

    08.12.06 11:05 PM

    OmniAssKicker.  BOOYAH!

  54. adam pw smith

    08.13.06 1:04 AM

    successorize

  55. Logan

    08.13.06 4:47 AM

    OmniScience (as in Omniscience, not Omni-Science)

    OmniManage

    Omni*

  56. Chad

    08.13.06 9:29 AM

    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!

  57. webmacster87

    08.13.06 10:49 AM

    Bluebox

    Propel

    Bertie

    Armstrong

    Legweak

  58. Kyle

    08.13.06 12:40 PM

    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.

  59. Simon

    08.13.06 4:09 PM

    Omninize (You know Omni and organize)!

  60. peter

    08.13.06 4:38 PM

    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

     

  61. chad

    08.13.06 6:06 PM

    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.

  62. Mark W. Wallace

    08.14.06 1:33 AM

    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.)

  63. Tim

    08.14.06 1:52 AM

    OmniKink!

  64. Señor Pantalones

    08.14.06 3:33 AM

    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!

  65. BZ

    08.14.06 3:55 AM

    Names:


    Donners

    Did

    IDIA (I Did It Already)

    BZ

     

  66. David

    08.14.06 5:20 AM

    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.)

  67. Mithras

    08.14.06 7:57 AM

    Hue: the next iteration of Getting Things Done

  68. Mithras

    08.14.06 8:00 AM

    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.

  69. Alf Watt

    08.14.06 10:51 AM

    Omni Desk Lamp


    Most of the work is already done ;)

  70. Vicki

    08.14.06 8:22 PM

    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).

  71. Tim Pritlove

    08.15.06 3:06 AM

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

  72. DV Henkel-Wallace

    08.15.06 7:16 AM

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

  73. Frank

    08.22.06 12:03 AM

    gotta recommend…


    OmniGSD

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


    OmniTickler

    (for those GTD fetishists in the know)


    Have Fun!

  74. vanderwal

    08.23.06 5:19 AM

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

  75. Bob (really)

    08.26.06 1:24 AM

    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!

  76. Nathan

    08.27.06 2:50 AM

    OmniTaskMaster

  77. Vladimir

    08.29.06 1:55 AM

    I root for OmniDone!!!

  78. Tommy Weir

    09.02.06 6:55 PM

    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…

  79. Cameron Williams

    09.23.06 7:55 AM

    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.

  80. Step

    09.23.06 11:00 AM

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


    Anyways - “Spanky”.  Just because.  :)

  81. Forrest

    09.23.06 11:59 AM

    Pareto -

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


    or dewbrick (aka DewBrick, dewBrick, DB) -

    http://www.overduemedia.com/archive.aspx?strip=20050925

  82. [...] 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. [...]

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