mindstream🔗

If you’ve ever created throwaway files named 1.txt or blah.py or test3.rkt to quickly write down some thoughts, try out a new idea, or prototype a new software tool, then you’ve already experienced the inconvenience of having to first come up with a name for these throwaway files, a small obstruction that is sometimes enough to snuff out that momentary creative spark that might have become a worthy conflagration. You’ve also probably experienced the cost of not creating such files, when just as the quick and anonymous freewriting session started to grow into something you’d want to keep around, an application error or computer crash caused you to lose it all and be more discouraged than when you began.

Regardless of what you’re trying to do, it begins with writing. Writing text, writing code, writing thoughts. Writing isn’t just a way to express yourself, but a way to think.

Mindstream removes the barriers so that you can start writing immediately (by entering self-contained, Git-backed, anonymous writing sessions starting from templates you define), and so that you can feel secure enough to play with the things you write (by providing moment-to-moment versioning, recording a commit every time you save the buffer), knowing that you won’t ever lose anything you care about (you can save these sessions, which are ordinary Git repos), and at the same time, never have to think again about the things that have served their purpose in the moment (archiving sessions that you no longer need, which files them away using an intuitive filing scheme).

Getting started with Mindstream is easy. The first few sections on Installation and Usage walk you through it. Customization and Tips describe ways to get the most out of Mindstream and tailor it to your needs. What Would I Use Mindstream For? provides some example applications, and Overview of Operation describes the inner workings at a high level.