Tech writing by WP
When the spirit moves him, William Porter blogs on databases, cameras, and other tech subjects over at Blogspot:
http://ulyssesatlarge.blogspot.com/
Here is an incomplete and probably not wholly reliable list of recent (and not-so-recent) articles on technology by WP.
- Review of FileMaker Pro 10, Macworld online, January 2009.
- Review of Bento 2, FileMaker Pro's easy-to-use little brother, Macworld, October 2008.
- The iCal Challenge, Macworld, August 2008.
- Thunderbird 2 email-software: Open source offering a tempting alternative to Apple Mail, Macworld Online, April 8, 2008.
- FileMaker Pro 9: Hitching a ride on the SQL bus, Macworld Online, August 7, 2007.
- FileMaker Pro 8 Gets Serious, TidBITS 797, September 19, 2005.
- FileMaker Pro 8 Advanced: Easy to Use Database Program Morphs into a Powerhouse, Macworld Online, September 20, 2005.
- First Look: FileMaker Pro 8, Macworld Online, August 29, 2005 (within minutes of the official release!).
- What's New for Developers in FileMaker 7? Short answer: A lot..., MacTech, April 2005. (Print only.) Cover story for Mactech; discusses new features in FileMaker 7 that make it a serious applications-development tool.
- Apple Mail 2: Apple's new email program is imperfect but innovative. 3 and 1/2 mice.
- GyazMail 1.2: Upstart E-mail Program Picks Up Where Apple's Mail Leaves Off. 4 mice! In print: Macworld, June 2005.
- Panorama V: Respected Database Program Comes to OS X. In print: Macworld, April 2005, page 37.
- Upgrading an old iMac to Mac OS X, TidBITS 765, February 7, 2005.
- Review of Nisus Writer Express 2.1 and Mellel 1.8. In print: Macworld, March 2005, page 24.
- Ulysses 1.1: Writing Environment for Non-Linear Thinkers. In print: Macworld, December 2004, page 28.
- FileMaker Pro 7: Database Application Includes Revolutionary Changes but Retains Ease of Use. In print: Macworld, October 2004, pages 22-23..
- Mailsmith 2.1: E-mail client for control freaks, MacTech, March 2004, pages 50-53. (Print only.) Review of Mailsmith for Mac OS's most prestigious programming publication; the review emphasizes how customizable Mailsmith is.
- FileMaker Pro 7: Can you say Paradigm Shift?, TidBITS 721, March 15, 2004 (review article).
- Chapter 9 "Filters" in the Mailsmith 2.1 User Manual (Fall 2003).
- Mailsmith 1.5: A lean, mean e-mail machine, TidBITS 638, July 15, 2002 (review article)
- Mailsmith and Distributed Filtering, from TidBITS 648 and 649 (September 2002).
- FileMaker Pro 5: Is Better Good Enough?, in MacTech vol 16, number 2 (1999).
What is "Polytrope"? And why?
"Polytrope" comes from the Ancient Greek word "polytropos" or "polutropos." The basic meaning is, "(a man) of many turns;" the epic poet Homer (8th century B.C.) uses it to describe his hero Odysseus's versatility and resourcefulness. That's the "what." The "why" has something to do with the fact that William Porter, Polytrope's owner, is a former classics professor (Ph.D., Classics, Boston University; Mellon Foundation Fellow in Renaissance Studies, Brandeis University; Visiting Associate Professor, Classical Languages, Syracuse University; Assistant/Associate Professor of Classical Languages and Honors, University of Houston).
A Roman mosaic showing Ulysses (= Odysseus) listening to the sirens.
"At fifteen, I set my mind upon learning. At thirty, I took my stand. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the will of heaven..." (Confucius, Analects 2.3, trans. Simon Leys)
