Plan 9 from Inner Space

# Personal Computing in the Age of Information ## A Vision for Digital Life Management Since the mid-1990s, I've been developing a comprehensive system for organizing my digital life. The project emerged from a convergence of interests: operating system design, cognitive science, and the emerging World Wide Web. As we enter 2003, I'd like to share some thoughts about where personal computing might be headed. ### Origins In 1996, as a college freshman learning to manage my first UNIX account and personal webpage, I began to notice patterns in how information wanted to be organized. Windows 95 had recently shown how filesystem hierarchies could bridge local and networked resources. Bell Labs' Plan 9 operating system suggested even more radical possibilities with its "everything is a file" philosophy. These technical innovations hinted at something bigger: the potential for a unified approach to managing all aspects of one's life through digital means. ### The Framework I've organized my system around ten fundamental planning areas, numbered 0 through 9. Plan 0 provides the basic infrastructure - the organizational principles and tools that support everything else. Subsequent plans address technology implementation, physical and digital storage, finances, academics, political engagement, private life, public life, creative works, and ultimately, a vision of digitally-enhanced living. The system assumes that the Web will eventually become the de facto operating system for accessing all information. While this might sound far-fetched in 2003, consider how we're already seeing the early signs: webmail replacing desktop email clients, online document storage, and the emergence of "web services" that can be combined in novel ways. ### Implementation Currently, I maintain this system through a combination of local files, web directories, and carefully structured templates built in Dreamweaver. Everything has its place, whether it's academic writing, creative projects, or personal documentation. The system is designed to be both current and forward-looking - managing today's files while anticipating tomorrow's capabilities. I've developed a personal vocabulary for various subprojects and areas, partially inspired by "leetspeak" and hacker culture, but with a practical purpose: creating unique namespaces that don't conflict with standard terminology. This may seem excessive, but I believe future systems will need clear ways to distinguish between personal and public information spaces. ### Future Directions While current technology limits what's possible, I envision this system eventually becoming more automated and intelligent. Perhaps someday we'll have AI assistants that can help manage our information spaces, understand our personal organizational schemes, and help maintain the system's flow toward completion of goals. The current trend toward "cloud computing" (as some are calling it) suggests that the distinction between local and networked resources will continue to blur. We'll need sophisticated frameworks to manage this convergence while maintaining privacy and personal agency. ### Beyond Organization This isn't just about filing systems or to-do lists. It's about creating a framework for managing the complexity of modern life. As our world becomes increasingly digital, the boundaries between our physical and virtual existence will continue to blur. We'll need better tools for managing this hybrid existence. Consider how many aspects of life are already being digitized: banking, communications, creative work, social connections. Each of these generates its own data stream, its own organizational requirements. Traditional folder hierarchies and desktop metaphors may not be sufficient for what's coming. ### Looking Ahead Sometimes I joke that my personal website will eventually evolve into a hyperintelligent AI assistant. While that's clearly science fiction in 2003, I do believe we're moving toward systems that will be more aware of our goals, habits, and organizational patterns. The challenge is to create frameworks that are both powerful enough to handle increasing complexity and personal enough to reflect individual ways of thinking and working. This system is my attempt to solve that challenge for myself, while keeping an eye on future possibilities. As we watch the Web evolve from static pages to dynamic applications, it's clear that we're just at the beginning of understanding how digital tools can enhance human capability. My hope is that by thinking carefully about these issues now, we'll be better prepared for the changes ahead. Will we someday have AI agents helping us manage our digital lives? Will our personal information spaces become as unique as our fingerprints? In 2003, these questions might seem premature. But I believe they're worth asking as we watch the digital revolution unfold.