Listy.us is a AJAXified table-based list making application. You create a list, edit it by clicking fields and entering your data, and it’s updated as you tab from item to item. It’s open-ended enough that you can use it for just about any kind of list you want to make. I designed Listy.us as an application that I would personally enjoy using, and I do use it. My user profile shows some of the lists I’ve made on the site so far – the ones I’ve marked as public, at least.

There have been a lot of features cut out in order to get the application on the internet and getting feedback. User groups, templates, and hypertemplates — templates with extra functionality such as pulling down extra data from outside sources — are all still on the list of “things to put back in ASAP.”

There are a lot of different things in this project to write about, so I’m going to try and break it up into a lot of smaller blog posts over the next couple weeks. What do you want to hear about? The marketing? Writing the editor javascript? The decision to remove advertising? Design revisions? Bits and pieces of Zend Framework code used on the backend?

Next post, I think I’ll share how I’m using some Zend Framework components to create a mail templating system for new user emails, comment notifications, and the like.

Between just being unplugged for a few days and a few discussions with my Dad who knows a crapload more about databases and project management than I, I think I’ve mostly got my head wrapped around this project. I got about 3 pages of notes down, and I write densely. I think when I head home tomorrow, I’ll be ready to start working on the app. There’s still a little bit of brainstorming left to do, but for the most part, I’m there.

So, if you ever find yourself stuck on a project, try unplugging for a few days. Don’t stop working, but go to paper and pencil if you can. If you aren’t working in computers, do something else to change your perspective; A shift in practice/view tends to lead to new approaches or solutions you hadn’t thought of before. Probably just because you aren’t following a pattern anymore and your brain has to start improvising more readily.

At least, it worked for me. Thought I’d share.

Got another project underway as well. I’m not really going to be talking about these projects directly until they’re at least alpha ready.