Suggest edit — IdeaOverflow

Title

Name

Note

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title: IdeaOverflow
visibility: public
status: hackathon-concept
date: 2013-01-01
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# IdeaOverflow

IdeaOverflow is a graph-based idea brainstorming tool built with d3.js force-directed layouts. It visualizes the relationships between ideas as an interactive network rather than a linear list.

## Concept

Traditional brainstorming tools (lists, mind maps) impose rigid hierarchies. IdeaOverflow uses a force-directed graph where ideas are nodes and relationships are edges. Users can see how concepts cluster, identify unexpected connections, and explore their idea space spatially.

## Technical Approach

Built on d3.js for interactive graph visualization. Ideas can be created, linked, tagged, and rearranged. The force-directed layout automatically organizes related ideas into clusters while keeping the overall structure explorable.

## Legacy

This early concept foreshadowed Jacob's later work on knowledge graph infrastructure, including IdeaFlow/Thoughtstream and the Noos project. The core insight — that ideas are networked, not linear — has remained a consistent thread.

## Status

**Hackathon concept** from the MIT era.

## Related Ideas

- [[model-skill-files|Model Skill Files]] (knowledge as structured data)
- [[open-social-web|Open Social Web]] (networked information)

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*Source: Hackathon projects document*