1. Field of Invention
This invention is a method and device for making lists utilizing a compact apparatus with removable paper strips that can be continuously updated.
2. Discussion of Background
This invention constitutes a compact, easy to use, versatile, and inexpensive means of making and continuously revising lists of items. It allows the user to write listed items on individual strips of paper which can be included or excluded from the list at will. This permits the user to maintain a current list at all times, to reorder the listed items at will, and to eliminate the clutter of items that are no longer needed. The device includes highlighting tabs that can be used to signal which items are more important than others; this highlighting can be completely changed at will. Because the invention can be positioned wherever the user desires, it keeps the list visible at all times, makes the list difficult to lose, obviates clutter, and maximizes versatility. It is easy to use, inexpensive to make and sell, durable, convenient, and socially beneficial.
Heretofore, list-making has mainly been done on single sheets of paper. Recently, computers have come into use for this purpose as well. There are disadvantages to each of these approaches that the present invention overcomes.
Lists on single sheets of paper are problematic in that, once a large number of listed items have appeared on the paper and been lined-through, the remaining list can be messy and difficult to follow. This can result in the over-looking of some of the listed information and usually makes it necessary to re-write the list from scratch on a new sheet of paper. Lists written on sheets of paper can get lost under other paper on a crowded desk or inside a book, bag, or pocket. This raises a further problem in that, for some people, when a list goes out of sight, it goes out of mind.
Even when a paper list does not get lost, problems still arise. The items on a paper list cannot be re-arranged unless they are written in an erasable ink or pencil, and then the re-writing can be time-consuming. And, although items on a paper list can be highlighted as important using stars, check marks, or the like, subsequent changes in the order of importance can make the highlighting visually cluttered and difficult to follow without a review of the entire list to check for possible omissions.
Computer programs that generate lists solve many of these problems, but create different ones, ones that the instant invention averts. For the person who is not in a full-service office, the expense of the hardware and software needed to obtain a computer list program can be great. Even small hand-held computer list devices can be expensive. Misplacing one of these units can be financially painful.
Even for those who have access to a computer with a list program, there exist problems that do not arise with a hand-written list. Learning to use the program, remembering the required commands, and keeping up with the latest advances in technology can use up time, raising a barrier to using the list program that dissuades some people. Once a program is memorized, there is the further barrier of the extra steps required to gain access to the list and to manipulate the information on it. Because of the need to back-up computers and to turn screens off to prevent burn-in, a number of time-consuming steps must be followed almost every time the list program is used. Finally, from the perspective of the manufacturer, production and marketing of computer devices for list-making is a resource-intensive undertaking requiring considerable technological expertise.
In sum, the extant methods and devices for making lists pose numerous complications and drawbacks. The instant invention overcomes these problems. It can be continuously updated. Highlighting is easy and reversible at will. The device can be placed where the user wishes, so that it is always visible, easy to work on, and difficult to lose. No special training is needed to understand and use this invention. Finally, it is intended to be easy and inexpensive to manufacture, sold through existing office supply distribution networks, and inexpensive to purchase and use.